The multi-authored Witness provides a sound, well-researched narrative account of the first two hundred years of the Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York from its origins in 1808 through several Manhattan relocations that culminated in its establishing itself in central Harlem. The first half of the book moves beyond institutional history to place the church and its growth and undertakings in the wider context of African-American history through 1972. This portion will be of greatest interest to non-church historians. By contrast, the second half has more of a traditional institutional focus on pastors, staff and church activities, although these included substantial efforts to promote community development and initiate self-sustaining and, ultimately, autonomous projects, such as a Head-Start programme and residential developments. Lacking evidence for a folk history that traced the church's origins to visiting Ethiopian coffee merchants who walked out in protest from segregated First Baptist Church in 1808, the authors attribute the church's name to a then general tendency to use Abyssinian as a term for those of African descent in the United States. Objection to a compromise over slaveholding members probably led African Americans to leave First Baptist and establish their own church in 1809. The first hundred years of the new church were often a struggle for survival, helped in part by First Baptist. The pastorates of father and son, Adam Clayton Powell, Sr and Jr, between 1908 and 1971, lie at the book's heart. That period included the Great African American migration to the urban north that made Harlem and New York City the unofficial capital of black America, and the civil rights and Black Power movements. Both Powells were practitioners of the Social Gospel but the younger Powell, who succeeded his father in 1937, also sought to improve the political and economic life of Harlem residents by organising rent strikes, a bus boycott and serving in Congress for over twenty years, where his efforts benefited African Americans more widely in their struggle for equality. The younger Powell brought the church to international attention. His pastorate also saw its peak membership, although his latter years were controversial and undermined both his pulpit and political career. The church's story during the pastorates of Powell's successors, Samuel DeWitt Proctor and Calvin O. Butts iii, occupy the book's second half. Both men continued Abyssinian's Social Gospel and self-help tradition. Butts also engaged in public protest activities, such as challenging tobacco and liquor advertising that targeted African Americans, and explicit and misogynistic content in rap music. The book's final, ninety-page chapter discusses the increasing role of women in ministry, administration and leadership; church initiatives focused on health and youth development; and Abyssinian's bicentennial celebrations. Photograph galleries and ten extensive appendices complete the book. However, it is unbalanced in devoting almost half of its text to the period since 1972, a problem caused perhaps by trying to provide both an overall church history and a review of recent activities in order to serve the needs and interests of current members.