The church continued to grow quickly. It grew spiritually, numerically and financially. Their first place of worship was in a store front on Horton Avenue. They later moved to a garage shop on Brook Street. In 1924 they purchased an empty lot on Winthrop Avenue. Their intention was to pay off for the lot and then to finally build their own church.

Brother Percy Brownie was removed from his position and in March 1925 Elder C.B. Haynes the conference President asked Brother Thaddeus Wilson to be the leader of the church until the conference could assign a minister. After a special day of fasting, Thaddeus Wilson and the members pledged to continue the original plan to build a house of worship. By the end of 1925 the congregation of almost 35 members paid off the debt for the lot and began to accumulate funds for their initial payment for the church construction. 

They built and in an amazing record such a short time and were commended by the conference for their outstanding achievement. The dedicated group of believers continued to promote the work of God for 2 years without an ordained pastor. The Conference assigned Elder Joseph Jervis to the New Rochelle SDA Church in June 1928. On his arrival he found that the plans were already drawn. In October of 1928 under the administration of Elder Joseph Jervis the church was built. This group of believers has now been together for only 7 years. God blessed them mightily. Elder Jervis spent one and a half years at the New Rochelle church and then accepted a call to New York City.

In 1929, Elder R.L. Bradford was assigned to the New Rochelle SDA Church. During his 5-year tenure, he and the church members worked diligently together. Their Sabbath School department and Harvest Gathering Campaign were outstanding in the conference. Under Elder Bradford’s administration, the church remodeled their heating system from coal to oil. Elder Bradford departed in September of 1934. The church was again without a pastor. Brother Charles Parkway became the temporary leader of the congregation. Under his leadership the church had many achievements that were commendable and worthy of recognition.

On January 17, 1935, the conference reinstated Pastor Thaddeus Wilson, who has established a church in Mount Vernon. Pastor Wilson was now the Pastor of New Rochelle SDA, the Superintendent of New Rochelle SDA, White Plains and Mount Vernon Churches. In 1938, Pastor Wilson held a tent meeting in New Rochelle with great results. In 1938, the 3 churches under his administration became the first black churches to achieve their Conference Mission goals in 10 weeks.

Under his 5-year leadership all the departments excelled in their ministries, many people were introduced to the gospel truth of Jesus. In 1940, the church was redecorated and their debt of $23,000 was liquidated and they also had enough funds to liquidate the debt of White Plains property. They made history by becoming the first black Adventist Church in the Conference to be debt free.

The history of the New Rochelle Church is not the work of any one  individual. It was God’s providence, that he gathered together a group of workers whose loyalty to his cause was unquestioned. Their high ambitions have brought on us the manifold blessings of God. With this blessed hope ever alive in our hearts we go forward proclaiming the gospel of our soon coming King.

A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH

The sole basis for all our beliefs are outlined in the Bible: which is uniquely God inspired, without error, and the final authority on all matters on which it bears. As the Bible teaches, there is one God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-each possessing all the attributes of deity.

We believe that God created humans to have fellowship with Him, but they defied God by sinfully going their own way. As a result, we need God’s saving grace to end our alienation from God. Salvation comes only through God’s grace-not human effort-and must be received personally by repentance and faith.

We believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth and voluntarily paid for our sin by dying on the cross as our substitute. This accomplished salvation for all who receive grace by trusting in Him alone. He rose from the dead and is the only mediator between people and God. He will return to earth to consummate history.