Rev. Patrick O’Connor
The Reverend Patrick Hugh O’Connor is the lead pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, a multicultural congregation in the Presbytery of New York City. He has served this congregation since 1992. In 2002 transitioned its model for ministry from a program model to a Purpose Driven Model which recognizes that each Christian and each congregation has a God-given purpose to fulfill. The Purpose Driven model includes five key purposes:
1) Worship 2) Fellowship 3) Discipleship 4) Ministry and 5) Mission. The Vision of the congregation is “Reaching Others for Christ Developing Believers in Christ.” In seeking to be more contextually relevant in its mission and ministry, First Church is currently involved in the development of the “Tree of Life” a family resource center that will extend the church’s mission in the community into the twenty first century.
Reverend O’Connor received his formal education from Munro College, the University of the West Indies, the United Theological College of the West Indies, Yale University Divinity School and Columbia University. He is also is a graduate of the Columbia Business School, Institute for Not-for-Profit Management, Executive Level program and the Beeson Institute for Advanced Church Leadership offered by Asbury Theological Seminary.
Ordained by the United Church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman (Presbyterian and Congregational) in June 1986, Reverend O’Connor received his first pastoral call serving three congregations in the Port Maria Charge.
Reverend O’Connor’s leadership extends beyond the congregation to the Presbytery of New York City and the General Assembly. He has served as a Trustee for the Presbytery of New York City and on some of its other committees. He is a member of the PCUSA delegation to CANNAC. He is Vice Chairman of the Metro Industrial Areas Foundation Leadership team, Secretary of the James N. Jarvie Commonweal Service Committee, former Trustee of Buckley Country Day School, President of Empowered Queens United for Action and Leadership, a former Board Member of the Queens Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a Member of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, the Chairman of First Jamaica Community and Urban Development Corporation and a member of the External Advisory Board of the Weill Cornell Clinical Translational Science Center (CTSC). He is passionate about community engagement and the development of people and commits himself to programs which have that vision.
Patrick is married to Marcia and they have two children, Ashley and Zachary.
Brunhilda Sanders-Lane
Commissioned Ruling Elder Brunhilda Sandy-Lane, affectionately known as Lay Pastor Sandy-Lane, has a long history of public service. She retired from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where she served for over twenty years as a Senior Attorney and as the Supervisory Attorney for the Eastern Region. Prior to joining the FAA, she worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as a Senior Attorney and as an Administrative Judge. She also worked for Bedford Stuyvesant Legal Services as an Attorney.
She retired from the FAA to attend New York Theological Seminary (NYTS) where she is currently seeking a Masters in Divinity. She holds a Bachelor Degree from Columbia University, a Juris Doctor from Hofstra Law School, and a Certificate of Ministry from NYTS as well as a Lay Ministry Certificate from the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica Lay Institute.
Since becoming a member of First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica (FPCJ) in 1999, Lay Pastor Sandy-Lane has shared her gift of public service with all those she encounters. Her desire to uphold and reflect the “purpose driven church” motto keeps her hands busy and her heart open to those who are seeking to experience the love of Christ. Her service to FPCJ include: Small Groups, Pastoral Care, the Scholarship Ministry, Sunday Adult Bible Study Class, the Clerk of Session, the David Fellowship Caring Circle as well as Elder to name a few.
She is happily married to Supreme Court Justice Howard G. Lane who currently serves in the Supreme Court in the Ninth Judicial District of New York. She has two wonderful children, Victor and Christine. Her favorite scripture is Psalm 150.
“Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord” (kjv)