We are all called to minister. We are determined to move forward in faith.
Pastor Edwin M. Anthony and Fay P. Anthony were impressed by the Holy Spirit to meet the needs of the people of the Deer Park Community through prayer, supplication, and a desire to respond to the Lord’s command “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Thus, they were spiritually led to The Pentecostal Church at 64 Tiber Avenue. “Who are you? Are you angels?” were some of the questions directed towards them when they started cleaning up the debris around the church. A lady stopped by to inquire, saying, “I have prayed long and hard for the Lord to send someone to take care of this church. I’m glad you have allowed God to use you.” Bishop Agee fought tirelessly on their behalf. He wanted to make certain that the church is established by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.
As you know, the Sanctuary should be the heartbeat, the spiritual refuge, and the house of praise that support the needs of the people in the community. Its purpose also is to nurture and edify individuals to meet our maker’s highest ideals. “Higher than the highest human thoughts can reach is God’s ideals for his children” (EDW Education). This building which was once the lighthouse of the community had unfortunately become a place where negative activities were the norm. Left unattended for many years, the building was vandalized and abandoned. The pipes and electrical fixtures were also ripped out. Many people came by to look at the building but went away thinking that there was too much work to be done. They decided it was too costly a venture and therefore decided to leave it alone. God saw it necessary to allow Bishop Agee to contact Pastor Edwin M Anthony and his wife, Fay P Anthony to be the vessels to restore this church to the point where it can once again be utilized for the purpose for which it was built, to worship and glorify God.
With God’s help, the doors were opened to the public for worship on July 13, 2013 as a Seventh- day Adventist Church. Due to their hard work and dedication, and the help of their family and church members and friends, the Deer Park Community was transformed. The Police presence is reduced due to the reduction of crimes and conflicts in the area. The people of the Deer Park Community are now able to live a more peaceful and comfortable lives. The Deer Park Seventh-day Adventist Church became a part of the North Eastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Sisterhood of Churches in October 2019. Thank God this is their 8th year of worship, moving on in faith.
Due to the COVID 19 Pandemic, they have been temporarily utilizing the zoom Platform for all their services. However, the weekly Food Pantry which has been supported by Long Island Cares and Island Harvest, have been serving the community for over five years. They have remained open and functional throughout the COVID 19 Pandemic.