From a 1964 Baptist Mission to a Spirit-Led Family in Queens
Highland Church sits on a hill in Jamaica, Queens, just off Highland Avenue, and its story begins on June 8, 1964, when Highland Avenue Baptist Church was constituted with 63 charter members. It had the unusual distinction of being the first church in the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association to launch with a mission already in place. After two and a half years of searching for a permanent home, the congregation purchased the building that still serves as its address today. The early years were lean, but in January 1967 the Reverend James S. Wright was appointed pastor by the Home Mission Board of the National Baptist Convention, and a new chapter opened.
Under Pastor Wright, Highland entered the Charismatic Movement - an interdenominational Christian renewal focused on following the move of the Holy Spirit and the use of spiritual gifts. The transition cost the church many members with deep Baptist roots, but it also drew a wave of newcomers who were hungry for a nondenominational setting grounded in the Word and free in worship. That season shaped what Highland has remained ever since: a community that prizes both biblical depth and open, expressive worship.
Pastor Wright's successor arrived in the mid-1980s by what the church describes as a sovereign leading. Pastor Subash Cherian, then already seasoned by ministry in India, the Middle East, Europe and the Far East, came to New York in 1984, met Pastor Wright, and served at his side until Pastor Wright's homegoing in 1992. Today the congregation continues to live out the motto that grew out of that era: "the Spirit Anointing the Word."
The Pastoral Team
Pastor Subash Cherian leads Highland as Senior Pastor. Ordained in India in 1973, he pastored a growing church in Pimpri Pune for more than a decade before coming to the United States, where his ministry has also carried him across continents in support of persecuted Christians. He holds degrees and training in pastoral work and is the spiritual anchor of the congregation.
Pastor Hantz Andre serves as Associate Pastor. A Highland member for more than 40 years, he came to New York from Haiti in 1967 and has served as usher, Sunday School teacher, altar worker, deacon and Bible College teacher. He and his wife Yanick have two sons and grandchildren.
Pastor Valerie Surrett is Associate Pastor and Worship Leader. She has been part of the Highland family since age 10, joined the worship ministry as a young adult, was appointed to lead worship in 2001, and was ordained in 2007. She also serves in the prison and finance ministries, and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education from Queens College, CUNY.
Pastor Mary E. Daniels serves as Assistant Pastor. In 1992 she founded the Children of the Promise Youth Choir, which grew into other youth ministries, and she was ordained in 2016. With degrees in Psychology and Ministerial Studies and coursework in Education and Social Work, she leads outreach, pastoral care and the youth catechism program. She has joined mission trips to India and Costa Rica and has ministered in Barbados and the Bahamas.
Worship Schedule and What to Expect
Highland runs a steady weekly rhythm with two Sunday services and a Wednesday gathering. Sunday worship is held at 8:00 AM (in person only) and 10:30 AM (in person and online). The 10:30 AM service is livestreamed on YouTube and through the church's online church platform. Before each Sunday service, an Intercessors Pre-Service Prayer gathering runs at 9:15 AM alongside Sunday School for children. Wednesday Mid-Week Worship runs from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, both in person and online. Messages remain available on demand after each service.
Summers often spill onto the front lawn. From early July through early September, weather permitting, the church holds outdoor services, inviting people to bring a blanket, a chair and a Bible.
The Sunday morning praise is described by the church as lively and full of rhythm, a style that reflects the multicultural makeup of the congregation. Services are held in English. On the second and fourth Sundays of each month, a Spanish-language prayer gathering, Oración en Español, meets from 12:45 to 1:15 PM in Room 13.
The main church entrance is at 160-20 Highland Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432. Convenient on-site parking is available along Highland Avenue and on 162nd Street between Highland and Hillside Avenues. For Wednesday services and other midweek events, the church uses a second entrance at 87-24 162nd Street, which is also the address for the parking lots.
A Multigenerational Family of Ministries
Highland organizes much of its life around small, focused ministries that meet the needs of specific age groups and walks of life. The Youth Group serves ages 11 to 18 and meets in person on the first and second Fridays of each month. The Young Adult Ministry gathers ages 19 to 29 on the fourth Friday at 7:00 PM for fellowship around topics that help young adults mature in the Lord. The Kids Sunday School serves ages 5 to 10 during the Sunday school hour. A Youth Choir, also open to ages 5 through 18, rehearses on the first and third Sundays from 12:15 to 1:15 PM in the Chapel; church membership is not required to join.
