The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

History

When Rev. Thomas St. Louis and his family moved to Cambridge from Michigan in 1984, they began to hold prayer services in the living room of their apartment. These small gatherings quickly grew in membership and the group had to find alternative places to meet. These places included a store in Cambridge, a YMCA facility, schools, auditoriums, and even open spaces in public parks. During this time, the group continued to grow as Christian Haitian-Americans living in New England steadily joined. The group became known as New Covenant Church of Cambridge. Rev. St. Louis wanted a more permanent home for the church, and in 1990, the church purchased a building that had been originally used as a woodworking shop in North Cambridge. Church members worked together to clean up the building and make it a suitable space for the church to meet. This building functioned well for the church for seven years, but at that point the membership had grown too large for the space.

Rev. St. Louis wanted to find a large church building that the church would be able to stay in more permanently. The church put in bids for several properties before finally purchasing what was formerly Saint Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Waltham. Rev. St. Louis was very exited about this purchase, and he wanted a special way to tell the church about the new facility. One day, the church members gathered in Cambridge to learn the location of the new church. With Rev. St. Louis leading, the church members followed in their cars to form a huge caravan. This caravan continued until everyone had reached the location of the new church building in Waltham. When the congregants entered the new sanctuary, they shouted and cried, rejoicing because of the beautiful new space they had for worship. The new building has attracted more people to the church, and the membership is increasing more rapidly than ever.

Description

New Covenant Church of Cambridge holds services in their sanctuary which seats one thousand people. The church also has a hall with seating for three hundred people that is used for various meetings and gatherings. Sunday School classes meet in two smaller rooms in the basement. The church building also holds administrative offices. The entire church is accessible by wheelchair.

Activities and Schedule

New Covenant Church of Cambridge holds a morning and an evening service each Sunday. The church services are held primarily in Haitian Creole. Once a month, the youth of the church lead the main worship service in English. Sunday School classes are held before the morning service. Other services are also held throughout the week.

Men’s and women’s groups meet weekly for Bible study, discussions, and guest speakers. The groups have also held conferences and revivals. Youth Connection, the church’s youth group, provides many ways for middle and high school students to be involved in the life of the church. They host events where youth from the church display their talents, such as singing and dancing, for other youth in the community. The youth group also has lock-ins, where youth can play video games, watch movies, and get to know each other better. The church also works extensively with the youth to help them prepare for college.

Outreach

The leaders and the members of New Covenant Church of Cambridge each use their own skills and talents to assist people in need. For example, Rev. St. Louis is a paralegal, and he advises people on legal issues. Others in the church offer housing assistance and help people in job-searches. Pastoral counseling is also available through the church.