If you’ve ever dreamed of attending a Gospel Mass in Harlem among local churchgoers instead of being among tourists on the first floor then I’m happy to give you some advice and great tips.
The top 10 best tips you must know before attending a Gospel Mass in Harlem
Avoid big and famous churches. The smaller they are, the better the chances you will be among local Harlem churchgoers. The best tip is to walk around Harlem and to enter any random small church. You will always be welcome.
Try to attend a service early in the morning. The earlier you show up, the fewer tourists you’ll find. I noticed that last year when I attended the first mass between 7.30 and 8.30 am.
Don’t be a part of an organized tour!!! Staying in a small group is the best way to integrate the mass.
If you can only attend the 2nd morning mass, choose a small church and try to show up early.
There is no need to book in advance. The mass is not a show but a place of worship where people gather for a spiritual purpose.
Masses are free.
It’s strictly forbidden to film and take photographs inside the church, unless you’re well hidden or among tourists but it’s true to say that it’s not recommended. Since you’ve followed all my advice in order to enjoy a great Gospel Mass, you won’t get in trouble 🙂
Sing, clap your hands and hug each other as much as you want!!! It’s just an incredible experience.
You’ll quickly notice that the attendees are very friendly and they usually don’t hesitate to come to see you and hug you during the little celebration of friendship. It’s a real treat!!!
Open your eyes and ears wide since you will experience great moments of joy. You’ll discover that in New York, they enjoy their mass 200%!!
Which Gospel church should you attend in New York?
In New York City, there are a number of churches that perform Gospel masses.
You’ll find churches in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens but I sincerely recommend Harlem since the church is a great part of the locals’ lives.
Thus, this would be a shame not to enjoy this experience at a NY Gospel Mass and then you’ll want to have brunch at Amy Ruth’s!
My favorite church in Harlem: the First Corinthian Baptist Church
It’s not small after all, but I have to say that I was never disappointed every time I went there.
Unfortunately, a number of you have told me that during school vacations, the church gets really crowded with tourists. As a result, instead of being surrounded by locals, they send you to the first floor among tourists.
So if you are planning to visit not during school vacation, then try to go to the First Corinthian Baptist Church but if it’s not the case then my advice is to walk around Harlem and enter any small church that inspires you.
The Gospel Mass takes place on Sundays at 7.30, 9.30 and 11.30am.
Once again, I repeat, try not to go at 11.30 am and wake up early to attend the first mass of the day!!!
Address : 1912 7th Ave New York (at the corner of 116th street and Adam Clayton Powell)
Website: www.fcbcnyc.org
My favorite church in Brooklyn: Brooklyn Tabernacle
The Brooklyn Tabernacle is in Downtown Brooklyn.
It looks like a concert venue. You won’t find the typical church benches but seats like in any Broadway theater, a giant screen hanging on the back wall of the stage, and several tv screens all around the room.
The choir is stunning! It is formed by 150 singers (approx.)!!! They sing for almost 40-45 minutes during the mass, it’s powerful!
Your best bet is to arrive as early as you can to attend the first mass and be seated among the locals.
The Gospel Mass takes place on Sundays at 9.00, 11.00 am, and 1.00 pm.
Address : 17 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Website: www.brooklyntabernacle.org
Additional Gospel Churches in Harlem and Brooklyn
Please note that I indicate the worship schedule but before going to a gospel mass, double-check the hours on their website! They can have special events!
– Canaan Baptist Church at 10 am (132 W 116th St, New York, NY)
– The Salem United Methodist Church at 11 am (2190 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard/ 7th av – 129th Street)
– The famous Abyssinian Baptist Church at 9.00 and 11.30 am (132 Odell Clark Place (Formerly 138th St.), New York, NY 10030)
– Bethel Gospel Assembly at 10.15am (2-26 East 120th Street, New York, NY 10035)
– St. Luke Baptist Church at 9.30 and 12 pm (1916 Park Ave, New York, NY 10037)
– Metropolitan Community United Methodist Church at 11 am, and at 10 am during the summer (1975 Madison Ave, Manhattan, NY 10035)
– Middle Church at 9.30 am and 11.45 am (112 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10003)
– First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn at 11.am and 10 am during the summer (124 Henry Street, Brooklyn, New York, NY)
– Concord Baptist Church of Christ at 10 am (833 Gardner C. Taylor Blvd., Brooklyn, NY 11216)
Is it possible to attend a Gospel Mass on Wednesdays in NY?
