Charles B.
Yelp
Jim U. has the right idea--this is indeed a church, but it feels more like a cultural center, offering an assortment of events and art exhibitions.
I showed up for a random Wednesday buffet lunch, and met some of the most genuinely warm people I've run across in Manhattan. I'm not religious and I'm far too short and furry to be Norwegian, but the people running the lunch were unbelievably welcoming to a bunch of random dudes who just wanted to try some pickled herring.
The food, for what it's worth, was also amazing: lots of fresh salads, a few varieties of pickled herring and canned mackerel, some fresh bread, baked salmon, gravlaks, and an interesting concoction that resembled jello with bits of shrimp, fish, and vegetables floating in it. It tasted way better than it sounds. You probably don't believe me.
There's a small store and cafe inside the church that always offers coffee, waffles, and a few Nordic packaged goods. And the store always seems to be staffed by ridiculously friendly people, who seem wonderfully impervious to the bustling, indifferent culture that surrounds them in Midtown. Amazing.