St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church celebrates 200 years of faith and community in Marble Hill

St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church stands tall on the corner of West 228th Street and Marble Hill Avenue. As cars cruise by and passersby head to their destinations, they may not realize they are passing a piece of Bronx history.

Wooden mahogany tiles adorn the exterior of St. Stephen’s, frosted with gray streaks from weathering. The Methodist congregation has been around since 1825, and members of the church came together this month to celebrate its 200th anniversary with the theme, “Renew, Rejoice, Reconnect.”

As part of the celebration, the church received a proclamation from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, honoring St. Stephen’s place in history. 

Prior to landing at its permanent home, the congregation originally began in Mosholu near 251st Street and the old Post Road, as written by former pastor Rev. William A. Tieck in his 1968 book, “Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Spuyten Duyvil, New York City.” 

Rev. Tieck, who served at St. Stephen’s Church for 40 years after his 1946 appointment, published various books on the history of the Northern Bronx area, detailing significant parts of the church’s history.

St. Stephen’s is “the earliest religious enterprise in the entire Kingsbridge-Spuyten Duyvil-Riverdale expanse,” Tieck wrote. 

Decades later, St. Stephen’s Church remains a landmark in the Marble Hill area. Cobblestone pillars hold up the facade and bright crimson doors portray a bold welcome. Intricate mosaic details adorn the windows. The design is in accordance with the shingles style many architects of the time – including the church’s designer, Alexander McMillan Welch – adopted during the late 19th century.

The church won a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award in 2011 for honoring and maintaining its architectural roots. 

Once standing on a quiet country road, St. Stephen’s now finds itself in a buzzing urban landscape, nestled in between townhouses, housing authority complexes and a bodega across the street. 

While the rest of the world changed, St. Stephen’s has remained largely the same, but not without loss and adaptation. 

Sister Dorothy Shepherd, who joined the church back in 1991, is the lay leader of the congregation. She remembered a time when the church was filled with attendees during Sunday service. After COVID, the church’s attendance dwindled significantly. 

”We left here in September 2020. We didn’t come back in the building until May 2022,” Sister Shepherd said.

During that period, the church's worship service was held every Sunday via Zoom and Facebook, with Rev. Hermon L. Darden Jr., the pastor at the time, leading.

Since the pandemic, Sister Shepherd said, the church has struggled to fill the seats that once overflowed with people eager to grow closer to God and each other. 

“Physically, we still don’t have a lot of people. You know, we might have 35, 40 on a Sunday,” Sister Shepherd added, noting that with the changing of pastors over the years, attendees tend to migrate in and out of the congregation.

Methodist churches often change pastors as a way to usher in new skills to the church with each pastor brining a unique quality with them and introducing progressive ideas into a longstanding congregation. 

Rev. Dr. Glyger Glenroy Beach, who served from 1978 to 1982, was its first black pastor. At 32 years old, he was young, vibrant and able to bring in “300 people on a Sunday,” Sister Shepherd said. 

Decades later, Rev. Arturo Maine stepped into the role from 2002 to 2005 and was able to bridge the gap between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking congregations by utilizing his Costa Rican roots to integrate the communities.

Today, the church currently hosts two congregations, one for those who worship in English and another for those who prefer services in Spanish. However, members are welcome to participate in either. 

Rev. Nathaniel Dixon brought music to St. Stephen’s, while serving from 2006 to 2017. Dixon, similar to Beach and Maine, left a lasting impact on the church. Rev. Dixon used his experience as a music teacher to instruct kids how to play various instruments, including  drums, piano, saxophone and trumpet, increasing the number of children within the congregation over his decade run.

Over time, St. Stephen’s had to adapt to New York City’s evolving culture. From embracing societal shifts to appearing in a featured role on a few episodes of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, the church has found its way to stay connected with the times. 

Continuing on its progressive path, St. Stephen’s welcomed its very first female pastor, Rev. Heidi Thomas who hails from Brooklyn and was appointed to the church in September 2024. Thomas said, although settling into a new community has been a challenge, she’s felt welcomed at St. Stephen’s, particularly by the late Joyce Taylor, who served as assistant pastor at St. Stephen’s in 2012 until her passing in January of this year. 

“We developed a good relationship because she was a wonderful person and she was so supportive toward me coming in as a new pastor,” Thomas said.

With respect to St. Stephen’s anniversary, Thomas described the church as a beacon of light for the Marble Hill community. She hopes the anniversary will help bring new members as well as help to reconnect members who have yet to make their way back.

“That is my hope … [that] we continue to reconnect,” Thomas said.  

She recommends community members who have been connecting with the church online to come in person. Particularly during coffee hour where congregation members catch up and foster community.

“This place is home,” Rosie Kennedy said, an active member of the congregation for 12 years. Through her heavy involvement within the church — she calls Sister Shepherd her “spiritual mother” — Kennedy devoted herself to uplifting St. Stephen’s. She assisted with the planning of family movie nights and the congregation’s 200th anniversary celebration held at Connaughton’s Riverdale Steakhouse on May 24.

Kennedy, who described herself as a “crybaby,” found herself emotional when speaking about the church. Tears welled as she expressed its importance and hoped it would remain a safe space for those seeking refuge.

“We need to make sure everybody’s all right,” Kennedy said. “We need people to pour into the church so we can pour into the community.”

Over the years, St. Stephen’s has serviced the community in many ways. Contrary to what may appear in Google’s listed hours for St. Stephen’s, the church is very active during the week. It hosts weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and operates a bi-monthly food pantry serving 150 to 200 families, in addition to their weekly Sunday sermon.

“We’re here to serve, not be served,” Kennedy said. “It’s home. This place is filled with love and anyone that comes through will tell you.” 

Members looking to attend any events at St. Stephen’s can RSVP by searching St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church Marble Hill Bronx NY on Eventbrite.