A Brown Family Church on Staten Island
Mt. Sinai United Christian Church sits on Pike Street in the Stapleton area of Staten Island, just a few blocks north of Victory Boulevard. Its story begins in 1979, when Bishop Thomas E. Brown, Sr. felt called to plant a church where anyone could worship freely, without regard to race, creed, national origin, or religious affiliation. The first service was held in the Brown family home in 1980, and the following year the congregation moved into a building at 906 Post Avenue with evangelism as its main thrust. Two relocations followed, to 187 Victory Boulevard in 1984 and to 76 Victory Boulevard in 1986. Bishop Thomas Brown went to be with the Lord in 1987, and his son, the Reverend Victor A. Brown (now Bishop Victor A. Brown), took the pulpit. The church functioned as an independent Methodist body until 1991, when the pastor, the Board of Trustees, and the congregation made the decision to become a non-traditional, non-denominational Living Word of God church.
Co-founder Minister Val Jean Brown-Moore, Bishop Thomas Brown's widow, still speaks of the church as a place of empowerment, strength, and positive change. The senior pastor's note carries the same theme: members are taught to become doers of God's word and not simply hearers of it, and the congregation is invited to experience "an atmosphere of genuine love, which makes growing in grace a real joy." The church's motto is "Positioned for victory."
Sunday Morning and the Weekly Rhythm
Worship at Mt. Sinai follows a simple weekly rhythm. Sunday School for all ages begins at 9:00 AM, and the main Sunday Worship service and the Youth Church both start at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary at 16 Pike Street. Wednesday nights are set aside for prayer, with a Prayer Service at 7:00 PM that church leaders describe as the heartbeat of the congregation. A Young Adults Bible Study meets on a schedule that is announced from the pulpit.
Services are livestreamed, so members who are traveling or homebound can join from the Facebook page or the dedicated Live Stream section. Giving is available online through the church's Realm giving portal, and the office can be reached at (718) 447-8389 during the week.
Twenty Ministries Under the "Zegen" Banner
Mt. Sinai organizes nearly all of its volunteer life under a network called the Zegen Ministries, with each unit led by a named director and many holding their own meetings and events. The list is unusually broad for a single congregation, and several of the ministries are themselves the size of small programs.
The Christian Education Ministry, led by Rev. Linda Hudson, is the academic backbone of the church. Mt. Sinai describes itself as "a teaching ministry," and the Christian Education department is responsible for the Adult Bible Study and the Sunday School program. Rev. Hudson also leads the Intercessory Prayer Ministry, which the church calls its most essential prayer team - the intercessors who petition God on behalf of the congregation and the community.
The Music Ministry, under Rasheed Ford, is built around three groups: a Praise and Worship team that sets the atmosphere for the worship experience, and the Evangelical and Cathedral Choirs that prepare hearts to receive the Word. The Drama Ministry, led by Stacey-Mack Arroyo, performs skits, comedies, and monologues based on Scripture on holidays and other special occasions. The Praise Dance Ministry, led by Nicole Gibson, brings the call of Psalm 150 ("Praise Him with the timbrel and dance") into the sanctuary. Frances Handy and Darren Crosby run the Ministry of Media and Sound, which keeps the church connected across the building, on social media, and through teleconferencing.
The Greeters Ministry, led by Sylvia Evans, posts smiling members at the sanctuary door each week. Deacon Lorna Bell directs both the Ushers' Ministry (which seats parishioners, addresses questions, and keeps order) and the Indoor/Outdoor Maintenance Ministry (which keeps the property "fit for the King and His guests"). The Parking Attendants Ministry welcomes visitors from the moment they arrive on the grounds, and the Security Ministry looks after the safety of the people and the property. The Culinary Ministry caters food for church events and outside functions, and the Membership Ministry under Minister Carolyn Bennett keeps the family feel alive with birthday cards, sympathy cards, and a personal welcome to new members.