The Marriage Enrichment Ministry is a small group for couples, meeting virtually to work through a curriculum the church calls "Fireproofing our Marriages," a nine-month journey rooted in Galatians 5 and the Fruit of the Spirit. Vessels of Honor is the women's ministry, a safe space where women can address specific needs and interests, and which has hosted events such as a self-care spa day in the fellowship hall.
Two ministries focus on older adults. Seniors in Touch is a fellowship for the elderly that meets by telephone conference on the fourth Saturday of each month, anchored in Psalm 92, which declares that the righteous "still bear fruit in old age." The Chaplaincy Ministry meets the same Saturday afternoon and equips members with practical tools for ministering to people in their daily lives.
The H.O.P.E. Ministry - Having Only Positive Expectations - is a cancer support group led by Sis. Yanick Andre. It meets by phone on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10:00 to 11:30 AM and exists to walk alongside people facing a cancer diagnosis.
The Worship Ministry pulls together musicians, vocalists, dancers, choir members and creative arts teams. Those interested in joining audition by submitting a video; new members spend four rehearsals in a probationary period before joining services on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Taking the Gospel to the Streets
The Evangelism Ministry treats outreach as a regular weekly practice. Street evangelism teams head out on Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM to locations across Queens, including Jamaica Avenue and Parsons Boulevard, Sutphin Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, Liberty Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard, and Francis Lewis Boulevard and Hillside Avenue. On Wednesday evenings the team meets at the church entrance on Highland Avenue for an evening outreach. The ministry closes its summer season with a Family Day picnic and barbecue.
Highland's missions have also reached further out. Pastor Mary has sung and ministered in India, Costa Rica, Barbados and the Bahamas; Pastor Valerie has served in prison ministry and helped steward church finances. Pastor Hantz's wife, Yanick, has served alongside her husband in ministry for decades and now leads the H.O.P.E. support group.
A Prayer Life Built into the Week
Prayer is woven into Highland's schedule in a way that few churches match. Three Friday prayer watches are held by phone: 8:00 to 9:00 AM, 1:00 to 2:00 PM, and 7:30 to 10:00 PM. On the first Friday of the month the evening watch is held in person in the prayer tower at the 87-24 162nd Street location from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. In-person prayer also gathers on the fourth Friday of the month from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.
On Saturdays, a Virtual Prayer Watch opens the day at 8:00 AM. Thursdays feature Intercessors Prayer in person at 7:00 PM. Sundays begin with the 9:15 AM pre-service prayer alongside Sunday School. The prayer ministry also publishes a monthly prayer theme and supporting Scriptures for meditation, inviting the congregation to align around a shared focus each month.
What Highland Believes
Highland's teaching and ministry are rooted in a set of biblical doctrines the church describes as its Core Beliefs. The church confesses one eternally existing God in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, justice and mercy, and unchangeable. God has revealed himself through Jesus Christ, through Scripture and through creation.
Humanity, male and female, was created in God's image and appointed as caretaker of creation. Adam and Eve were created without sin, but their disobedience fractured fellowship with God and distorted his image in the human race. The church teaches that Jesus Christ came to reconcile humanity with God, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and was raised from the dead; by grace he offers eternal life to all who follow him as Lord and Savior. Salvation, Highland says, is found in Christ alone.
The Church is understood as the visible body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the gospel, and the church looks for the day when Christ will return to judge the living and the dead and bring in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth.
Next Steps for Newcomers
Highland has built a clear path for anyone wanting to go further. A New Believers class, led by Pastor Hantz and Sister Yanique Andre, introduces the essentials of the faith and helps newcomers plug into church life. Water Baptism is offered to all who profess faith and have not yet been baptized. Child Dedication is also available. A Health Team Ministry offers prayer and practical care for those facing illness, and a Home Visit-Blessings Request Form lets members invite pastoral care into their homes.
Giving, Facilities and Staying in Touch
The church describes giving as an act of worship. Online giving is handled through the church's secure Realm platform, with the option to set up recurring gifts. Text giving is also available by texting "Highlandgiving" and any amount to 73256. Checks may be mailed to the church's Highland Avenue address.
The church building is open to the community. A Facility Request Form and a separate form for outside activities allow ministries and community groups to reserve meeting rooms. A Design Request Form supports ministries needing graphics or printed materials.
Members and newcomers can submit prayer requests, share a praise report or post a testimony. The church bulletin is published digitally each month, and weekly sermon notes for every Sunday and Wednesday service are available for download, going back through 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020. A sermon library of past messages lives on the church's YouTube channel at @thehighlandny.
Highland Church gathers on a hill in Jamaica, but its vision, as Pastor Subash says, reaches further: a city transformed by the life-changing reality of the gospel as people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Six decades after that first gathering of 63 charter members, that vision remains the same.