Full Gospel Assembly has stood at 131 Sullivan Place in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood since December 1998, but the congregation's roots run back to October 1, 1978, when Rev. Michael Bacchus, Asst. Pastor Jesse Persaud, and Bro. Colin Wronge gathered for a first service in a classroom at Long Island University. Today the Pentecostal church runs two campuses, a Bible training institute, and ministries for every stage of life, while continuing the international missions work that began with trips to Guyana and Barbados in the 1980s.
From a Classroom to a Sanctuary
The first worship service met in a Long Island University classroom, while a weekly prayer gathering filled the basement of a Christian friend's home on East 46th Street in Brooklyn. Both spaces quickly overflowed, and the young congregation moved next to the Y.M.C.A. building on Flatbush Avenue. In 1980 they purchased their first building for $90,000 and burned the mortgage just three years later. By the 1990s the church had again outgrown its home. Members purchased a piece of land on Sullivan Place and built a new sanctuary to serve Crown Heights and the Ebbetts Field Complex, moving in on December 13, 1998. The mortgage on the current facility was paid off by 2010, an event marked by a Mortgage Burning service. The motto that greets visitors comes from 1 John: "God is light; in him there is no darkness."
Sunday Worship and Midweek Bible Study
The Brooklyn campus holds two Sunday worship services at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. A Wednesday Bible Study meets at 7:30 p.m., and a Friday Prayer Meeting gathers at 7:30 p.m. on the church's Prayer Line. The Queens Campus in Richmond Hill holds its own Sunday service at 10 a.m. Lead Pastor Michael Bacchus and Executive Pastor Jesse Persaud shepherd the main campus, while Rev. Jonnel and Aisha Doris lead the Queens ministry.
The Berean Bible Study Center
Since 1989 the Berean Bible Study Center has trained men and women as leaders for the church and its various ministries, carrying forward a long emphasis on teaching and discipleship that complements the Educational Ministries stream for ongoing growth in knowledge and understanding of the Lord.
Full Gospel Christian Academy
The church opened Full Gospel Christian Academy in September 1985 with six students, one paid teacher, and a volunteer. Over the years enrollment ranged from 25 to 100 children with a staff of 13, serving Pre-K through fifth grade. In June 2012, economic downturns forced the academy to discontinue grades 1-5, though the preschool program remained part of the church's life and witness.
Missions to Guyana and Barbados
On July 23, 1986, a team of 45 members under the leadership of Pastor Bacchus traveled to Guyana, ministering in Georgetown and the Linden area for two weeks. In July 1991, a team of 40 members along with pastors spent two weeks ministering on the island of Barbados, planting seeds of international outreach that have continued to shape the congregation's identity.
Ministries for Every Stage
Full Gospel Assembly organizes its life around five ministry streams. Kid's Ministries serves children and young adults with opportunities to grow spiritually while making friends. Educational Ministries focuses on growing in knowledge and understanding of the Lord. Family Ministries teaches families how to serve the Lord and balance the home. Service Ministries reaches out to those in need with compassion and open arms. Worship Arts Ministries brings together creative forms of worship.
A Second Campus in Queens
On February 25, 2006, the congregation launched a new effort in the borough, gathering at the Occasions Banquet Hall in southeast Queens to serve members who lived there. In 2011 they purchased a former Lutheran church in the Richmond Hill section of Queens, which became the Queens Campus of Full Gospel Assembly. Rev. Jonnel and Aisha Doris were installed to lead that ministry in 2012.
Giving
The church anchors its appeal for giving in Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Donations can be made online or contributed during each service.