First Baptist Church of Flushing gathers on Sanford Avenue in the heart of one of New York's most diverse neighborhoods, where the church has long been a place where three language communities come together under one roof. Its motto, "A Multi-Ethnic Church Loving God and Serving All," and its description of its members as a "Multiethnic Family" of "Many Peoples One God" reflect the church's identity. The congregation is Baptist in identity and is associated with the Conservative Baptist Association, one of the missionary partners it supports. From a single building the church runs English, Chinese, and Spanish worship services side by side, along with a children's ministry, a youth group for middle and high schoolers, a network of small groups, a care ministry for tangible needs, a Chinese language school, and a grief support program.
One Church, Three Congregations
Every Sunday morning, three distinct worship services fill the same building in Flushing. The Spanish service meets at 9:00 AM, followed by Chinese services at 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM, and the English service at 11:00 AM. Each congregation has its own pastoral leadership, its own bulletins, and its own sermon archive, and the church's main page offers separate livestream links for the Chinese and English services. The Chinese ministry streams through its own YouTube channel, while the English service is broadcast on the church's main YouTube page and on its Facebook page. Visitors who cannot attend in person can join worship in any of the three languages from home.
The three congregations share the same building, the same statement of beliefs, and the same pastoral team meetings, but each maintains its own identity. The Chinese congregation offers a fully parallel set of programs for children, youth, and adults, including an adult Sunday school in Cantonese and Mandarin and an online Wednesday prayer meeting. The Spanish congregation runs its own Tuesday and Friday prayer services, a youth group for grades 6 through 12, and a Spanish-language version of Kids' Night Out. The English congregation gathers for the Monday noon prayer time on Zoom, the Wednesday Ladies' Fellowship, the Saturday Griefshare group, and a number of other meetings described below.
What the Church Believes
First Baptist Church of Flushing holds to historic, evangelical Baptist convictions. The church teaches that the sixty-six books of the Holy Bible are the inspired and unerring Word of God, the complete revelation of His will for salvation and the final authority for Christian faith and life. It affirms one living and true God, eternally existing in three co-equal persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - who execute distinct but harmonious roles in redemption. Members confess faith in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, living a sinless life, performing miracles, dying as a substitutionary atonement for sin, rising bodily, ascending to heaven, interceding for His people, and returning personally and visibly to earth.
The church teaches that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, regenerates and sanctifies all who believe in Jesus, indwells every believer, and distributes spiritual gifts. It holds that human beings were created in God's image, that all have sinned and fall under condemnation, and that salvation is a gift of grace received through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who receive Christ are justified before God and secure in eternal life. The church believes in the universal church, of which Christ is the head, and in the local church as a community of believers gathered for worship, ministry, and fellowship, with the primary task of making disciples of all nations. It looks forward to the resurrection of the dead, the return of Christ, and the final separation of the righteous unto everlasting life and the wicked unto everlasting punishment.
The Pastoral Team
The church is led by a team of pastors who serve the three congregations. Rev. Dr. Gary Domiano is the Senior Pastor. Rev. Aaron Chan joined the church in 2018 as Pastor of English Ministry, with responsibilities including preaching, teaching, and overseeing community life within the English congregation. Rev. Shih Wei Chiang, a native of Taiwan and member of the church since 2004, completed his Bachelor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Nyack College in 2009 and serves the Chinese ministry. Rev. Edgar Vera, born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, began preaching to the Spanish congregation in 2021 and now serves as a visiting preaching and teaching pastor for that group. Rev. William Leung, a New York City native and former architect, was called into full-time ministry after a decade in design work and also serves on the pastoral team.
