176 Years on Bergen Street
The Historic Berean Baptist Church has stood at 1635 Bergen Street - now also known as Dr. Hylton L. James Boulevard - at the corner of Rochester Avenue since August 11, 1850. In 2026, the congregation celebrates its 176th anniversary year from a corner of the Weeksville neighborhood in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. The motto that orients everything is short and direct: Family, Love, Justice. The congregation describes itself not simply as a church but as "a community of faith seeking to be the love of Jesus to the diverse community around us."
Founded during the abolitionist movement by a racially diverse group of people committed to spiritual and social change, Berean served as a station on the Underground Railroad, helping African Americans escape slavery. That dual commitment to worship and justice remains the through-line of the church today. The congregation's working declaration is: "We worship, we witness, we work, until the world around us looks like Jesus." The year 2026 carries a theme drawn from Matthew 5:16: "New Levels of Worship, Witness and Work."
Worship and the Word on Sunday Morning
Sunday morning at Berean centers on a single service called Worship and the Word, held at 10:00 AM with doors opening at 9:30 AM. Members and visitors gather in person at the Bergen Street sanctuary and online via Zoom (Meeting ID 384 646 534) or by phone at 646-876-9923 with the same access code. The service follows the rhythm the church calls "Worship, Witness and Work," and most Sundays end with a Question and Answer period for open dialogue about the message and the moment.
A few special Sundays layer into the weekly service:
- Second Sundays feature the Ordinance of Holy Baptism and the Ordinance of Holy Communion.
- Third Sundays add the Bookworm Ministry gathering at the Berean Community and Family Life Center immediately after worship.
- Fourth Sundays are dedicated to the blessing and dedication of infants, with the Berean Sisterhood meeting afterward at the BCFLC.
An evening prayer gathering called Evening Prayer, Church at Prayer runs every Sunday from 7:00 to 7:15 PM on Zoom.
Bible Study, Vespers, and the Weekday Rhythm
Wednesday is the second pillar of the weekly rhythm. At 7:00 PM, the Transformative Bible Study meets on Zoom, taught by Deacon Ronald J. Bridges, the Director of Christian Education. The hour is followed by Vespers and Intercessory Prayer at 8:00 PM led by the Diaconate Ministry, on Zoom Meeting ID 819 1599 6728, passcode 671077.
The rest of the week is built around short, accessible touchpoints:
- Mondays at 12:00 PM the Noon Day Mid Day Boost meets on Zoom.
- Tuesdays at 7:00 AM Seven at Seven, a seven-minute devotional led by Berean Raleigh.
- Thursdays at 7:00 PM the Music Ministry rehearses in the Worship Center.
- Saturdays at 11:00 AM the Community Food Pantry operates from the BCFLC.
The Diaconate gathers with communion preparation on the second Saturday of each month.
Children, Youth, and the Children's Zone
Children and teens are woven into the life of the church rather than tucked away. The Children's Zone, for ages 4 through 12, meets during the 10:00 AM worship service every Sunday except the fourth Sunday, when children and teens worship together with the whole congregation. Lessons use music, arts, dance, the spoken word, and fellowship.
For infants and toddlers, the King's Kids Nursery is being relaunched in the rear church hall during worship on Sundays, with a staff trained to provide a safe, clean environment, music, games, fellowship, and a snack.
Elementary, middle, and high schoolers meet for the Youth Transformative Bible Study every Sunday at 9:00 AM in person at the Berean Community and Family Life Center.
Thirty Ministries and the Six Areas
The church organizes its work around six ministry areas that together include thirty ministries and committees. Every member is automatically listed in one of five fellowship groups by gender and generation: Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Young Adults (Emerge), Teens, and Senior Adults.
The other areas are:
- Worship - Choirs, Music, Ushers, Hospitality-Greeters, Security, Media, Ministry of Sacred Dance.
- In-Reach - Partners in Prayer, GODS (Volunteers) Helping Hands, Floral Beautification, Counseling, Pastoral Support, Parenting, Nurses, Transportation, and King's Kids.
- Outreach - Mission, Evangelism, Social Services, GODS Helping Hands, and Christian Endeavor.
- Discipleship - Transformative Bible Institute and Study, Christian Education, New Members and Discipleship, Stewardship, and Healing Waters.
- Community Development - Berea Federal Credit Union, Berean Community and Family Life Center, and Housing Development Corporation.
- Leadership - the Diaconate, Trustees, Associate Ministers, Staff Servants, and Church Council.
Music is one of the most visible ministries. The Music Ministry, directed by Deacon Joseph A.E. Jones, includes the Berean Worship Ensemble under Phil Groves, the SonShine Children's Choir, and vocalists Jessica Jenkins and Diondra Harp. A Ministry of Sacred Dance under Sandra Clark brings movement into the liturgical life of the church, and the Creative Arts Ministry reaches across demographics within the congregation and the wider community.
