A Hartford West End Congregation on Whitney Street
First Church of the Living God sits at 70 Whitney Street in the heart of Hartford's West End, across from Noah Webster Magnet School, in a city block that has anchored this Pentecostal congregation since November 1983. The church's own name takes its identity from the scriptural phrase "the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth," and for more than a century its members have organized, prayed, worshipped, and served their neighbors from storefronts and houses in this same Connecticut capital.
The congregation is pastored by Bishop Jesse J. White Jr., who was installed at the church in 1994 after serving as interim pastor and consecrated to the office of bishop in October 2019. He leads alongside his wife, Elder Lorraine White, who serves as Senior Associate Pastor. Together they oversee a multi-generational congregation whose ministries range from a children's choir to a Christ-centered 12-step recovery program to a community development nonprofit that runs a food pantry and child-care services across Greater Hartford.
A Century of Roots in Hartford
The story of First Church begins on the second Sunday of March 1917, when Bishop Archibald Henry White Sr. arrived in Hartford on an appointment from the late Bishop M. L. Tate to establish a Church of the Living God in New England. He found a small group already praying: Elder George Mitchell, Deacon Charles Mitchell, Brother Arthur Fleeting, Brother Rubin Chaney, and their families. The first service was held in the Chaney home on Canton Street.
Later that year the congregation rented a small storefront at 106 Canton Street for worship services. By 1919 the church had been incorporated and granted a charter, becoming the first House of God, which is the Church of the Living God Pillar and Ground of the Truth, in all of New England. The first New England Assembly was hosted in Hartford in 1921, drawing denominational officials from across the country.
Through the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s the congregation moved several times within the city. Bishop G. F. Giles was appointed pastor in 1921 and served until 1926, during which time a four-family building was purchased but lost during the depression. Pastors who followed included Elder J. M. Chauncy, Rev. Hawkins, Rev. Meekings, Rev. Willie Thomas, Rev. E. Thomas, and, beginning in 1937, the young and energetic Rev. Marlon R. Jackson, who moved the church to 52 Suffield Street and oversaw renovations. In May 1966, Elder Jesse J. White Sr. arrived in Hartford from Waterbury and was appointed pastor of the Hartford church at the New England District Assembly in Providence, Rhode Island.
Bishop White Sr.'s tenure brought the church to its present home. After relocating briefly to 14 Lenox Street (the former Mark Twain Masqueraders building), the official board signed documents in October 1983 giving the congregation possession of 70 Whitney Street, and dedication ceremonies were held in November of that year. In October 1985, after months of labor by Sister Mary Oliver Johnson, Bishop White Sr.'s vision of the Dyson-Mitchell Memorial Library was realized inside the new facility, named for the late Rev. Christine Dyson and Elder George Mitchell. In 1989, Bishop White Sr. partnered with Gordon Conwell University to establish the Urban Theological Education Center, which opened its doors at the church in September 1990.
The current pastor carries that lineage forward. Bishop Jesse J. White Jr. founded H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Excel) Community Development Corporation in 1990 and was installed as pastor of First Church in 1994. He was consecrated as bishop in October 2019, capping twenty-five years of pastoring in Hartford. Praise Dance was introduced to the church on December 15, 1995, and in July 2004 he established the First Church of the Living God Publishing Committee.
Weekly Services and What to Expect
First Church gathers three times a week in the sanctuary at 70 Whitney Street. Sunday Morning Worship begins at 10:00 a.m. and is described by the congregation as "a most inspiring and uplifting experience," combining the work of a Praise and Worship team that prepares hearts for the Word with the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The psalmist's call to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" and to enter His gates with thanksgiving shapes the liturgy, with space given for prayer, praise, healing, and deliverance alongside the preaching of the Word.
MidWeek Bible Study meets on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. The format pairs prayer with the study of various topics, opened up by the Senior Pastor and a staff of ministers. Questions are invited from the floor and answered in line with Scripture, and instruction is tailored to different age groups so newcomers can settle in comfortably. The youth Bible class, H.Y.P.B.C. (Holy Young People's Bible Class), meets immediately afterward, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and offers classes for students ages 3 to 18.
Friday Prayer gathers at 5:30 p.m. for a focused hour of intercession. The Marriage Ministry also meets on the third Friday of every month for couples seeking to grow together in line with the Bible's teaching on marriage.
