Did you know that jazz musician John Coltrane inspired the founding of a church?

In San Francisco in an area commonly referred to as the Fillmore or Fillmore District is a church called Saint John Coltrane Church. The church was founded in 1971 by Franzo and Marina King. The two were inspired to found the church after seeing John Coltrane perform in 1965. The Church considers John Coltrane a Saint.

Beginning in 1957 jazz musician John Coltrane had several spiritual and religious awakenings. It was during that time that he stopped using drugs and alcohol. This is the point that the founders of the church point to as when he began his path to Sainthood. The following text is from the church;

"The ascension of St. John Coltrane into one-ness with God is what we refer to as the Risen Trane. In dealing with the Saint, John Coltrane, we are not dealing with St. John the man but St. John the sound and St. John the Evangelist and Sound Baptist, who attained union with God through sound. From the standpoint of the biography of John Coltrane, the Risen Trane is the post 1957 John Coltrane. He who emerged from drug addiction onto a path of spiritual awakening and who gave testimony of the power and empowerment of grace of God in his life and in his Psalm on A Love Supreme, and in his music thereafter. (“At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music. I feel this has been granted through His grace. ALL PRAISE TO GOD.”) We, too, having been touched by this anointed sound and being called and chosen by the Holy Ghost, endeavor to carry the holy ambition and mantle of sound baptism of St. John Coltrane."

The church operates like most other Christian churches, it has services on Sunday and does outreach in the community. The founders, now Archbishop Franzo King and Reverend Mother Marina King, still lead the church. Services consist of prayer, live playing of John Coltrane's music and confession.

Read more about Saint John Coltrane Church here at their website.

In the year 2000 the church had to move from its original location in what locals call the Haight or Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco to its current location because of skyrocketing rent, hear a NPR story about the move here.

Find out more about the life of John Coltrane here.

Photo credit: Feuillu