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We are wholeheartedly committed to presenting the sacred and timeless message of the gospel of Christ.
the story of LINDEN sda
Our History
The Linden Seventh-day Adventist Church had its beginning in the home of Elder and Sister Sidney Armstrong.
God blessed 18 souls who formed the nucleus of the First Seventh-day Adventist Church in Queens. Because of membership growth, we have had several church homes, some temporary and some permanent.
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January 15, 1927, Elder James K. Humphrey organized these 18 members into a church body know as The First Jamaica Seventh-day Adventist Church.
We will always be grateful to Allen A. M. E. Church for permitting our small congregation a place of worship in their church home.
After worshipping at the Jamaica Community Center for a period of time, we were blessed with our own permanent church home, a small wood-frame church building and parsonage, located at 106-52 160th Street, South Jamaica, Queens, pastored by Elder U.S. Willis.
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Ministers who served our growing congregation during this period were: S. Armstrong, U.S. Willis, C. Cluff, J. Jervis, J. L. Martin, Sr., J. Cox, J. W. Clark, J. S. Green, Jr., I. O. Irons, and V. L. Roberts.
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Two events happened in 1951 — our church caught fire during divine worship service, and New York City Housing Authority exercised its right of Eminent Domain, compelling the relocation of the church to St. Albans, Queens.
Our new address became 173-04 Linden Boulevard, St. Albans, New York. For a period of time immediately after our church fire, Mt. Zion Baptist Church permitted us to worship in their beautiful church.
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Construction began on our new church home in September 1951, and was completed in April 1953. We worshipped in the basement of the church during the construction. Friends and neighbors welcomed the construction of a church in their neighborhood and donated money and furnishings towards its completion. By popular consent, our church name became The Linden Boulevard Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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Serving the church as pastors during this period of time were V. L. Roberts, builder of our new church home, who at the same time served as Secretary-Treasurer of the North-Eastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; Elder George R. Earle, destined to become president of the North-Eastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; and Elder Edgar Lockett.
God continued to bless our membership growth.
Elder Lockett conducted a building expansion program and in 1966 the membership moved into a newly constructed church, annexed to our existing building. A parochial school was begun which served the church and neighborhood children and parents.
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Pastors who served our congregation on Linden Boulevard were: Elders V. L. Roberts, G. R. Earle, E. A. Lockett, D. B. Reid, R. T. Wilson, H. C. Brewer, V. Runnels, and B. Cummings. Our church and school membership continued to grow.
We needed more space to house our school population under one roof. Elder Benjamin Cummings, our pastor, saw the need for a new location for our church and school.
Once again we sacrificed and pledged our offerings for a different church home. In November 1981, we packed our belongings and moved to the Laurelton Jewish Center, our present location in Laurelton, New York.
Deleting part of our name, we are now known as The Linden Seventh-day Adventist Church. As a result of Elder Cummings's leadership, a renovation program resulted in a newly decorated church home.
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In October 1985, Elder Larry Bailey began his ministry here at Linden. He worked untiringly to unite the church, school, and community here in Laurelton in a bond of love, service, and fellowship.
After the Grand Opening of this new facility on May 18, 1986, Pastor Bailey, a man of immeasurable faith, inspired our members to accept the impossible — the liquidation of two mortgages totalling $400,000.
Under the pastor's dynamic leadership, the congregation accepted the challenge and sacrificed and pledged our money, time and talents to get this monumental task done.
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This ten-year project was accomplished, by a membership of 885, in three years and the Mortgage Burning and Dedication was held May 24-27, 1989.
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Since Pastor Bailey, Linden has been blessed by the leadership of Pastors Dr. Roy Ashmeade, J.P. Willis, Dr. Allen C. Martin, Dr. David Glover, Jesse Bevel, Dr. Ainsworth E. Joseph and at present Warner A. Richards.
Today, through faith and perseverance, the Linden Church of Seventh-day Adventists continues to minister to the South-Eastern Queens community. Our church membership is over 1,100 souls and we have a thriving school and day care facility. We invite you to join us as we take part in the Great Commission that has been given to us—to carry the gospel into all the world.