Our Mission Statement
Spreading God’s Love to the World
Our Vision Statement
To Be a Light for ALL by Equipping and Transforming Lives Through Jesus Christ
Anchor Scripture
"...To Equip the Saints for the Work of the Ministry to Edify the Body of Christ."
(Ephesians 4:12)
The Hollis Presbyterian Church was founded in 1922 by Dr. Frederick Todd Steele after receiving permission from the Presbytery of Brooklyn-Nassau to establish a Sabbath school in the Hollis area. Five adults and two children attended the first service which was held on January 15, 1922 in a chapel of the Jamaica Reformed Church that was located near Jamaica Avenue and 189th Street.
The present building dates from about 1927.
Church Staff
Rev. Lynne West, Moderator of Session
Elder Cynthia D. Shepard, Clerk of Session
Elder Sheila Baxter, Chair of Finance
The Rev. Carol Dougherty-Steptoe, Church Development Consultant
Rev. Steptoe was spiritually nurtured at the Hollis Presbyterian Church, where she worked in the Sunday School, Youth Ministries and as an ordained Elder. Currently. Rev. Steptoe is serving at the Hollis Presbyterian Church as a Church Growth Consultant where she provides leadership in church growth initiatives and strategic planning with a focus on prayer, operations, and intergenerational ministries. Rev. Steptoe is also actively engaged with the Queens Presbyterian Church Collaborative. Read more...
Ministerial
The Rev. Carol Dougherty-Steptoe
Minister V. Olivia Hines-Latty
Elder Diana Bartelt
Elder Diana Bartelt was baptized in the Hollis Presbyterian Church and confirmed at the age of twelve. She has sung in the church choirs since childhood, which served as an integral part of the formation of her Faith. Ordination as an Elder was and continues to be a life changing and enriching experience for her. She is currently engaged with the on-air Ministry Team in the Southeast Queens Presbyterian Collaborative's Virtual Worship Services. She enrolled, and successfully completed the course of study, to become a Commissioned Ruling Elder. As the Elder Commissioner for Hollis Presbyterian Church, she's also served on two committees of Presbytery of New York City. The foundation of her faith is found in II Corinthians 5:20
“So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
Operations
Elder Cynthia D. Shepard, Church Administrator (Interim)
Worship/Musical Team
Brother Hale B. Thompson, Director of Music
Minister Hale Thompson, organist/pianist, vocalist and choral conductor, is a native of Jamaica, NY, is a graduate of Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa with a B. A. in Communications and a triple minor in music. His music instructors were Harriet Tanner Ellis-Piano, James Drayton, Rebecca Borthwick Aiken, and James Christensen, Organ.
Hale has done post graduate work at Aaron Copeland School of Music, CUNY, NY School of Liturgical Music (RC Archdiocese NY), and the Westminster Choir College. He is currently a senior at The New Brunswick Theological Seminary in the Master of Divinity degree program (2022). He has served as a Minister of Music in the NYC Metropolitan are for over 45 years and currently serves the Hollis Presbyterian Church. Hale formed Birdco Productions in 2008, a company which supplies all liturgical musical needs and promotes excellence in church music. His civic activities include The B Sharp LI Branch of National Association of Negro Musicians in which he has served as Vice President, Scholarship Chairman, various committee chairs. He is a past chairman of the Board of Directors of Major Music International Corporation and has served as a member of the grant screening committee for the Queens Council of The Arts. Hale's mission statement is achieving excellence in church music through spiritual creativity.
Brother Anthony Bennett, Director of Voices of Praise
Facilities Team
Elders: Muriel Hamlett, & Isaac Miller Co-Chairs of Building & Grounds
Brother Vince Robinson, Sexton
HOLLIS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
100-50 196th Street @ 104th Avenue
Hollis, New York 11423
hollispresbyt@msn.com hollispresbyterianchurch.org
Office: 718 776-4646 Fax: 718 479-6882