Services are held in English and are livestreamed; recorded services and sermons can be accessed through the church's Vimeo and YouTube channels. Online giving is available for tithes, offerings, benevolence, and special speakers' offerings. Visitors can submit prayer requests through the church's online form, and a team of Prayer Warriors receives and responds to each one.
What the Church Believes
First Church summarizes its doctrinal center as "unconditional love and endless hope found only in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ." The church's statement of faith teaches that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, errorless Word of God in its original writings, and that there is one true, living God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
The church confesses the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, His suffering, crucifixion, death, and burial, His resurrection on the third day, His ascension to the Father, and His imminent return to judge the living and the dead. Salvation is by grace through personal faith in Jesus Christ, producing the new birth. The church practices baptism by water immersion and teaches sanctification through the baptism, filling, and indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life.
The church is described as "the body and bride of Christ, comprised of born again believers," and members are encouraged and equipped to walk out that identity in daily life. The Great Commission is treated as still binding: every believer is called to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every man, woman, and child. The statement of faith closes with a confession of "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and in you all. Amen."
A Building Built Around Ministry
The Whitney Street facility is described in the church's history as "ample space" that "offers many opportunities for Bible learning and educational experiences for the congregation and the community." Inside that footprint sit a sanctuary for worship, classrooms for the H.Y.P.B.C. youth Bible study and the Kings Kidz youth department, the Dyson-Mitchell Memorial Library, and the H.O.P.E. CDC Family Life Center. The grounds and meeting rooms host Bible study, recovery groups, marriage gatherings, dance practice, choir rehearsals, and the annual Kingdom Release Conference.
Children, Youth, and Young Adults
The Children's Choir introduces young worshipers to the Gospel through music, teaching them vocal production and the importance of leading others in praise while developing future church musicians. The Kings Kidz Youth Ministry, directed by Elder Jesse J. White III and Sis. Walidah White, organizes monthly brainstorming sessions and a "Youth Weekend" once a month that combines a service, skits, biblical teaching, and games. The department also offers academic tutoring and runs an "Anonymous Inquiry" box so that young people can bring questions of faith to be discussed in a group setting. Elder Jesse J. White III hosts additional teaching through the Kings Kidz TV channel on YouTube.
The Young Adult Ministry, called Kinetic Faith, focuses on believers ages 20 to 40 - what the church describes as "millennials." Its vision is to live like the Acts 2 church, devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, prayer, breaking of bread, and fellowship, and trusting the Lord to build His church through their generation.
Women, Men, and Marriage
Vessels of Honor, the Women's Ministry, is grounded in 2 Timothy 2:20-21 and Titus 2:3-5 and gathers multi-generational women for spiritual growth, leadership development, and service. The ministry hosts quarterly Women's Fellowship events, an annual retreat conference, and service projects where women equip one another to minister in their homes, the local church, and the wider Hartford community.
The Men's Ministry seeks to develop godly men who serve their families, congregations, and communities. Its discipleship focuses on studying and applying God's Word, connecting with other godly men for accountability and prayer, using each man's gifts in service to others, actively sharing the faith, and investing time and resources into the lives of other men, families, and the community. The ministry points men toward "the whole armor of God" for their daily walk.
The Marriage Ministry, led by Brother Nkosi and Sister Grace Lee, meets on the third Friday of each month for activities and discussions designed to deepen intimacy between husbands and wives and to strengthen the bonds between married couples in the church. The ministry is explicit that it holds to the Bible's standard for marriage and views the marriage covenant as an opportunity both to enter covenant with Christ and to enter covenant of eternal love with one's spouse.
Music, Dance, and the Spoken Word
The Music Ministry is led by Margaret Estelle, who serves as the Churches of the Living God's National Minister of Music. The choir, the Worship team, and the Praise Team each play distinct roles: the Worship team sets the tone and prepares the heart for the Word, while the Praise Team stirs the congregation to joyful praise. The church believes that, when joined on one accord, "our worship ascends to heaven as it rejoices and pleases the Father."
The Dance Ministry, also called the Immaculate One Liturgical Dance Ministry, operates in two capacities: liturgical dance and mime dance. Drawing on Psalm 34:1-3, the team seeks to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ through the ministry of dance, with a particular aim of training the next generation of minstrels in the art of worship.
