ATLAH World Missionary Church
| ATLAH World Missionary Church | |
|---|---|
![]() ATLAH World Missionary Church | |
| Location | 38 West 123rd Street Harlem, New York City, 10027 |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Independent |
Previous denomination | Independent Baptist |
| History | |
Former name | Bethelite Community Baptist Church |
| Founded | June 10, 1957 |
| Founder | Millard Alexander Stanley |
| Events | Mother Keturah Breakfast Program[1] C.I.A. Columbia Obama Sedition and Treason Trial 2010[2] "No Dew! No Rain!"[3] |
| Architecture | |
| Designated | 1888-89 |
| Architect | Lamb & Rich[4] |
Architectural type | Club |
| Style | Queen Anne |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | red brick and terra cotta |
ATLAH World Missionary Church (formerly Bethelite Missionary Baptist Church) is a Christian church and ministry located in Harlem, New York. James David Manning is the chief pastor.[5] The church campus is the site of the unaccredited ATLAH Theological Seminary, where classes are offered on preaching and prophecy.[6] The church also has a studio that Manning uses for his Internet radio program The Manning Report.[7][8] The church's YouTube channel had over 72,000 subscribers as of March 2018[9] but was shut down by YouTube later that year.[10]
History
[edit]The church was founded and organized in Harlem on June 6, 1957, by the Reverend Millard Alexander Stanley as the Bethelite Community Baptist Church.[5]
In early June, just a few days before the first worship service was held, Stanley was sitting in front of a storefront on 8th Avenue in Harlem. A local heroin addict spoke to him and said, "If y’all gonna be a church, you better 'Be-The-Lite.'" Thus, the mission was formed and named Bethelite.[5]
In 1981, James David Manning replaced Stanley as chief pastor. Under Manning's leadership, the church name changed to ATLAH ("All The Land Anointed Holy"), and ministries were established.[11]
Newest Ministries – The Temple Hour of Prayer May 29, 2008; and The Manning Report August 25, 2008.[11]
- ATLAH Men's Business Association: Men's group established in 2003.
- ATLAH Superior: Started as a group of 70 women in 2003 for the establishment of a specialty food service supermarket in New York.
- ATLAH Theological Seminary: Established in 1994 as an adult-education, Bible, business, and social studies institution.
- ATLAH World Ministries: Established in 1992 as a half-hour Christian teaching radio, expanded to a weekly TV broadcast heard on several networks, and currently on YouTube and several other venues.
- Great Tomorrows Elementary/Middle School and ATLAH High School: The school was established in 1994 for the purpose of educating young people from elementary to high school focused upon a private Christian education founded on the M.A.D. Curriculum. The school is not registered and has been pending since about 2013.[12]
This building was erected in the 1890s as the Harlem Social Club. Father Divine (c.1876–1965) and his International Peace Mission Movement were located here during the 1930s.[13]

Controversy and finances
[edit]The messages on the church letter board used anti-gay epithets and stated a Christian imperative to kill gay people by stoning. They gained notice on several websites, including some that promote gay rights and oppose hate speech.[14]
In early 2014, the church posted a series of messages on its letter board sign that asserted that Barack Obama is a Muslim and that he is not legally president. Example messages that were documented on the websites include:
- Obama has released the homo demons on the black man. Look out black woman. A white homo may take your man.[15]
- Many of these homos moving into Harlem looking for some black meat[16]
In March 2014, local lesbian and transgender activist Jennifer Louise Lopez knocked on the church door to ask for her stoning.[17]
In August 2014, Manning promised that President Vladimir Putin of Russia would release information collected by the KGB that would prove that President Obama is homosexual.[18]
In November 2014, Manning claimed in a video presentation that Starbucks was "Ground Zero" for Ebola. He warned people to stay away from Starbucks if they did not want to get Ebola.[19]
On November 5, Manning claimed that in "a few days' time," there would be no homosexuals in Harlem and Starbucks would close."[20]
In January 2016, a state judge ordered ATLAH Worldwide Church to be sold at a public foreclosure auction after failing to pay creditors more than $1.02 million, court records show.[21] The Church maintains they are afforded tax exempt status by the New York Supreme Court and are not liable for the fines[22] citing the Court's ruling in December 2004.[23] The Ali Forney Center announced their interest in acquiring it for the purposes of an LGBT youth homeless services center, and raised $200,000 in two weeks from a fund-raiser to achieve that goal.[24][25] A temporary stay on the sale was granted pending a full hearing on April 21, 2016. Carl Siciliano of the Ali Forney Center planned to use the time to research the property.[26] In September the judgment of foreclosure was vacated.[27]
In 2019 the Southern Poverty Law Center added ATLAH Church to the national Hate Group List.[28]
Staff
[edit]- James David Manning, chief pastor
References
[edit]- ↑ "Mother Keturah Breakfast Program Today". ATLAH Media Network. November 18, 2012. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ↑ Weigel, David (March 12, 2010). "Obama on Trial". washingtonindependent.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ↑ Altman, Mara (April 3, 2007). "Do the Dew: Prophet Loss in Harlem". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ↑ "Bethelite Community Baptist Church originally the Harlem Club". New York Architecture. Archived from the original on May 11, 2004. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
- 1 2 3 "Our Mission Statement". November 1, 2010. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
- ↑ "Seminary page". Archived from the original on October 25, 2010.