Supporting the ministries of the church are Dr. Joe Cina, who oversees the Life Group ministry and lives in Auburndale with his wife Soraya and their two children; Carol Tom, who directs the children's ministry after many years in campus ministry; Maria Cheung, who coordinates the Ministry of Mercy and brings an accounting background from Queens College to the work of volunteer mobilization; Myriam Cherasard, the Director of Community Education, whose preschool teaching experience shapes the church's outreach to neighborhood families; Meiling Lam, the church business administrator since 2005, who manages the English and Chinese worship services; Nancy Villacorta, the church secretary who coordinates logistics for the Spanish congregation; and Carol Lou, the church facility administrator who oversees building inspections, services, and the church calendar. The church also acknowledges the many ministry volunteers who serve faithfully behind the scenes.
Sunday Worship and Sunday School for Children
The church takes the care of children seriously. KidzConnect, the children's ministry, meets on Sunday mornings during both the 9:30 and 11:00 services and welcomes everyone from infants through grade five. Children are checked in at the second-floor south front desk, where parents receive instructions from a KidzConnect team member. The same desk is used for pickup at the end of the service, and only authorized pickup persons may collect a child. First-time families are invited to fill out a student information form and to arrive fifteen minutes before the service so children have time to settle in.
All KidzConnect classes meet on the second floor of the south wing. At 9:30 AM the classes are grouped for ages 0-17 months, 18 months to 3 years, PreK to grade 2, and grades 3 to 5. At 11:00 AM the older children are divided more finely: 0-17 months, 18 months to 3 years, PreK to grade 1, grades 2 to 3, and grades 4 to 5. Lessons, music, crafts, and games are designed to help children learn biblical truths and draw closer to God in a safe, secure environment. Parents with questions can reach the children's ministry at carol@fbcflushing.org.
On Friday nights during the school year, Kids' Night Out extends the same focus beyond Sunday morning. KNO meets the first three Fridays of each month from October through May, 7:30 to 9:00 PM, and is free. It is open to children from Pre-K through grade five and includes meaningful interaction, fun, and educational activities. A Spanish-language version, also called KNO, runs three times a month from October through May on Fridays from 7:30 to 9:30 PM for children in grades one through five. Families interested in either program can write to myriam@fbcflushing.org for more information.
Eighth Bridge: Youth in Grades 6 to 12
Middle and high school students belong to Eighth Bridge, a ministry whose name comes from a vision of young people seeking to follow Jesus and being transformed by Him. Through weekly meetings the youth connect with God, explore His Word, and learn how to follow Jesus together. Eighth Bridge hosts a Friday night youth group from 7:30 to 10:00 PM in the south wing basement, and a Youth Community Group that meets on Sundays at 9:30 AM in Room S305 of the south wing. Middle schoolers in grades six through eight have their own Young Teen Service twice a month at 11:00 AM. Students begin in the main service of their choice, then gather in Room N204 after the congregational prayer for an age-appropriate message and group discussion. The youth ministry can be reached through Pastor Aaron at pastoraaron@fbcflushing.org, and Eighth Bridge maintains its own presence on Facebook and Instagram at eighthbridgeyouthgroup.
Community Groups and Fellowships
Sunday services feed into a network of small groups and fellowships designed to make the larger congregation feel like family. The church lists eight fellowship groups on its site and invites visitors to try one or more of them.
The Alpha Course offers seven interactive sessions that explore big questions about life, faith, and God for people who are curious about Christianity. Life Groups are small cell groups of eight to twelve people that meet once a month either at the church or in members' homes to learn, pray, and experience the life of Christ together. Men's Fellowship meets on Zoom the first and third Mondays of the month at 7:30 PM for a brief devotional, sharing, and prayer. Ladies' Fellowship gathers on Wednesdays at 10:30 AM from September through June, with an annual fall retreat. The Couples Group, formally called the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course, walks couples and individuals through Peter and Geri Scazzero's two-part discipleship material, pairing spiritual growth with practical relationship skills. Young Adults Fellowship, for ages 18 to 30, meets on the second and fourth Sundays after the service in Room S305.
More information about any of these groups is available from Dr. Joe Cina at jcina10@gmail.com, with individual contacts for Men's Fellowship (Drew Durrant at radurrant@yahoo.com) and the Couples Group (Lauren Moy at lauren.l.moy@gmail.com). The Chinese fellowship known as 團契89 maintains its own Facebook page.
