Spiritual Life
’ opened in when the Nation of Islam estab- lished Temple No. at - Ninth Street.The Nation of Islam’s second national leader,Elijah Muhammad ( - ),presided over the event. Founded in Chicago in by Wallace Fard, the Nation of Islam advocates discipline,racial pride, respect for women,Allah and the Qur’an,justice, pacifism, and the separation of African Americans from white society. In the temple,re-named Masjid Muhammad Mosque,moved nearby to Fourth Street, where Malcolm X ( - ) briefly served as its leader. The story of Shiloh Baptist Church began during the Civil War. The Union Army, poised to attack Fredericksburg,Virginia,offered safe passage to Washington for enslaved or free blacks wanting to flee the Confederacy.Some members of Fredericksburg’s Shiloh Baptist Church accepted the offer,and in founded Washington’s Shiloh Baptist Church on L Street,NW,west of th. In Shiloh Baptist moved here to what had been Hamline Methodist Church.When some white neighbors objected,the donor of Hamline Church’s organ arranged for a janitor to set fire to his gift,damaging the building.Unbowed,Shiloh members repaired the church and flourished.The church was rebuilt after another major fire in 1991.Like many churches in Shaw,Shiloh,with its Family Life Center,serves as a social gathering place.Shiloh Baptist is especially known for its Civil Rights work,housing assistance,and music ministry. Soprano Marian Anderson, the “Wings Over Jordan”gospel singers,and many others have performed at the church.
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