HISTORY OF OUR LOCAL CHURCH
We are very grateful to God that our church has experienced God’s guidance since the beginning of its foundation. This church has been recognized as a light to the community in all its past years of existence and service to God and our fellow men. It has made a difference in this grieving world and many people have found comfort and rest right here. We should always remember how God has led us in the past so that we do not fear and be encouraged for the future, knowing that God is faithful to fulfill His promises for His glory. With God’s help, we strive to bring as many souls as possible to Christ.
The beginning of the 20th century is characterized – among other things – by a strong exodus from Europe to America. Among those who came to the “promised land”, there were several hundred thousand Romanians. As the automobile industry knew at that time a formidable “boom”, many of the Romanians settled in the midwest, forming a significant Romanian colony near Detroit. Among them, there were also several families of Adventist believers. Their dream was to organize a Church, to have a Romanian pastor, to worship and preach the Gospel in our beautiful home language, which they were determined to pass on to their descendants.
The dream took shape in 1937, with the arrival of pastor IEREMIA FLOREA from Romania. He starts working with and among the Romanians at the “Ford” Factories. In 1944, for a short period of time (two years), another pastor from Romania, IOAN KNITTEL, was associated with him. A little later, and also for about two years, comes OTTO HERMANN.
The “Iron Curtain” drastically reduces emigration from Romania, but not from Yugoslavia. Tens of thousands of Romanians from the Serbian Banat arrived in America after the Second World War. Many stay in New York and settle here. Meanwhile, the Romanian group in Dearborn – Michigan, left without a pastor, begins to take steps to bring pastor VICTOR DIACONESCU from Romania. Despite the guarantees offered by the relatives here, pastor Diaconescu’s passport is denied, and the community in Michigan goes into decline.
Meanwhile, starting with 1970, a group of Romanian Adventists from New York, inspired by Ioan Constantinescu and Constantin Gavra, ask the leadership of the Adventist Church in Romania to send them a pastor. The visit to Romania of the president of the World Adventist Church – February 1974 – relaunched the negotiations with the Department of Cults from that time, and they resulted in obtaining a passport for pastor VICTOR EDUARD DIACONESCU and his family. After a very short period spent among relatives from Dearborn, pastor Diaconescu settled in New York, starting on March 1, 1975.
At that time, the Romanian core made up of the families: Constantinescu, Donose, Gavra, Ieremia and Manolescu, had joined the Yugoslav Adventist Church in Astoria. Motivated by the presence of pastor Diaconescu, they propose to start working for the Romanians in Queens. Thus, in the second part of March 1975, in the house of the Pavel Ieremia family, the first Bible readings began, held by a Romanian pastor in New York.
Taking into account the significant Romanian presence in Ridgewood, and the goodwill of Pastor William Jackson from the Gates Street Adventist Church, the group is moving here. The first Romanian sabbath school is now starting, and the first Romanian worship services in New York. In December 1975, the first Romanian Adventist baptism took place in New York – young Maria Milos, married Cerga. A holy zeal animates them all, causing them to go street by street, house by house, in search of Romanian souls sensitive to the call of the Gospel.
The lack of Romanian publications and print outs is made up for by the remarkable effort of pastor Diaconescu and a few members, who begin to translate, edit and print religious material in Romanian. Soon the news spread around the world, and other Romanian groups from all continents began to request and receive Bible studies in Romanian from New York.
Reaching the number of 20 baptized members, the group was organized on November 9, 1977 as a company, by the officials of the New York Conference, soon to be declared a community. Pastor Diaconescu, functioning until now in a self-supporting regime, is officially employed part-time. In the meantime, the premises of the Methodist Church on Woodward Street are being rented as a place of religious worship. The numerical increase determines the employment of pastor Diaconescu, full-time. Certain changes in the administration of the New York Conference induce the postponement of the date set for the organization of the community.
The long-awaited event took place on March 6, 1982. With a total of 70 Adventist believers, the Romanian group from New York becomes the first Romanian-speaking Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church in New York. The community sponsors and assists hundreds of Romanian immigrants in camps in Europe. Most of them, benefiting from the help offered by the brothers in New York, will go to warmer and better paid places. From this point of view, the Romanian Church here becomes a springboard to California, Chicago and Atlanta.
After 15 years of activity, pastor Victor Eduard Diaconescu retired. In his place came, in 1989, pastor IOAN ORBAN-DENGEL with his family. There follows a period in which the community grows, fosters relationships and strengthens. For a while, the community headquarters was established on Linden Street, and later, in the premises of the Trinitarian Reformed Church at the intersection of Palmeto and 60th Streets.
The retirement of pastor Orban, determines a new employment, in the person of pastor Petre Danci, who on June 1, 2001, moved with his family to New York. Pastor Petre Danci will also remain in this community until his retirement when Pastor Bogdan Platon is hired in January 2020. We have reasons to thank God for the wonderful way in which he led us. As the prophet said, “we have nothing to fear, except that we will forget the way that God brought us here.” Lord, help us not to forget!