If you want to go to a mass on Wednesdays, a number of churches offer a service including 2 locations that I have had the chance to visit and that I can recommend 100%:-
– The Abyssian Baptist Church: 7 pm (Mid-Week Manna)
– Bethel Gospel Assembly: 7 pm (midweek worship service)
Map of the churches with gospel mass
Enjoy a Gospel Harlem Tour
If you want to be part of a group because it’s easier for you and you want to make sure you get into the church, there’s a great tour available but you must book right away, it’s called “The Harlem Gospel Tour.” You can book it on Wednesdays or Sundays.
Conclusion
A gospel mass is really an experience you won’t forget! You don’t need to be a strong believer or a regular churchgoer to enjoy a gospel mass 😉
If you want to have the gospel experience only, you can see the Harlem Gospel Choir at Sony Hall every Sunday!
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I am going to NY in the middle of May with two friends, and we were told that Harlem gospel is the best. Which church do you recommend if we want an authentic experience? And which day and time should we go?
Our preferred date is the 14th of May.
Best Regards
Mads from Denmark
Yes, Harlem gospel is the best, but I must say that Brooklyn has some gems too like the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
In this post, you have my favorite churches to go to. One important thing is to attend the first mass when there are primarily regulars attending 😉
Sunday the 14 will also be your best option.
Do we still need to be vaccinated and wear a mask to attend a gospel church? We are in march 2023!!!!
Thanks
They still recommend the mask at certain places, but it’s not enforced.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
We’re planning to go tomorrow at the place recommended here. Hope it’s not full.
M
Me and my family (6 adults in total) are going to NYC during Easter. We would love to join a gospel Mas at Easter Sunday. Is that possible? Which church do you recommend?
Thank you! Sarah
Yes, that is possible. I’ve been looking for special events at the different churches I recommend. I think that this one will be great: Easter at Middle Church
They require to wear a mask.
I am planning a trip to NY with my family early September 2022. I would like to confirm that only on Wednesdays and Sundays a Gospel Mass can be attended.
Moreover, could you recommend any (small) Church close to Lower Manhattan to attend a Mass with the an authentic Choir?
Yes, the only days you can attend a gospel mass are on Sunday and Wednesday. If you want to stay close to Lower Manhattan, go to the Brooklyn Tabernacle! The choir is amazing and it won’t take you long to get there by subway.
For Abyssinian is it necessary to arrive as early on Wednesday service as for the Sunday sessions ( 2-3 hours in line from my experience)Thank you.
I really appreciate your advice. Regards,
barbara
It´s always better to arrive as soon as you can when you´re travelling with a group of people. However, 2h in advance would be too much on a Wednesday. 1h before would be more recommendable.
On Wednesday, you won’t find many options for a gospel mass. I heard about Times Square Church, but I never attended a mass there. It could be an option if you don’t want to go up to Harlem with such a big group.
Don’t hesitate if you have more questions.
thank you for your travel tips!
Do you have any update about the schedule of Wednesdays evening masses with gospel choir?
Thanks!
Stefano
I just checked the official websites of the two churches I’m talking about on my post, and yes, they have a midweek worship service. I don’t know if it’s always with a gospel choir.
I’ll let you know in case I’ll attend a service.
Best,
Stefano
It will help me too as I can’t go to all the services 😉
Don’t hesitate if you have more questions for your upcoming trip to NYC.
could you offer a gospel mass on the 21 or 22 Oct?
Janos
There’s no gospel mass on Mondays and Thursdays…
Which smaller church would you recommend for inspiring gospel and preacher this Sunday September 22nd?
We would attend first service of the day. If you can also recommend a brunch place nearby, it would be awesome!
Thank you for your tips,
Sylvie
I’m sorry I didn’t read your message before. I hope you found a place you liked 🙂
I don’t know the Williams Institute… I’ll make sure to never recommend it!
