Our Journey - Roxbury Presbyterian Church
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Our Journey
1886 – 23 people gather to found Roxbury Presbyterian Church on September 28th.
1891 – The cornerstone of the current church is laid on July 17. Nine months later RPC doors open for the first time.
1923 – The church’s rapid growth inspires Boston businessmen and generous church members, Robert and John Gilchrist, to underwrite the construction of the basement space, aptly named Gilchrist Hall which will become the center of church activities and social outreach.
1946 – Between 1928 and 1946, despite being hard hit by the Great Depression, the mortgage on the church is paid in full through the sacrificial giving of the congregation.
1959 – Reverend Francis D.S. Miller was installed in what would become the longest period of pastoral service, 20 years. The church was a center for activism in the civil rights struggle, including its work with the Black Panthers and the Freedom Schools.
1972 – RPC continues to make its mark in social activism. The church’s support of many civil rights activities, including a Freedom School and the Black Panthers Free Breakfast Program, ignite controversy and make it the target of arsonists. Damage from the fire is significant.
1985 – Reverends Rick and Toby Gillespie Mobley are ordained as co-pastors after 3 years association with RPC. They are the first black ministers and the first husband and wife team.
1991 – RPC is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
2005 – A $3.3 million capital campaign to renovate and preserve RPC’s historic structure is completed under the leadership of Rev. Hurmon Hamilton. Pastor Hamilton expands RPC’s social agenda as a founding member of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO), which plays a critical role in securing Massachusetts’s health care reform. Pastor Hamilton also oversees the adoption of the Dearborn Middle School and begins the process of turning it into a brand new State of the Art STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) Academy.
2011 – Rev. Liz Walker is named transitional preacher and shortly afterward is installed as pastor. Reverend Walker continues RPC’s legacy of activism which includes securing 72 million dollars for the Dearborn 6-12 Early College STEM Academy slated to open in 2018 and the creation of the Cory Johnson Trauma Education Program offering a groundbreaking opportunity for community healing and lasting change.