A Queens Congregation with Open Hands
Antioch Baptist Church of Corona stands on Northern Boulevard in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York, where it has gathered for worship since 1936. The congregation's motto, "God is light; in him there is no darkness," is taken from 1 John 1:5, and the building at 103-02 Northern Blvd welcomes everyone who walks through its doors. As the congregation approaches ninety years of ministry, it remains rooted in a long Black Baptist tradition of preaching, prayer, and hospitality.
Sign Language at Every Service
One of the most distinctive marks of Antioch Baptist is its commitment to the deaf and hard of hearing community. Sign Language Interpretation is available at every service, a practice maintained through the Blessed Hands Deaf Ministry. The ministry has grown to include ASL students and to host a regular Deaf Awareness Sunday and a Deaf Awareness Day, when deaf and hard of hearing Christians lead worship through song, praise dance, and the preached Word. Guest speakers for these services have included Rev. Kamilah Bernstein-Bradley, a Hard of Hearing preacher.
Sunday Worship and Sunday School
Sunday mornings begin with Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. in the sanctuary. Adult classes meet in person on the first, second, and third Sundays and by Zoom on the fourth Sunday. Worship service follows at 11:00 a.m., held in person and livestreamed on the church's Facebook page. Children and youth gather every third Sunday at 1:30 p.m. for their own time of formation.
The worship style at Antioch draws on a long Black Baptist tradition of vibrant congregational singing, hand clapping, praise dance, and preaching. Communion is observed on dedicated Sundays, including Palm Sunday and the First Communion Sunday of each new year.
Bible Study and Prayer Across the Week
Antioch makes Bible study and prayer a regular part of the week. On Wednesdays, a Noonday Prayer and Bible Study meets at 12:00 p.m. by Zoom, and a second Prayer and Bible Study meets at 7:30 p.m. by Zoom. A daily corporate prayer line connects members by phone each morning at 6:30 a.m. and each evening at 9:30 p.m.; the call is free from a mobile phone at 681-999-0185 with access code 873823#. Monthly theme workshops, held on Saturdays, draw the congregation into Bible study around themes such as spiritual discipline, with passages like 1 Timothy 4:8 and 1 Timothy 6:8 as the starting point for conversation.
Sister Friends and Women's Ministry
The Sister Friends Women's Ministry anchors the church's work among women. Sister Friends gathers for Bible study, self-care workshops, stretch yoga, nutrition, natural body products, and facials, and hosts Women's Days that "celebrate women to reclaim their spiritual freedom." Lenten book studies, such as a reading of "Kingdom Woman" by Tony Evans and Chrystal Evans Hurst, draw women together across Ash Wednesday and the weeks that follow. A Leading Lady's Day each year honors Carla Bentley, the pastor's wife and ministry partner known to the church simply as "Leading Lady."
Children, Youth, and the Elderly
Children lead the worship service once a year on Children's Day, singing, dancing, and proclaiming the Word. The church's youth have gathered for online "shut-in" evenings of prayer and fellowship. Senior members are cared for through AMEN, the Antioch Ministry for Elderly Needs, a regular service in the life of the congregation. A Black History Moment series on the church's blog honors figures such as Hank Aaron, tracing their lives and contributions to the wider community.
A Year of Recurring Celebrations
Each spring the congregation gathers for the Church Anniversary, giving thanks for another year of ministry; Palm Sunday and Communion, marking Jesus' entrance to Jerusalem; and Deaf Awareness Sunday. Children's Day follows in early summer. New Year's Eve brings the Watch Night Service, a tradition that remembers the history of enslaved Africans who watched for the new year and recognizes the final day of Kwanzaa; the service runs from 10:30 p.m. to midnight on Facebook and Zoom. Each January the Corona East Elmhurst Clergy Association Martin Luther King Jr. Worship Service, hosted by Antioch and partner congregations, lifts voices in song, praise dance, and the preached Word and awards scholarships to local college students. A Fashion and Talent Show each fall has raised funds and showcased original church hats, African attire, and church ladies' fashions at the Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center. A CEECA Thanksgiving Service rounds out the year alongside Month Club Celebration and other seasonal gatherings.
Pastoral Leadership
Rev. Dr. Marvin J. Bentley has served as Senior Pastor for decades; the congregation marked thirty-six years of his ministry in 2015. He is joined by his wife, Leading Lady Carla Bentley, and by Rev. Dr. Patricia Haggler, who serves as Assistant Pastor. Together they oversee a congregation that has kept watch on Northern Boulevard for nearly ninety years and that opens its arms to the deaf and hard of hearing every Sunday of the year.