- ↑ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.
- ↑ "ATLAH Media Network | the Manning Report Live and 24/7 Encore Presentations". Archived from the original on November 22, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ↑ ATLAH Worldwide profile on SocialBlade.com
- ↑ https://atlah.org/amn4/2018/09/11/banned-on-youtube-and-facebook-snowflake-generation/ "Banned on YouTube and Facebook: Snowflake Generation"[dead link]
- 1 2 "Pastor James David Manning Bio". ATLAH Media Network. June 2, 2010. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ↑ Klein, Rebecca (April 29, 2019). "The Harrowing Inside Story Of A Harlem School Run By A Hate Group". HuffPost Canada. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
- ↑ From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship (illustrated ed.). Columbia University Press. 2004. p. 124.
- ↑ Nichols, James (March 20, 2014). "Jennifer Louise Lopez Asks Anti-Gay Harlem Church To Stone Her". HuffPost. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ Coscarelli, Joe (February 27, 2014). "'Obama Has Released the Homo Demons,' Church Sign Warns". New York Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
- ↑ Diaz, Arnold (June 9, 2015). "Neighbors confront controversial Harlem pastor over 'hateful' church sign". WPIX-TV.
- ↑ Nichols, James Michael (March 20, 2014). "Watch What Happens When A Lesbian Asks This Anti-Gay Church To Stone Her". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ↑ Putin Will Out Obama As Gay Within 100 Days. YouTube. August 6, 2014.
- ↑ Stay Away From Starbucks. YouTube. October 28, 2014.
- ↑ Starbucks Using Sodomites' Semen In Lattes. YouTube. November 5, 2014.
- ↑ Otis, Ginger Adams (January 28, 2016). "Controversial church in Harlem may go up for public auction". NY Daily News. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ↑ "Court Rules ATLAH Church Water And Sewer Tax Exempt". The Manning Report. February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- ↑ Supreme Court, New York County, New York (December 28, 2004). "IN RE: BETHELITE COMMUNITY CHURCH". caselaw.findlaw.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "LGBT Group Eyes Purchase Of Anti-Gay Church Building In Harlem". newyork.cbslocal.com. CBS New York. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
- ↑ Ellefson, Lindsey (February 9, 2016). "Activists Achieve Goal of Raising Enough Money to Buy Church With Famous Homophobic Signs". Mediaite. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- ↑ Duffy, Nick (February 22, 2016). "Closure of 'Jesus would stone homos' church delayed amid legal challenge". www.pinknews.co.uk.
- ↑ Clark, Dartunorro (September 1, 2016). "Controversial ATLAH Church Avoids Foreclosure Once Again". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Hate Map by State". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
External links
[edit]- Historically African-American Christian denominations
- Churches in Harlem
- Baptist churches in New York City
- Christian organizations established in 1957
- Christian organizations established in 1991
- 1957 establishments in New York City
- Organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights in the United States
- Anti-LGBTQ and Charismatic churches