Griefshare: A Saturday for Those Who Have Lost
Griefshare is a lay-led support ministry for people who have lost loved ones. Each cycle runs thirteen sessions, and the current cycle meets on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 AM on Zoom. Because each session is standalone, newcomers can join at any point in the cycle. The ministry is registered with the Griefshare network, and people can sign up through griefshare.org. Questions and registration help are handled by emailing griefshare@fbcflushing.org.
Ministry of Mercy
The Ministry of Mercy, known inside the church as M.O.M., is the congregation's answer to tangible, practical needs. The ministry organizes a pool of volunteers - "Friends of M.O.M." - who give their time, talents, and treasures to address the material needs of the FBCF family. New volunteers complete the M.O.M. Service Bank Survey and are contacted when a need arises. Members who become aware of a tangible need can fill out an intake form available in the main office. Maria Cheung coordinates the ministry and can be reached at maria@fbcflushing.org for more information.
Ming Dao Chinese School
On Sunday afternoons the building hosts Ming Dao Chinese School, a spring and fall program that runs from 1:30 to 4:00 PM for students ages 5 through 15. Rooted in Christian values, Ming Dao nurtures students in both academic growth and character development, building skills in Chinese listening, speaking, reading, and writing while cultivating respect, integrity, and a love for learning. The school partners with families to support children's growth spiritually, intellectually, and socially. Interested families can write to Terri@fbcflushing.org or Meiling@fbcflushing.org, or call 718-539-6822 ext 1006 or 1001.
Going Out: Missions and Partners
The church holds Matthew 28:19 close to heart and supports a broad network of missionaries and organizations both in its own neighborhood and around the world. Missionaries it supports include Antonio and Vilma dlZ (USA-NY and South America), Mike and Gwynne M. (USA-IL), Dominic and Gladys J. (Canada), Don and Nancy R. (Canada), Fred and Annette F. (Europe), Henry and Barbara K. (creative access country), Jack and Theo R. (Africa), John and Fanny W. (GO Intl.), John and Zorifah C. (USA-NY), Mazen and Randa N. (creative access country), Justin G. (InterVarsity), Paul and Veeka A. (International Students Inc.), Sandra C. (creative access country), Susan L. (Senegal), Thiem Seng C. (creative access country), and William and Ruth E. (Peru). Supported organizations include the Pastoral Counseling Center, Garden of Hope, Children's Bible Fellowship, Child Evangelism Fellowship (NY and CA), Flushing Christian School, Boro Pregnancy Counseling Center, the Conservative Baptist Association, and Golden Lampstand Association. More information about the missions program is available from missions@fbcflushing.org.
Visiting Flushing
First Baptist Church of Flushing stands at 142-10 Sanford Avenue, Flushing, New York, 11355, and the main phone line is 718-539-6822 ext 1000, with a fax line at 929-264-7311. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and the general inbox is info@fbcflushing.org. Visitors are welcomed as believers, seekers, and skeptics. The church's own description of its goal is to give an experience of community and friendship to everyone who walks through the doors.
Sunday mornings are the main gathering time. Spanish-language worship is at 9:00 AM, Chinese worship at 9:30 and 11:00 AM, and English worship at 11:00 AM. Children's ministry is offered at both the 9:30 and 11:00 services. Chinese adult Sunday school meets at 9:30 AM and the Chinese prayer meeting on the first Sunday of the month at 10:45 AM, with an online prayer meeting Wednesdays at 7:30 PM. The English congregation also gathers on Mondays at noon for a brief time of prayer on Zoom and offers Saturday morning Griefshare support. Throughout the week the building fills with Youth Group on Friday nights, Kids' Night Out, Life Groups, Men's and Ladies' Fellowships, and the Ministry of Mercy. Anyone looking for a place to start is welcome to write to info@fbcflushing.org or simply show up on Sunday morning to be greeted by the church family that gathers under one roof in three languages.