Twelfth Baptist Church, Boston, Baptist church in Roxbury, Boston, United States

Twelfth Baptist Church is a brick building on Warren Street that shows the classical religious architecture of the 1800s. Inside, multiple rooms serve the congregation for worship gatherings and community meetings.

The church was founded in 1840 when 36 members broke away and established this new congregation. It became a critical station on the Underground Railroad network, providing shelter and assistance during that era.

The church's name comes from a Bible verse about the twelve gates of heaven, and its nickname, "The Fugitive Slave Church," dates from Leonard Grimes's pastorate, when escaped slaves joined the congregation. In 1866 the Union Progressive Association held a series of literary and musical performances here. Today the church runs a food pantry, backs affordable housing, and supports an orphanage in Honduras and a school in Liberia.

The church is accessible during the week and weekends, with services held on Sundays. Those interested in visiting should check ahead or speak with someone at the door to arrange entry.

Rev. William Hunter Hester, who led the church from 1924 to 1964, had been an old friend of Martin Luther King Sr.; the younger King assisted him in the 1950s while studying theology at Boston University. Hester also wrote a history of the congregation in 1946.