Mission Statement of Community Church
Community Church is a bridge in a diverse community. Many churches in Queens have closed even as our community needs a healing word from Christ. Pressures built in the neighborhoods as new languages, new customs, new business, and ever increasing numbers of people arrived.
The World's Fair of 1964 introduced the sixty ethnic communities of Jackson Heights. In the years since, the Borough of Queens has become the most diverse ethnically in the nation. Community United Methodist Church of Jackson Heights decided to be and build a new multi-language congregation. The largely European congregation decided to change as Jackson Heights changed.
Community Church realized that children pay the highest price when families move. They learn a new language first and often learn how to deal with government and business. At the same time, overloaded schools have no chance of providing a fair chance at an education. Working together, the church has added programs for children and education. After 20 years of effort, 600 children now come to the weekday programs of Community Church at some point during the year.
Now we are determined to repeat that work on weekends as we introduce children and families to the compassionate love and protection of God. Where does Community Church need to be in Jackson Heights?
¨ With the child who has never heard that Jesus loves them
¨ With the person with children at risk
¨ With the person with language or status difficulty
– Together, we can be that church!
Our vision is to be One Church of 800 people with a Sunday School of 300 children. We desire at least two of our congregations to reach an attendance of 300. This will require one additional major sanctuary, new space for two Children's programs on Sunday morning and a place where our Church Staff Leaders can work together. . As God has blessed our first deeds together, we must provide for the congregation that is coming. We must build new sacred space together.
Our History and Heritage
In 1916, the emerging community of Jackson Heights realized that plans for the worship of God were required. The first worship services were at the soputhwest corner of Polk Avneu and 25th Street (now
NorthFork Bank at 37th Avenue and 82nd Street). Officers were elected on November 27, 1916 and charter members received on March 4th, 1917. 74 Charter members were received.After two years, the services went to a larger room
farther east on Polk Avenue. 
In 1919, Queensboro Corporation offered a
tract of land to the denomination that would be a partner and the City Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church accepted the invitation and donated $40,000. The land was donated and ground breaking occurred on July 11, 1920.
The cornerstone was laid on September 24, 1922 and the building on 81st Street was dedicated June 10, 1923. In war and in peace, worship has since hallowed this ground.
Methodism flourished in it's new environment. By 1942, 2000 persons arrived for Easter worship. Three services were held every Sunday and 900 children participated in Sunday School. Space was in short supply. In 1954, Dr. Karl Moore led the congregation to build the many rooms of the 82nd Street building. They house the Religious and Weekday education programs that are our hallmark forty five years later. Almost 2,000 children have received their early childhood education at Community Church. Another 1,500 children have gotten a head start on the next grade through Community Kids Summer School.
The largely European-American attendance of the church peaked in 1962 and then followed many other churches of New York City with a long period of decline. Most churches died when neighborhoods changed. Rev. Austin Armitstead emphasized how the church must always reflect the peoples of the community. The emphasis on ``community" saved the Community United Methodist Church. We determined to look like the neighborhood and growth returned -- in the English ministry and new ones emerging!
Chinese Ministry Starts
By the blessings of God, on August 3, 1975, Rev. Solomon Kao started the Chinese Ministry in the Jackson Heights United Methodist Church. There were 15 people at the service. With four years'
cultivation, the Chinese ministry grew and 30 people attended on Sunday. After Rev. Kao left for continuing education on June 22, 1980, Rev. Chuang-Ching Peng continued the ministry.
Unfortunately, in the next five years, Chinese ministry stagnated because of changing several pastors.
Rev. Paul Hsieh arrived in 1984 and the Chinese ministry rejuvenated. In the next three and half years (84'-87'), Chinese ministry had reached average 45 people attending on Sunday service and formed core-member meeting to develop Chinese ministry. Before Easter of 1987, Rev. Solomon Kao continued Rev. Paul Hsieh's mission, and retired in June of 1995. Rev. David Peng came to the church in 1995 as the first full time pastor in Chinese ministry. In August of 1998, because of the need to reach more people and the growth (average 75 people attending Sunday service) Chinese ministry moved from room 5 to the bigger social room. And Rev. Paul Lim joined the pastoral staff in October, 2000. May God bless our church to lead more Chinese non-believers to become God's people.