Two practical ministries round out the list. The Financial Empowerment Ministry teaches members how to get out of debt, chart and stick to a budget, and manage money well. The Health and Wellness Ministry takes a holistic mind-body-soul approach, drawing on health care professionals from the congregation to guide members in spiritual and physical fitness.
Children, Youth, and the Next Generation
Children and young people are woven into almost every layer of Mt. Sinai. Sunday School meets at 9:00 AM, and a parallel Youth Church gathers at 10:00 AM so that young worshipers have an experience geared to their age. Vacation Bible School is a regular feature of the summer calendar.
The Youth Ministry is overseen by Rev. Angela Pierce-Kelley and is organized around the slogan CORE - Centered on Rendering Excellence. Under that banner, the ministry runs a Youth Bible Study, Daughters of Ruth (for the young women), Sons of David (for the young men), and Children's Church. The senior pastor counts the youth ministry as one of the most important in the church, and the breadth of its sub-divisions reflects that priority.
Men, Women, and Marriage
The Men's Ministry, led by Rev. Ismail Thomas and Deacon Anthony Wilson, has a single stated goal: the building of godly men of excellence. The men meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month for prayer, Bible study, and fellowship, and they lean on Proverbs 27:17 ("Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another") as their working text. The Women's Ministry under Penny Guzman follows a similar pattern, gathering for prayer, book study, and fellowship in seminars, round-table discussions, and guest-speaker settings. Its meetings are open to women from inside and outside the church.
The Marriage Enrichment Ministry, led by Revs. Anna and Antoine Jones, teaches principles for maintaining godly marriages in the kingdom of God. All married and engaged couples are welcome, and the ministry hosts an annual picnic that draws couples from across the congregation.
Outreach Beyond the Walls
Mt. Sinai runs its community-facing work out of a second address: the Mt. Sinai Center for Community Enrichment at 382 Jersey Street, Staten Island, NY 10301. From that building, the church hosts a recurring Community Clothing and Food Outreach, distributing food while supplies last and providing donations of gently used clothing, shoes, linens, and jewelry to neighbors in need.
The Health and Wellness Ministry periodically opens the doors for a Fun Day open to all ages. A Security Ministry and a Parking Attendants Ministry help those events run smoothly. The Prayer Walks held in summer, plus the Jesus Week outreach in August, extend the church's footprint into the New Brighton neighborhood and other parts of Staten Island. The senior pastor sums up the philosophy: the Mt. Sinai challenge is to move beyond spiritual complacency and to be doers of God's word, both inside the sanctuary and on the streets of Staten Island.
Beliefs and Mission
The church frames its mission around Luke 4:18-19, reading it as a call to preach good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, restore sight to the blind, and set the downtrodden at liberty. Borrowing a line from St. Augustine, the church describes itself as "a hospital for sinners and not a hotel for saints" and calls Mt. Sinai a Spiritual Rehabilitation Center, a place where broken lives are mended and hurts are healed. Using Scripture as its authority, the church openly challenges racism, sexism, classism, and any other form of oppressive behavior that stands in the way of God's will for human liberation.
Worship is led from the keyboard and the pulpit, with a Praise and Worship team, two choirs, a praise dance ministry, and a drama ministry all taking part. The music ranges from contemporary gospel to the traditional choral repertoire of the Cathedral Choir, and the spoken word carries the steady cadence of an evangelical pulpit. Visitors can expect a service that is warm, expressive, and participatory, with a strong emphasis on prayer, teaching, and spiritual growth.
Visiting Mt. Sinai
First-time visitors will find the church at 16 Pike Street, Staten Island, NY 10301, with a sanctuary and parking on the grounds and a welcome from the Parking Attendants Ministry the moment they arrive. Sunday School begins at 9:00 AM, the main worship service and Youth Church at 10:00 AM, and a midweek Prayer Service is held on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. Services are in English, livestreamed online, and open to anyone who walks through the door.
The office is reachable at (718) 447-8389 during the week. Donations can be made in person, by mail, or through the online giving page. Anyone interested in joining a ministry, attending a Bible study, or simply walking through the sanctuary for the first time is welcome to come as they are.