New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Tulsa Receives $200,000 Grant to Preserve Building Founded After Race Massacre

New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has received a $200,000 grant through the Preserving Black Churches program, a national initiative run by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund under the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The church, founded in 1957 by survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, sits in north Tulsa, a neighborhood shaped by decades of displacement. A highway now runs through what was once the thriving Greenwood district, known as Black Wall Street.

Pastor Sean Jarrett told NPR the grant will be used to create a preservation endowment, matched by $200,000 the congregation plans to raise on its own.

"Black churches throughout America have had to make the decision: do we help someone respond to a community crisis, or do we maintain the building?" Jarrett said. "We don't have to make that tough decision now."

The church's building is 70 years old and has needed significant repairs. Without dedicated preservation funds, Jarrett said, congregations often defer maintenance to keep community programs running.

The grant is part of a larger $13.5 million investment the Action Fund made in 2026, supporting 33 historically Black churches across the country. The funding covers capital projects, organizational capacity, and programming.

Jarrett also spoke about the broader role of Black churches in American life. He said the Black church remains the largest owner of Black land in America and serves as an institution that ensures young people have access to education and basic resources.

"If you lose Black churches, you lose Black ownership and Black institutions," he said.

The Preserving Black Churches program has now supported more than 170 churches since its founding.