About Us

Plymouth circa 1922
Under construction – early 1960’s
Relocated to East 1223 East 96th Street, Brooklyn,11236

125th Anniversary · 1888 ~ 2013

According to historical records the Church was founded in 1877 by Reverend Jeremiah Holmes and was known at that time as St. Paul’s Congregational Church.
In 1888, the Church was incorporated and the name was changed to Plymouth Congregational Church. At the time, the church was located on East 92nd Street, between Aves J and K.

In1892, the Church was relocated to Rockaway Parkway and Baisley’s Lane. At that time Reverend. Samuel Silkworth succeeded Reverend. Jeremiah Holmes as the pastor.

Reverend Bert Holmes

Reverend Jeremiah Holmes was the uncle of Reverend Bert Holmes, who served for 45 years as the pastor of the Plymouth Congregational Church. Reverend Bert Holmes’ family, some of whom fought in the Civil War, lived in Canarsie from the early 1800s.

The Holmes was among the first black families to reside in Canarsie, where the street named Holmes Lane still exists. To paraphrase an article which appeared in the Canarsie Courier?

“In the days long before there were any thoughts of integration, we folks in Little Old Canarsie had many well-known and outstanding black families. We had a colony of homes in back of Rockaway Parkway between a sandpit of the B.R.T. and Skidmore Lane where many of our hard-working black men and women lived.
They went to our schools and grew up among the white families in perfect harmony. They will live in the history of Little Old Canarsie as respected and admired citizens of our good old U.S.A.”

These families were the founding members of Plymouth Congregational Church.
To clear the site for Canarsie High School’s athletic field, in the early 1960s, the Church was again relocated to East 96th Street, between Flatlands Ave. and Avenue J; this period of transition was marked by the coming together of the entire Canarsie spiritual community which helped the church both by their prayers and contributions. An overflow audience of over 1,000 spilled into the streets at the dedication ceremonies for the new Plymouth Congregational Church. This crowd included notables, clergymen and community residents.

Reverend Albert R. Morrison

In 1993, Reverend Albert R. Morrison succeeded Reverend Bert Holmes as the Senior Pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church. Reverend Morrison brought an intense knowledge of the Bible along with a passion to teach the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Reverend Morrison continues to lay the framework for Plymouth’s shifting and transitioning into the future. Reverend and Morrison is currently in his 27th year as Plymouth Senior pastor and spiritual leader.