Pilgrim Cathedral of Harlem New York NY

What We Believe

The Holy Scriptures

We believe that all Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments is God’s Written revelation to man. We believe that the whole Bible is inspired by holy men of God who were “moved by the Holy Spirit" to write the very words of Scripture. This makes it absolutely inerrant, infallible, and the only true rule of faith and practice for the believer. (Matthew 5:18; 24: 35; John 10:35; 16: 12, 13; 17: 17; 1 Corinthians 2: 13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4: 12; 2 Peter 1: 20, 21).

The Triune Godhead

We believe in the only true and living God: the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. He is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, and He has chosen to reveal Himself to us as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6: 4; Isaiah 43: 10, 11; Luke 3: 22; 1 Corinthians 8: 4; Matthew 28: 19; 2 Corinthians 13: 14).

The Father: God, as Father, sovereignly reigns over His entire universe with providential care. He is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, and all-wise. He is Creator of all, but is Father to all who have become children of God through Jesus Christ – the One who delivers them into the Father’s hands. (Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15: 24; Ephesians 4:6)

The Son: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin so that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. He accomplished this redemption by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgment against sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption and justification by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him. As the Mediator between God and man, the head of the Body the church, and the coming universal King, who will reign on the throne of David, Jesus Christ the Son is the final judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as Lord and Savior. We teach that on the basis of the efficacy of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, the believing sinner is freed from the punishment, the penalty, the power, and one day the very presence of sin; and that he is declared righteous, given eternal life, and adopted into the family of God, (Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Romans 3:24 -26; Romans 8: 3; 1 Timothy 2:5; Ephesians 1: 22; 5: 23; Colossians 1: 18; Isaiah 9: 6; Matthew 25: 14, 46; Acts 17: 30, 31; Romans 3: 25; 5: 8, 9; 2 Corinthians 5: 14, 15; 1 Peter 2: 24; 3: 18)

The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, thereby glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead and transforms believers into the image of Christ. He baptizes (or places) all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ. He instructs, sanctifies, and empowers believers for service. The Holy Spirit can be grieved, bear witness, and teach. His role is fundamental to the Christian life.

The Holy Spirit indwells believers permanently, and seals them unto the day of final redemption. He bestows spiritual gifts upon them, and he fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him. Every believer is called to be filled and to live in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit so that they can be an effective witness for the Kingdom of God, so that they not fulfill the lust of the flesh, and so that they will bear the fruit of the Spirit to the glory of God. (John 3:3-8; 14:16-17, 26; 16:7-11; Acts 1:8; Acts 2: 1-4; Romans 8: 9; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 13; 2 Corinthians 3: 6; Ephesians 1: 13; 4: 30; 5: 18, I John 5:7)

Man

We believe that God created man in His image: spirit, soul, and body. Scripture confirms that Man is not the product of evolution. Man was created free of sin and with a moral responsibility to God. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were upright in their originally created state. They naturally preferred and desired to obey their Creator and had no preference or desire to go against His will until they were influenced and inclined by Satan to disobey God’s commands. Before this, the only tendency of their nature was to berighteous. As a consequence of their first transgression, the state under which Adam’s offspring came into the world is so different from that of Adam. They do not have the righteousness and purity which Adam had before the fall; they are not willing to obey God, but are inclined to evil. Hence, we believe that no one, by virtue of any natural goodness and mere work of their own, can become the children of God. (Genesis 1:26-31; 3: 1-7; Ecclesiastes 7: 29; Psalm 51: 5; John 6: 44; Romans 5: 12-21; 1 Corinthians 2: 14)

Salvation

We believe that salvation is wholly of God by His grace on the basis of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the merit of His shed blood; not on the basis of human merit or works. Salvation frees the believer from the penalty, power and, ultimately, from the very presence of sin. All who trust Jesus as Lord and Savior are forgiven of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. (John 1: 12, 13; John 3:16; Romans 5: 8; Romans 10: 9, 10; Ephesians 1: 7; 2: 8, 10; 1 Peter 1: 18, 19)