Spanish Ministry Starts
The first Spanish services at Community United Methodist Church were in 1985 in Room 2 under the leadership of Rev. Noe Torres. This church opened its doors to Spanish immigrants . Rev. Juan Sosa
was appointed in 1986. Ever since that time, the congregation has served in different ways by offering a house of worship and many social services. Rev. Cotto-Thorner was appointed in 1989 and the
congregation has grown, first filling Room 7 and now the upstairs sanctuary. At the present time, we have members representing most of the countries in Central and South America and the Islands of the
Caribbean. Through our outreach, Spanish families are sixty percent of the PreK attendance.
Korean Ministry Starts
The Korean ministry is the newest among four ministries. It started in 1990 to meet
the spiritual needs of Korean people in the Jackson Heights area. As the ministry grew, the church faced the difficulty of limited space for worship services on Sunday morning. After obtaining permission from the
District Superintendent of the Metropolitan South District of the UMC, this group left the church and became an independent church.
Upon leaving, Korean people in the Bayside Korean UMC moved into the church in July 1995, continuing the heritage of the Korean ministry in the Community UMC.
Change and Transition
As different services started, rooms around the buildings were consecrated by prayers and hymns. And then we grew. Room after room was used -- # 2, # 5, #7, the Social Room and Chapel.
Change and transition are always awkward. In the early days of this grand experiment in Christian unity, everyone felt like a stranger. Many arrangements were tested to get the best possible fit.
Both in spiritual life and in the administration of the church, the pastors covenant now to lead the church in fairness, in friendship, and in unity.
Pastors of Community United Methodist Church
Rev. Fred P. Corson was the first appointed pastor of the Community Methodist Episcopal Church of Jackson Heights, later a bishop in Pennsylvania. The new members recorded backgrounds included 26 Methodist, 3 Presbyterian, 2 Baptist, 2 United Presbyterian, 1 Episcopal, 1 Congregational, 12 Community Church and 4 Confession of Faith.
The church incorporated on December 14, 1919 with Fred P. Corson as Presiding Officer and Irving Lattimer and Clifton Clinton as signers. The state registration was completed on January 19, 1920.
The new church immediately raised $35,000 and took 2 mortgages for $60,000 and $13,000.
Rev. Robert J. Kent 11/27/16 – 4/18
Rev. F. Stanley VanEps 4/18- 2/04/19
*Rev. Fred P. Corson – 1st UMC pastor April, 1919-1924
*Later Bishop, Philadelphia Area
Rev. Frederick F. Voorhees 1924-27
*Rev. Leland P. Cary 1927-30, membership 165
*Later Executive Secretary, NY City Mission Society
Mr. Harry N. Holmes 1930-31
Rev. Lewis E, Christian 1931-38
Dr. Lester Ward. Auman 1938-50 1,356 members
Dr. Karl F. Moore 1950-74 2,112 members
Rev. Austin H. Armitstead 1974-95
Rev. Solomon Kao 1975-80 & 1987-95
Rev. William Peng 1980-81
Rev. Paul Hsieh 1984-87
Rev. Juan Sosa 1986-89
Rev. Hyun Joon Kim 1989-95
Rev. Alfredo Cotto-Thorner 1989 –
Rev. Charlie Yun 1995-96
Dr. Ronald D. Tompkins 1995 –
Rev. Jong Jen Peng 1995 –2000
Rev. Yong Hwan Kim 1996-2001-
Rev. Dr. Paul Lim 2000-2002
Rev. Young Kirl Kim 2001-2002-
Rev. Roxana Yuen 2002-
Stained Glass of Community Church New York Annual Conference
United Methodist Church
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