New Jerusalem Baptist in Tulsa Uses $200,000 Grant to Build Preservation Endowment for 70-Year-Old Building

New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, received a $200,000 grant from the Preserving Black Churches program in March 2026, and the church plans to use the money to build an endowment fund for its 70-year-old building.

The church, known affectionately as "New J," was founded in the aftermath of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, which destroyed the Greenwood district, also known as Black Wall Street. The congregation has been a center of faith and community in Tulsa for decades.

Pastor Sean Jarrett said the grant matches the church's own $200,000 fundraising goal, giving the congregation a path to long-term financial stability for building maintenance. "Our building is 70 years old," Jarrett told NPR's Ayesha Rascoe. "The grant matches our $200,000 fundraising goals."

The Preserving Black Churches program is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It awards grants for capital projects, program development, and organizational planning at historically Black churches across the country.

Jarrett said the grant helps the church avoid a difficult choice between serving the community and maintaining the building. Many Black churches face that tension, he said, especially as congregations age and repair costs rise.

He also spoke about the role of Black churches in American life. "Speak truth to power, to be prophetic," he said when asked what he sees as the church's ongoing mission. He noted that Black churches remain the largest owners of Black land in America, giving them a unique position to provide resources and institutions for their communities.

The Preserving Black Churches program has distributed millions of dollars in grants over multiple rounds. This year's recipients include churches in Tulsa, Birmingham, and Atlanta.