Pastoral Care, Counseling, and E-Care
Berean treats pastoral care as a core part of its identity rather than a side offering. Pastoral counseling is available to all members without a fee, with short-term consultation and referrals to outside agencies when needed. Appointments can be made through the church office or through Berean E-Care, an online booking system with the tagline: "Life is not meant to be lived alone. Give us the opportunity to walk with you."
The ministerial team is unusually large. Beyond the three pastors on staff, the church has more than a dozen Associate Ministers, including Dr. Bennetta Carroll (Minister of Pastoral Care), Minister Sadiqa Delaney (Creative Arts and Communications), Dr. Simone LeConte-Parker (Parent Development), and Dr. Selma Tatum (Minister's Liaison). The Diaconate Ministry is chaired by Deacon Ronald J. Bridges, with Deacon Michael Johnson as Vice Chair.
Weddings, Funerals, and Baby Blessings
Berean hosts weddings and funerals as part of its pastoral life. Couples can request a wedding brochure from the church office; the Wedding Coordinator follows up to plan the ceremony. Funerals are coordinated through the Church Office, which works alongside funeral directors and provides a funeral brochure with planning guidance. The church describes a funeral at Berean as "a Celebration of Life service, worship designed to comfort and encourage the family and to bring Glory and Honor to our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ."
Infants and toddlers can be dedicated to God on the fourth Sunday of each month during the worship service, with parents and godparents attending a Wednesday orientation beforehand. Parents need not be Berean members to dedicate a child; a birth certificate and a $25 registration fee are required.
Baptist Beliefs and the Church Covenant
The Articles of Faith follow classic Baptist lines: the authority of Scripture, one true God, the fall of man, salvation by grace through faith, justification, regeneration, repentance and faith, sanctification, the perseverance of saints, baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, the Christian Sabbath, the gospel church, and the world to come. Baptism is by immersion, "according to Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38," administered to those who give evidence of repentance and a confession of Christ as Lord.
The 1992 Church Covenant, revised under Pastor Griffin and now in use under Pastor Arkofa, calls members to "worship, witness and work," to tithe and give cheerfully for "the support of the church's ministry, liberation of the poor and the oppressed, support of local and global missions," and to live faithfully "even until death" for the glory of God. The 2026 vision statement reads: "Berean Baptist Church exists to magnify God by leading people and systems into holistic transformation through Jesus Christ, until transformation becomes our testimony."
Beyond the Sanctuary: Berean's Community Footprint
Few Brooklyn congregations have built the institutional footprint that Berean has. The Senior Pastor, Dr. Arlee Arkofa, also serves as President of the Berean Bible Institute, the Berean Housing Development Fund Corporation, and Chairman of the Berean Federal Credit Union and the Berean Community and Family Life Center.
The physical presence includes:
- Berean Gardens, a $7 million senior citizens housing complex completed in 1996 with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- Berean Community and Family Life Center, the hub for the food pantry, the Bookworm Ministry, the Sisterhood, and the Youth Transformative Bible Study.
- A 33-million-dollar building project adding a new Community and Family Life Center, a fitness center, and 107 units of affordable housing.
- A second site, Berean Baptist Church of Raleigh, NC, opened in 2012 with the purchase of a three-million-dollar property and the Garden on Millbrook Catering Company.
Dr. Arkofa has been deeply involved in regional and national Baptist life, including service as President of the American Baptist Churches, USA for the 2006 to 2007 biennium, and as a board member of AmeriChoice Corporation of New York, the American Baptist Home Missions Society, the National Council of Churches, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Boston University and a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Pastor Trevor A. Hyde, Jr. brings his background in banking into the church's life through partnerships teaching financial literacy to neighborhood schoolchildren and quarterly "Financial Grub and Grow" workshops for members on budgeting, investing, saving, and estate planning. Berean is also connected to the Lott Carey Global Christian Missional Community and supports mission work in places like Jamaica and West Africa.
First-Time Visitors and New Members
Anyone curious about Berean is welcome to drop in on a Sunday morning at 10:00 AM or to join online via Zoom. Dress is described by the church as "comfortable and modest." Suits, dresses, hats, jeans, sneakers, and slacks all appear in the pews. Visitors are asked to avoid provocative attire and to remove hats inside the sanctuary.
Children's church and the nursery are being relaunched. The youth Bible study meets at 9:00 AM in the Family Life Center. The Berean Connect member platform and the Member Portal handle church communication and ministry sign-ups. A newsletter called The Berean Broadcaster has been published regularly and is freely available on the church's site. Branded apparel is sold through The Church Shop, and online giving is set up through EasyTithe for members who want to support the church's ministry, its housing work, and the Berean Federal Credit Union.
Those ready to commit can complete a New Member Form and join a New Members and Discipleship class led by Rev. Kimberly Headley. The Pastoral Sermon Devotions page shares the pastors' weekly reflections, and sermons are posted for anyone who wants to keep up between visits.