The Media Ministry ensures that the church's services, music, and preaching are "seen and heard clearly and without distraction or interference" both inside the sanctuary and as they are broadcast and distributed online.
Care and Recovery Ministries
The Bereavement Ministry walks alongside members and community members in the loss of loved ones. Volunteers make home visits, assist with arrangements, help facilitate homegoing services, and lead a Grief Ministry with weekly videos, discussions, and workbooks. The group is anchored by 2 Corinthians 5:8: "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."
Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12-step program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain, or addiction. It is open to people wrestling with addiction, anger, codependency, eating disorders, food addiction, love and relationship addiction, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, alcohol or drug addiction, sexual addiction, and gambling. The program aims at all "hurts, habits, and hang-ups" and is described as a safe place to find community and freedom from issues that control one's life.
The Convalescent Ministry visits and ministers to seniors in care facilities, while the Nurses Ministry trains and equips church nurses to provide first aid and CPR, assist with funerals and Health Fair events, attend to the pastor and first lady, and offer information tied to health awareness in the church and community.
Serving Hartford Through H.O.P.E. CDC
H.O.P.E. CDC (Helping Other People Excel Community Development Corporation) is a 501(c) nonprofit founded in 1990 by Bishop Jesse J. White Jr. Its Family Life Center is located at 70 Whitney Street, directly across from Noah Webster Magnet School. The corporation offers a weekly Food Pantry, financial management training, child care assistance, and educational tutoring for families striving to raise healthy children and move toward economic stability.
H.O.P.E. CDC's stated mission is to provide accessible, quality childcare and effective family education; to expand the number of parents and families who can find help, information, and support in their own neighborhood; to celebrate families and help empower them to succeed; to decrease the number of children at risk for behavioral, family, educational, and violence-related struggles; and to support families in achieving economic prosperity, family success, civic contribution, and spiritual growth.
Bishop White has been active in broader civic coalitions as well, including the Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice (ICEJ), the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and the Capital Region Conference of Churches.
Shelter Ministry and the City Missionary
The Shelter Ministry and City Missionary coordinate the church's hands-on outreach, including feeding the hungry through the food pantry, visiting the sick and homebound, and providing clothing, shelter referrals, and employment networking. Teams regularly serve meals at South Park Inn shelter in the center of Hartford and lead religious services at the Bloomfield Convalescent Home in a Hartford suburb. The ministry's goal is to be "who we are (disciples of Jesus), where we are (our community) so that people may be restored to right relationship with God."
The Kingdom Release Conference
Each spring the church hosts the Kingdom Release Conference, a multi-day gathering designed to encourage the people of God in evangelism, community wellness, and the practice of kingdom building through faith and action. Recent conferences have featured nightly worship services with dynamic speakers, Friday interactive workshops on topics like faith and business strategy, plenary sessions on stewardship, and on-site lunch for registered attendees. The conference has run annually (with a virtual edition in 2021) and is organized by Bishop Jesse J. White Jr.
Leadership and Pastoral Care
The Pastoral Care ministry exists to support the Senior Pastor and his wife, providing practical assistance and a network of caregivers who encourage and strengthen the shepherds in their calling. The Ministers' Board brings together ordained, licensed, and aspiring ministers, with officers including a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. They meet monthly for training, prayer, and the execution of duties ranging from preaching and teaching to administering the ordinances of the church.
The Diaconate Board serves as extended arms of the Pastor, attending to the spiritual and temporal needs of the members. Dec. Kenneth Estelle chairs the Diaconate Board and Sis. Inez Bryant serves as Vice Chairman. The Music Ministry is led by Margaret Estelle, and the Worship team and Praise Team are part of her wider musical leadership across the denomination.
Visiting First Church
First Church of the Living God is located at 70 Whitney Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06105. Telephone: (860) 232-4462. Email: info@firstchurchclg.org. The church maintains a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo, with additional youth-focused content on the Kings Kidz TV YouTube channel. Online giving, sermon archives, and prayer requests are accessible through the church's online platforms, and the live broadcast can be joined each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. through the livestream link. Whether someone comes for a Sunday service, a Wednesday night Bible study, or a Friday hour of prayer, they will find a congregation that has been gathering on Hartford's streets for more than a century and that still opens its doors wide to neighbors old and new.