Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church

History

The Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church was founded in 1857, with the physical church in use as of 2025 having been built in 1962. The LAPC’s first pastor, Theodore Ledyard Cuyler, was an outspoken abolitionist who lobbied then-President Abraham Lincoln to outlaw slavery during the Civil War. In the 1860s, the LAPC had its first female minister. In the 1880s, the LAPC launched a mission to South Korea and has maintained close relations with a Korean congregation ever since. ^{3 4}

In the 20th century, the LAPC was one of the first religious organizations in New York City to allow LGBT individuals full participation in its congregation. ¹

Activism

The Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church maintains a Social Justice Committee to oversee its left-wing activism. ⁵

Audre Lorde Project

In 1994, the Audre Lorde Project (ALP) was founded by Advocates for Gay Men of Color as an advocacy group for racial minority LGBT individuals in New York City. In 1996, the ALP established its headquarters at the LAPC. ALP trains activists, runs crime prevention programs, supports transgender individuals, and helps LGBT individuals find employment. In 2020, Audre Lorde Project received a grant of over “six figures” from Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ^{6 7}

Black Lives Matter

The LAPC was heavily involved in the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in Brooklyn. The Church issued a statement “denouncing the pattern of racial oppression from 1619 to the present that recently resulted in the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor.” ⁴

The LAPC also published five “Anti-Racism Toolkits” that encouraged individuals to join BLM protests, to read Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility, to advocate for a “long-term eviction moratorium for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis,” to donate to COVID-relief funds, and to support left-of-center criminal justice policies. ⁸

In 2020, the LAPC began flying a BLM flag outside the church. In August 2020, the BLM flag and a pride flag were torn down at night by vandals. In 2021, the LAPC began hanging two BLM flags permanently along with an LGBT flag. ⁵

Grantmaking

The LAPC has provided grants to the Church of Gethsemane, the Poor People’s Campaign, the People’s Holiday Fundraiser, Community Voices Heard, and the Alliance of Families for Justice. ⁹

Asylum Seekers

The LAPC supports greater protections for asylum seekers. As of August 2025, the church is financially supporting three asylum seekers from Mexico and one from Guinea. ¹⁰

Voter Mobilization

According to the LAPC’s website, the organization engages in “voter education, turnout and advocacy.” ¹¹

Circle of More Light

The LAPC runs the Circle of More Light, a support group for religious LGBT individuals of all faiths. The group began in 1978 as one of the first pro-LGBT religious groups in the United States. ¹²

Funding

In 2021, the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church was one of 16 churches to receive a $250,000 grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places. The funds were used for a renovation project that included building wheelchair ramps. ⁴ In 2023, the LAPC launched the Opening Doors Capital Campaign to raise $3.5 million to repair a plaster ceiling that had partially collapsed. ¹³

The LAPC has received funding from the Buckhorn Foundation. ⁹

As of 2025, the LAPC listed its past and present partners: the Poor People’s Campaign, Covid Bail Out NYC, Close Rikers, Release Aging People in Prison, Community Voices Heard, Rank the Vote NYC, Color of Change, Brooklyn for Peace, One Community, the Church of Gethsemane, the Congregation of Beth Elohim, and the New Sanctuary Coalition. ⁹