| Times Square Church | |
|---|---|
 Front entrance of Times Square Church in theMark Hellinger Theatre | |
  | |
| 40°45′45″N73°59′03″W / 40.76250°N 73.98417°W /40.76250; -73.98417 | |
| Location | 237 West 51st Street New York City,New York 10019 |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Interdenominational |
| Website | Official website |
| History | |
| Founded | October 1987 |
| Founder | David Wilkerson |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor | Tim Dilena |
| Pastor(s) | Tim Dilena Carter Conlon Patrick Pierre Teresa Conlon |
Times Square Church is aninterdenominational congregation located at theMark Hellinger Theatre on 237West 51st Street in theTheater District ofManhattan inNew York City. Times Square Church was founded by PastorDavid Wilkerson in 1987 and bought the Mark Hellinger Theatre in 1991.
The Times Square Church was founded by David Wilkerson in 1987. At the time, Times Square frequently hosted X-rated films and strip clubs, and prostitution and drug addiction were commonplace in the area. Wilkerson opened the church in response to what he described as "the physically destitute and spiritually dead people" he saw among the pimps, runaways and crack dealers who populated the area.[1] The Times Square Church briefly held its services atTown Hall on 43rd Street inManhattan and then in theNederlander Theatre on 41st Street.[2]
In February 1989, the Nederlander Organization leased theMark Hellinger Theatre to the Times Square Church.[3][4] Times Square Church purchased the building from theNederlander Organization for an undisclosed amount in 1991. At the time, the value of the building was estimated to be between $15 million–$18 million.[5] Upon its purchase, Pastor Donald W. Wilkerson, brother of David Wilkerson and one of the church leaders, declared that the theater would not be altered, saying "The theater is landmarked and it will remain the same."[5] The church was described as anevangelicalpentecostal church headed by three pastors: David Wilkerson, his brother, Donald Wilkerson, and Robert Phillips.[5] The theater is still the church's current location on 51st Street.
In 2001, David Wilkerson entrusted the senior pastorate to Carter Conlon, formerly an evangelical pastor from eastern Canada and associate pastor at Times Square Church from 1994 to 2001. It also features visiting missionaries and ministers.[citation needed]
From 2007 to 2009 the church organized an event calledPrayer in the Square, a prayer rally which took place inTimes Square.
On May 5, 2020, Tim Dilena became Senior Pastor, the third since the church’s founding. He had a lifelong association with founding pastor David Wilkerson and has regularly preached at the church for many years.
The Mark Hellinger Theatre was originally built byWarner Bros. in 1930 as amovie palace, the Warner Hollywood Theatre, which was later converted to aBroadway venue.[6] It has 1,603 seats.[7] Notable Broadway musicals that have played at the theater includeMy Fair Lady,Jesus Christ Superstar, and theKatharine Hepburn musicalCoco.[8]
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