OUR STORY
OUR PASTOR’S STORY
At the beginning of almost every church planting book there’s an advisory, “If you can do anything else, do it.” I’ve tried to run from this, come up with another path, direction, plan, but I can’t fight this calling anymore to plant a church in one the greatest cities in the world,New York City.
When I was 16 years old God began to put a burden on my heart to plant a church in midtown Manhattan. My response was to prepare in faith. I studied at the University of Valley Forge receiving a BA in Ministry leadership and Nelson University receiving a MA in Organizational Leadership. Following this, I joined the staff of a new campus launching and learned how to develop teams, systems, and culture from the ground up. Even in the midst of this season of training there was an unrest in my spirit. I knew if I didn’t at least try to see this thing out and step towards it I would feel as if a part of myself was missing.
People would always ask, “Where in NYC do you think the church would be planted?”
Truthfully, I hoped it would be far outside the city, but God often has plans far greater than ours. One evening in prayer I asked God this same question and received an address in midtown for the legendary Flatiron Building. Whether or not this is the exact meeting space, I know the direction to head towards. I’m willing to head towards this beautiful neighborhood with passion, wisdom, and excellence. While I know this is far beyond my capability, it is a mere ounce of God’s strength to see a church planted that will bring healing, hope and freedom.
The Current Story
One of the famous narratives of NYC is that if “you can make it here you can make it anywhere.” The reality is that what starts here ripples everywhere. Both positive and negative social trends, movements, and ideas can find a place of origin right here in this city. Urban cities are not just attracting more people, but are increasing in their influence over the world. What if we could set something new into motion? What if we planted a church that influenced the trajectory of the world towards the Gospel instead of a lost direction? That’s why we want to plant Freedom Church.
To elaborate on where we feel Freedom Church fits into the story of NYC, we first want to draw your attention to a few details. If you’ve ever been to NYC you probably felt the need to keep some semblance of your guard up. There’s a real sense of survival that the average New Yorker grows up under or into. In one of the biggest cities in the world, it’s almost impossible to know who’s for you or who’s trying to run a scam. We’ve talked to so many New Yorkers who relay the pain of being surrounded by people in a crowded subway car yet feel completely isolated. Imagine the impact of providing a safe place for just one person to encounter Jesus, vulnerably grow, and step out in their gifts.
When you hear the name of our city you might have a number of different thoughts. You may have heard reports, news stories, or an exaggerated idea of the average citizen. You may believe this city is beyond help. Despite these notions, we believe the next chapter of this city will be lead by the transformative power of the Gospel. God has been drawing and developing a culture in NYC that would take the Gospel to places it’s never been before. The Bible gives us so many inspiring stories of what God did through a city, and we’re believing those aren’t just accounts of the past but visions of the future. New York City will be free from it’s brokenness, darkness, bondage and will have healing, light, and a future. The title of this current chapter of NYC is freedom, and we’re asking you to help us write it.
Our Partners