Sanctification

We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, believers are set apart as partakers of His Holiness; that it is begun at regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts and lives of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appointed means especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer. (1 Thessalonians 4: 3; 1 John 2: 29; Romans 8: 5; Philippians 2: 12-13)

Regeneration

We believe that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and divine life are given when the repentant sinner responds in faith by the Holy Spirit to the provision of salvation. This instantaneous work is evident in the believer’s submissiveness to the Holy Spirit and their obedience to the Word of God, which causes the believer to be increasingly conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 5: 24; 2 Corinthians 5: 17; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Peter 1; 3, 4; 1 John 3: 2, 3)

Justification

We believe that justification is an act of God by which He declares righteous those who, through faith in Christ, repent of their sin. This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man, and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ, and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us. (Romans 8: 33; Romans 5: 1; Romans 4: 5; Ephesians 2: 8, 9; 2 Corinthians 5: 21)

Prayer

We believe that there is power in prayer. The power of our prayer life will determine the outcome of our progress as believers. We must live with confidence and purpose, knowing that if we pray according to God’s Word, we are guaranteed results. Prayer is found throughout Scripture and signifies communication with God essential to our Christian walk. Having a lifestyle of prayer and learning to pray “not my will but thy will be done” not only helps us, the believers, to live victorious lives but also draws others to Christ. (Luke 18: 1; Colossians 4: 2; Matthew 21: 22; Matthew 26: 41; James 5: 13; James 5: 16; Luke 21: 36; 1 Thessalonians 5: 17; Matthew 5: 44; 1 John 5: 14; Philippians 4: 6, 7)

Divine Healing & Miracles

We believe that divine healing is that act of healing which occurs to cure an individual who is suffering from a sickness, disease or infirmity of the body. The act of healing proceeds directly from God and is, therefore, a work of the Holy Spirit and upon its manifestation, brings glory to God. A miracle is an extraordinary event produced by God that cannot be explained by any natural means. (Isaiah 53: 4, 5; Matthew 8: 16, 17; Mark 16: 17, 18; James 5: 14, 15; John 11: 1-46; Acts 3: 1-10; Joshua 10: 12-15; 2 Kings 4: 1-7; 1 Corinthians 12: 9-11.

The Christian Walk

We believe that we have a holy calling to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. In order to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit, we must choose to keep the flesh under subjection to Christ and that we must allow Christ, through His Spirit, to develop our Christian character. (Romans 6: 11-13; Romans 8: 9-13; Galatians 5: 16- 23; Ephesians 4: 1- 4; 1 Peter 1: 14-16; 1 John 3: 5- 9)

The Church

We believe that the Church (the “ecclesia” meaning the “called out ones”) is the Body of Christ, made up of all born again believers of which Christ is the Head. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by building itself up in the faith, by instruction of the Word, by fellowship, by keeping the ordinances and by advancing and communicating the gospel to the entire world. (1 Corinthians 12: 12, 13; 2 Corinthians 11: 2; Ephesians 5: 23; Ephesians 1: 22; Colossians 1: 18; Ephesians 4: 11-16; 2 Timothy 2: 2; Acts 2: 38; Matthew 28: 19; Acts 1: 8)

Ordinances of the Church

Water Baptism

Christian baptism by immersion is the solemn and beautiful testimony of a believer showing forth their faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and signifies their union with Him in death to sin and resurrection to a new life. It is also symbolic of the washing away of sin, and is a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible Body of Christ.

The Lord’s Supper (also The Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion): The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration and proclamation of the Lord’s death until He comes, and should always be preceded by solemn self examination. (Acts 2: 38; Acts 8: 36-39; Colossians 2: 11, 12; John 6: 48, 51, 53-57; Luke 22: 19-20; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-33)

