Evangelical Garifuna Church of Manhattan (Manhattan, 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.
Among the new Garifuna churches in New York City was the Evangelical Garifuna Church of Manhattan. The founding pastor was Omar Guzman, who had been converted while attending the Evangelical Garifuna Church in the Bronx. The new Manhattan group initially met at the Infinity Mennonite Church. By the early 2020s, the church moved to a larger facility nearby.
A core ministry of the church, which has around 200 members, supports immigrants as they build new lives in New York City.
During the Covid pandemic, at least 17 participants in the congregation died from the disease.
Bibliography
Fretz, Chris. "New York churches assist new immigrants." Mennonite World Review (16 March 2015. Web. 3 October 2024. https://anabaptistworld.org/new-york-churches-assist-new-immigrants/.
Guzman, Edson Omar. "The Garifuna story." LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches. 12 July 2018. Web. 3 October 2024. https://lmcchurches.org/2018/07/the-garifuna-story/.
Huber, Tim. "NYC moderator denied re-entry to U.S. from Honduras." Mennonite World Review 8 July 2019. Web. 3 October 2024. https://anabaptistworld.org/nyc-moderator-denied-re-entry-to-u-s-from-honduras/.
MacMaster, Richard K. Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches of New York City. Kitchener, Ont.: Pandora Press, 2006: 350-352.
Waugh, Sara Alvarez. "'God is with us': A New York church in the epicenter of the pandemic offers support, hope." TheMennonite 1 June 2020. Web. 3 October 2024. https://anabaptistworld.org/god-us-new-york-church-epicenter-pandemic-offers-support-hope/.
Additional Information
Address: 160 West 146th Street, Manhattan, New York 10039
Meeting Place: Greater Hood Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church
Telephone: 646-850-8552
Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556706776934
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2017)
Pastoral Leaders at Evangelical Garifuna Church of Manhattan
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Edson Omar Guzman | 2011-2019? |
| Diogenes Arauz | 2017-2021 |
| Margarito "Elvis" Martinez | 2017- |
| Ricardo Ordonez | 2017- |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | October 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Evangelical Garifuna Church of Manhattan (Manhattan, New York, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2024. Web. 3 Oct 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Evangelical_Garifuna_Church_of_Manhattan_(Manhattan,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=179803.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (October 2024). Evangelical Garifuna Church of Manhattan (Manhattan, New York, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 3 October 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Evangelical_Garifuna_Church_of_Manhattan_(Manhattan,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=179803.
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