How can I be sure if the mass will have gospel singing ? For example First Corinthian Baptist Church website doesn’t mention gospel at all on its site.
Also, how long is the mass, and is it possible to leave before the end of mass?
These churches are well-know for their choirs, that’s how you can be sure they have gospel masses.
Leaving before the end could be considered rude, and it’s not appreciated. A mass can last 1h30 – 2h.
I look in the internet and i couldn’t find one because there were some that were not open to turist.
Which one do you advise me to go?
In the post you’re commenting, all the churches are open to tourists. My best advise is to arrive at the first mass of the day, the atmosphere will be more authentic with less tourists 😉
It’s my wordpress version, I have to fix this but whenever the connexion is not safe (http and not https), the link appears crossed… In some cases, the link can be crossed when the website doesn’t exist anymore.
Anyway, you can go to this church 😉 The key is to attend the first mass of the day if you want to avoid crowds of tourists.
It’s hard to find Gospel choirs on weekdays… You can check this website where you can find chorale concerts: http://www.van.org/index.html
Will be in Harlem on Thursday 21 June, are there any masses on?
Thanks so much
Will you stay longer than one day?
Yes will in new york from 19th to monday 24th.
Thanks
thanks for the great informations about those masses. I am currently organising a visit in NYC with 4 music students from Luxembourg who form a group by themselves (4 young ladies). Of cours they would love to attend a gospel mass to feel the true spirit of this way of melodic expression. I read about those Wednesday evening in Abyssian Baptise Church and the Old Union Baptise Church at 7 pm which would perfectly fit into our schedule. (Well be there May 20-26) I’m a bit confused though, as I couldn’t find any corresponding events on their websites. UBC says they rehears on Tuesday nights at 7 pm. Thanks in advance!
I have to review this post because some of the information is not up to date, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.
I you want to attend a mass on Wednesday, you can go to the Bethel Gospel Assembly at 7pm. The service is called “Midweek Worship Service”.
At the Abyssinian Baptist Church, the service on Wednesday is at 7pm too, it’s the Mid Week Manna.
and thank you for your reply! Do you think it would be possible to attend to the MASS CHOIR REHEARSAL on Tue, march 22, 7pm – 9pm as? I found this on the calendar page of UBC website. Thanks for your advice.
Raphael
Thank you so much for your help!
Kind regards from Vienna!
They supposedly have Gospel Music, but it can change depending on their agenda.
Mange hilsener fra
Ella
Your best bet is to attend the first mass of the day, usually at 7.30 or 9.30 depending on the churches.
The First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem is at 7.30am, really amazing.
If you want to go to church in Brooklyn, you can go to the Brooklyn Tabernacle. The first mass is at 9.30am.
Feel free to ask me more questions if you need.
You can attend the first mass of the day at 7.30am for example. You’ll be out at 9-9-15 at the latest. Then you’ll be on time for your tour 😉
Thank You
Francesca
Yes, you can go to one of the churches I recommend in this post. But you can also check the special Christmas mass here: https://www.new-york-city-travel-tips.com/christmas-masses-in-new-york/
I’ll be in NYC on 7 January, do you think there’ll be issues getting into any of the larger gospel churches? And what would be your recommendation for a great service to check out currently? With all my travel in the month before that I’m keen to get back into a great church 🙂
Thanks for your help!
You can go to the Brooklyn Tabernacle, they have a great service and the choir is gigantic.
No matter the church, the best is to attend the first mass of the day, is more authentic 😉
Which church and mass do you recomend?. In september.
I’ll recommend that you go to the Tabernacle in Brooklyn 😉
Thank you
Yes the Abyssinian Baptist Church has a mass on Wednesday, take a look here: https://abyssinian.org/worship/
are you sure that the mass you wrote about for the Wednesday service are really gospel mass and not just sermon reading??
please let me know to my email….
cheers, Mirko
On a regular basis , those Wednesday services are really gospel Masses. We have to update this article because there may have been some changes…
When are you travelling to NY? Just to make it sure and give you the correct information on time 😉
Regards,
Memo.