In 1989, the Rev. Isaac Miller was still new to Church of the Advocate, so he thought the man outside the soup kitchen was fooling when he said John Coltrane used to play at the North Philadelphia congregation. To set the record straight, Miller called the then-retired Rev. Paul M. Washington at home. "Well, as a matter of fact," said Washington, Coltrane "and some other musicians came to me and said they didn't have a place to come together and jam and I thought, "Why not?'"

The open-minded attitude Washington had toward people—avant-garde jazz musicians, black-power activists and the 11 white women he ordained as priests—was his ministry's hallmark. A group of supporters led by two of his sons, Kemah and Michael, hope to continue his legacy by renaming Diamond Street between 15th and 33rd streets Father Paul M. Washington Avenue after the Episcopal preacher who died in 2002.

"When you think 18th and Diamond, you think Church of the Advocate, you think Father Paul," says Kemah.

Longtime Washington devotee Gary Adams didn't know what to expect when Washington opened the doors of the six-story French Gothic cathedral to the National Black Power Conference in 1968. Every other church they approached turned them away. What was different about Washington? "What was different about Jesus?" Adams replies. The church rector for 25 years, Washington constantly put himself in jeopardy by embracing unpopular groups and controversial causes, but friends say he commanded respect even from opponents.

Since launching the campaign at www.fatherpaulwashington.com three months ago, supporters have collected about 5,000 signatures; they're aiming for 50,000. Adams hopes overwhelming community support will convince Councilman Darrell Clarke to introduce legislation. Clarke says one of two things could happen: For a total change, Diamond Street residents would have to agree to amend their addresses. Or, an easier option would be to erect signs to have the street "also known as" Father Paul M. Washington Avenue. Either way, he says naming the entire 18-block stretch is unlikely. (He was unwilling to give a specific number of blocks that he'd prefer.)

"My concern is there have been other significant individuals throughout the Diamond Street corridor," Clarke says. "Once you start naming the entire corridor, that's too much."

Kemah and the committee, however, aren't budging, particularly because there's a mural dedicated to Washington at 33rd Street and Ridge Avenue.

"We decided we want to go from 15th to 33rd," he says, "so we're going to press on with that."