Preston and others established a network of socially active Black baptist churches throughout Nova Scotia, with the Halifax church being referred to as the "Mother Church." Five of these churches were established in Halifax: Preston, Beechville, Hammonds Plains, and another in Africville and Dartmouth. From meetings held at the church, they also established the African Friendly Society, the African Abolition Society, and the African United Baptist Association. In the fight to end slavery in America, Preston stated: The church was eventually renamed the Cornwallis StreetBaptist Church. , 1934 The Church survived the Halifax Explosion of 1917 and served as a temporary shelter for survivors for the rest of the winter. Soon after the explosion, Rev. William A. White worked at the church for 17 years until he died in 1936. In 1937, William Pearly Oliver became the minister and by 1945 he and the church developed the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Church was instrumental in supporting the case of Viola Desmond through the courts in the first year Oliver was the minister. Oliver worked at the church for twenty-five years, until 1962. Cornwallis Street has continued its history of social action through the years. The church has been led by visionary pastors committed to community uplift. For over 30 years the church ran a Hot Lunch Program to feed local school children. The children dubbed the church "The Dinner Church". In 2005 the church was the subject of a three-episode television documentary. The design project renovated the church's lower hall as a dedicated space for Sunday School. In 2007, Cornwallis Street called its first female pastor in the person of Rev. Rhonda Y. Britton, an American who was serving another AUBA church in New Glasgow, NS. Rev. Britton completed her Doctor of Ministry degree from Acadia University in 2012 and continues to serve Cornwallis Street. Under Dr. Britton's leadership, Cornwallis Street began a Rites of Passage Program for youth 8-18 in an effort to address the growing violence plaguing the black community. In 2009 Rev. Richard Preston was designated a person of national significance by Parks Canada. The commemorative plaque is mounted outside the church. In September 2017, the church announced it would rename itself with a name that better reflects its values and identity as disciples of Jesus Christ. The leadership launched an initiative inviting members of its congregation to submit entries from which a new name would be chosen. In May 2018, the church congregation approved a renaming to "New Horizons Baptist Church."
