After 42 years of preaching, Ronald Braxton has embarked on one of his greatest leaps of faith. His church — the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal in downtown D.C. — has been named one of the country’s most endangered historic places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Braxton, along with thousands of supporters, is determined to save the building that saw Frederick Douglass speak from its pulpit, and the funeral of Rosa Parks. The 61-year-old spoke with The Washington Examiner about his faith, and how it has grown through the struggle.

Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?

We are of the African Methodist Episcopal church — the basic doctrine is Methodism. One of the things I appreciate most is its history. It was founded [in 1816] by Richard Allen as one of the first protest movements among religious bodies in this country. Allen left St. George’s Methodist Church in Philadelphia when he was pulled up off of his knees from trying to pray with the rest of the congregation. In time his philosophy became one of self-help — and that has been a guiding principle in my life. That has been one of the touchstones of Methodism from the early days, and it remains a very valuable message to keep before us in today’s society.