About First Church

The calling and legacy of First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica is to welcome all God’s children and transform lives. Organized in 1662, First Church is the oldest continuously serving Presbyterian congregation in the United States. For more than 350 years, we’ve served at the heart of Jamaica, Queens and flourished as a vibrant multi-cultural congregation of all ages, with congregants from over 35 birth nations. We welcome you to join a safe and supportive community of believers who will help you build meaningful relationships in our church family, and empower you to grow in faith through the transforming power of Jesus.

What we offer

What we offer

Organized in 1662, First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica is the oldest continuously serving Presbyterian congregation in the United States. Our facilities currently include a fully modern kitchen, a full size gym, and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 300. The sanctuary, (including the balcony) has a seating capacity of 650 and is equipped with a kitchen and “fellowship” hall for approximately 150 persons.

Rev. Patrick H. O’Connor serves as the lead Pastor of this thriving ministry.

We serve our neighborhood

We serve our neighborhood

A central part of our church’s mission is to serve our community as Jesus first served us. Our biggest project is a partnership with First Jamaica Community Urban Development Corporation to bring a 12-story building with 174 affordable housing units, financial literacy and other skills training, the Tree of Life Center. We also have a weekly soup kitchen and food pantry feeding hundreds of people, host an Annual Prostate Screening & Health Fair and hold regular Blood Drives. We also lead in Queens Power, a community organizing effort under Metro IAF.

We nurture children, youth, and families in faith

We nurture children, youth, and families in faith

We provide afterschool programs such as LOGOS and Scouts of America as safe spaces for young people to spend their time. We have Sunday Kids Church during 10 am service and Junior HYPE and HYPE events throughout the week for middle and high schoolers. We also empower our children through services such as our Incentive Grant & Service College Scholarship.

Our Twenty Thirty group helps young adults in their 20s and 30s find meaning and purpose. Twenty Thirty Brunches engage pop culture and young adult life with God. Twenty Thirty Dream Hub empowers young adults
with essential life skills and entrepreneurship opportunities.

We provide a community that connects people in their journey

We provide a community that connects people in their journey

We were never meant to walk our spiritual journey alone. The city is filled with millions of people, and yet can still be a lonely place. We offer ministries to meet new people, do Bible study or other faith formation activity, and form relationships that will get you through the ups and downs of life.

Partnerships

Partnerships

Our outreach services are made possible by the generosity of our partners and supporters:

  • Queens Power (Metro IAF)
  • York College
  • Blood Services of New York City
  • Cornell Extension Program
  • Alcoholic Anonymous
  • SASS Foundation for Medical Research
  • United Way of NYC
  • First Jamaica Community Development Corporation
  • Jamaica YMCA
  • Habitat For Humanity
  • World Cares
  • Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
  • Food Bank NY Disaster Interfaith Service( NYDIS)
  • AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corp.