Tithe and Offering

We believe that the tithe is a tenth of one’s earnings and is the God-given charge to all believers. The tithe is the portion that belongs to the Lord according to His command. When we give it to God, we provide for His work, we prove His faithfulness, and we show Him honor as the Source of all we possess. In Scripture, the tithe was instituted so that the priest and the temple of God were supported. The same is true today. By giving God 10% of our weekly, bi-weekly or monthly gross income, we provide a means of caring for the Bishop and supporting the ongoing work of the ministry. All that we have is a gift from God, therefore, the tithe is merely a portion of what God has already given to us. The offering is the extra that is offered to God in addition to the tithe. The tithe and offering are channels by which God blesses His people, so all giving should be with pure motives and an attitude of worship to God and service to the body of Christ. (Genesis 14: 18; Leviticus 27: 30; Deuteronomy 14: 22-24; Malachi 3: 8-11; Matthew 23: 23; 1 Corinthians 16: 2; 2 Corinthians 9: 7)

The Last Things to Come

We believe in the blessed hope, the personal and imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to rapture His saints from this earth. We believe in the visible and bodily return of Christ to the earth with His saints to establish His promised millennial kingdom. We believe in the physical resurrection of all men; the saints to everlasting joy and bliss on the New Earth, and the wicked to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Our Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father that in all spheres the triune God may reign forever and ever, (Titus 2: 13; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Zechariah 14: 4-11; 1 Thessalonians 1: 10; Revelation 3: 10, 19: 11-16, 20: 1-6; Matthew 25: 46; John 5: 28-29; Revelation 20: 5, 6, 12, 13; 1 Corinthians 15: 24, 28)

 

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The Pilgrim Cathedral of Harlem exists because of God’s grace and the vision that He gave to one man, the Honorable Archbishop Roy E. Brown, the Chief Prelate of Pilgrim Assemblies International. God gave him the mandate to plant churches, and in obedience to the voice of God, the process began.

After praying and following the lead of the Holy Spirit, Bishop Charles Reed (then Elder Reed) was appointed Pastor and a location in Harlem was sought to begin this ministry. A loft at 1941 Madison Avenue was secured, and the temporary home of this new satellite church was born. Fueled by the financial support of the Archbishop and the faithful membership of the Pilgrim Father Church in Brooklyn, the Pilgrim Church of Harlem opened its doors to receive God’s people on Sunday, October 18, 1992, and in the midst of an overflow crowd, 32 worshipers stood with Bishop Reed as the founding members. Since that date, many souls have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; saints have been encouraged; families have been reconciled; bodies and minds have been healed; the underprivileged in the community have been served, and new ministries have been birthed.

Since its inception, Pilgrim Cathedral of Harlem continues to experience outpours of God’s presence. The prophecy received on Pilgrim’s opening day confirmed that “1941” was simply a temporary training ground and that God’s greater glory would be manifested as we followed Him. Through Bishop Reed’s faithful leadership and through guidance from Archbishop, Pilgrim’s current location at 15 West 126th Street – once a dilapidated, gutted shell – opened on December 8th, 1996 and was aptly renamed the Pilgrim Cathedral of Harlem. God’s cloud of glory rests upon “15 West” and His presence is a constant source of strength and encouragement. It is the Lord’s presence that has sustained Pilgrim through the best of times and the worst of times.

Bishop Reed was passionate about many things – mainly about the church and the sheep the Lord had entrusted to his care. He encouraged us to be a place where the love of God is contagious, to be a people of prayer, and to be a people who studied God’s Word diligently. He recognized that with those simple foundational principles in place, God would get greater glory here in the Harlem community. In 2006, not long after celebrating his 52nd birthday, Bishop Reed succumbed to cancer having fought a victorious battle with the disease for over 14 years. For Pilgrim, that was the worst of times.

But God had a plan for His people! Archbishop Brown was pricked by the Holy Spirit and a new Pastor was appointed to carry on the vision of our beloved Bishop Reed – in the person of Minister Ronald Hopkins. Minister Hopkins was ordained and installed as Senior Pastor in 2007; consecrated to the office of Bishop in 2010, and continues today to pursue the vision to propel Pilgrim to new heights as the Spirit continues to inspire him and give him direction.

The Pilgrim Cathedral of Harlem remains a house dedicated to prayer; to ministry; to the praise and worship of Jesus Christ, and to the building of His Kingdom. Without God’s grace, we never would have made it, but we thank God and will serve Him faithfully because we’re still here and the best is yet to come. To God be the glory!