Tulsa Church Receives $200,000 Grant to Preserve Building Founded After Race Massacre
New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, received a $200,000 grant from the Preserving Black Churches program to create an endowment for its 70-year-old building. The church was founded in 1957 in the aftermath of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Pastor Sean Jarrett says the funding helps the congregation avoid choosing between community programs and building maintenance.
New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, received a $200,000 grant from the Preserving Black Churches program to establish an endowment for its building. The church, founded in 1957 in the aftermath of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has served the Greenwood neighborhood for nearly 70 years.
The Preserving Black Churches program is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation''s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. It awards grants for capital projects, program development, and organizational planning at historically Black churches across the country.
Pastor Sean Jarrett said the grant addresses a challenge many Black churches face: aging buildings that require expensive maintenance at a time when congregations are also dealing with generational shifts in membership.
"We''ve been trying to serve this community and keep the lights on at the same time," Jarrett said. "This endowment gives us a foundation so we don''t have to choose."
The church sits in the Greenwood District, the area known as Black Wall Street before the 1921 massacre destroyed much of the neighborhood. New Jerusalem was established as part of the community''s rebuilding effort in the years that followed.
Jarrett described the church''s role as a "prophetic witness" to address systemic inequities and protect Black institutions. The congregation runs outreach programs including food distribution and youth mentoring.
The Black church remains the largest owner of Black land in America, according to researchers who study African American institutions. Preservation advocates say that makes these buildings critical assets for communities that have historically faced barriers to property ownership.
Three historically Black Episcopal churches were also among recipients of $8.5 million in preservation grants announced in February 2026. Other recipients included Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta''s Ebenezer Baptist Church.
