May 14, 1974 - small group meets to pray about the possibility of beginning a new mission fellowship in Manhattan. John Halbrook called to serve as first pastor.

June 24, 1974 - group takes the name of Metro Baptist Church and begins to meet Sunday evenings for Bible study and prayer at MNYBA building.

July 17, 1974 - Greenwich Baptist Church, Greenwich CT, votes to sponsor the mission.

August 1974 - 11 persons unite with Greenwich Baptist Church as the first members of the mission.

September 1974 - Sunday evening worship services begin; office space is secured at MNYBA building; mission adopts first budget.

January 12, 1975 - Sunday morning worship services begin.

January 26, 1975 - first church conference; Gene Maston elected clerk.

April 1, 1975 - mother church and mission vote to jointly sponsor East 7th Street Ministry.

June 1976 - John Halbrook resigns pastorate; Bruce Schoonmaker serves as moderator; John Walsh and Marty Soards serve as interim pastors.

September 17, 1978 - mission votes to sponsor Southern Baptist Chapel at Princeton University.

February 10, 1980 - W. Eugene Bolin called as pastor and moved to the field August 1, 1980.

October 1980 - mission begins worship service as Covenant House; begins making plans to constitute as a church.

October 18, 1981 - mission adopts Church Covenant.

March 1982 - mission begins Soup Kitchen.

October 3, 1982 - mission constitutes as the Metro Baptist Church of Manhattan.

1984 - church purchases a former Polish Catholic church located at 410 West 40th Street being used as a drug and substance abuse rehab not for profit and relocates to Hell's Kitchen. The site is adjacent to the Lincoln Tunnel in Midtown Manhattan

1984 - church leases space to Plaza Head Start, Sanctuary for Families and Women in Need.

1985 - Metro increases its mortgage by purchasing former rectory, adjacent to the church building, for future ministry use.

September 1985 - President and First Lady Carter reside in Metro's building while leading their first building campaign with Habitat for Humanity.

1986 - begins food pantry and clothing closet.

1988 - calls Rev. Dean Kaufman as Associate Minister.

1991 - Rev. Bolin retires.

July 1993 - David Waugh is called as third pastor and begins his ministry in New York City in September 1993.

August 1995 - Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries is incorporated as the Christian Community Development Ministry of Metro.

September 1995 - Rev. Ronnie Adams is appointed by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as an Urban Minister. He partners with Metro Baptist Church and Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries to facilitate our joint efforts.

July 1998 - Rev. Kaufman and his wife Dorothy retire for the second time and relocate to South Carolina.

December 1998 - Paula Nance is extended a two-year call to serve as our Associate Minister Intern; she begins in February 1999.

October 2000 - Dr. John Halbrook, our first pastor, begins offering counseling services to the community through Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries.

September 1, 2001 - Marti Williams becomes as associate pastor.

October 7, 2001 - The Metro congregation votes to end its historical affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention.

April 1, 2002 - Metro pays off its huge mortgage and celebrates with the burning of the note on June 2, 2002