Evangelical Garifuna Church (Bronx, New York, USA)
The Garifuna are descendants of African slaves who escaped from slavery, intermarried with Carib Indians, and developed a unique language and culture. They developed on the coasts of Honduras, Belize, and Guatemala. In the 1970s and 1980s, they began to migrate to the United States, to Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.
In 1984. the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference asked Stephen and Evelyn Garcia to plant a church among the Garifuna in New York City. They moved to New York City in May 1985 and, later that month, established the Believers Mennonite Fellowship. They first met in their home and then in a rented dance hall. Several sister Garifuna fellowships developed in the early years.
The Garifuna from Belize used English as their second language, while those from Honduras and Guatemala used Spanish.
In 1987, Celso Jaime began planting a church for Spanish-speaking Garifuna in the Bronx, New York City. As the congregation grew, it shared space at a church located at Freeman St. and Southern Blvd. The new group, the Evangelical Garifuna Church, began using the former Glad Tidings Mennonite Church building after that congregation dissolved in 1988.
By 2017, the membership was mainly Garifuna, but migrants from Mexico and the Dominican Republic also worshipped in the church.
Bibliography
"Evangelical Garifuna Church." LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches. 12 July 2017. Web. 2 October 2024. https://lmcchurches.org/2017/07/evangelical-garifuna-church/.
MacMaster, Richard K. Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches of New York City. Kitchener, Ont.: Pandora Press, 2006: 350-352.
Nunez, Andrew. "Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries short belief history." Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries. 2013. Web. 26 September 2024. https://believersgarifunaministries.weebly.com/history.html.
Additional Information
Address: 344 Brook Avenue, Bronx, New York 10454
Telephone: 718-207-2518
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2017)
Pastoral Leaders at Evangelical Garifuna Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Celso C. Jaime | 1987-2021? |
| Lilian Flores | 2021- |
Evangelical Garifuna Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 16 |
| 2009 | 60 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | October 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Evangelical Garifuna Church (Bronx, New York, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2024. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Evangelical_Garifuna_Church_(Bronx,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=179802.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (October 2024). Evangelical Garifuna Church (Bronx, New York, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Evangelical_Garifuna_Church_(Bronx,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=179802.
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