New Jerusalem Church of God In Christ Apostolic, Inc. is based at 130-08 Springfield Boulevard in Springfield Gardens, Queens, and is known as “The Church with an open door.” Founded in 1978 under Bishop Altamont George Blackwood, it grew from a worship gathering of the Blackwood family and five friends into a headquarters congregation with named worship communities in Philadelphia and Stone Mountain, Georgia, and ministries centered on worship, Christian formation and practical care for people in the wider community.
From the Blackwood Family and Five Friends
The church’s story begins in 1978, when Bishop A. G. Blackwood received a vision to establish a house of worship in Queens. In March, the church purchased a building at 112-07 Francis Lewis Boulevard. The first service there consisted of the Blackwood family and five friends. Continued congregational growth made that building too small, and in 1991 the congregation acquired four lots at 130-08 Springfield Boulevard in Springfield Gardens.
The mortgage on the Springfield Gardens lots was paid in 1995. An architectural firm prepared plans in 1997, and a consultant firm joined the planning process. In 1998, Chase Manhattan Bank committed to help finance construction through its Community Development Program. The congregation did not wait for every finishing detail to dedicate its new sanctuary. On Saturday, May 15, 1999, the church family and hundreds of well-wishers and friends marched from Francis Lewis Boulevard to Springfield Boulevard with New York Police Department protection. The dedication and first services in the new sanctuary took place while construction was still incomplete. The long building campaign continued the early pattern of members laboring alongside their pastor and supporting the larger edifice with their own resources.
In November 2002, the church bought the adjoining property, which is used as a parking lot. Its history also includes a weekly public-television broadcast, The Jerusalem Hour, across the New York metropolitan area, and a 24-hour prayer line. The same story places the main congregation in Queens while later extending its boundaries to Philadelphia and Georgia.
Sunday Worship and a Full Week of Prayer
At the Springfield Gardens headquarters, Sunday School is held at 10:00 a.m., followed by Divine Worship at 11:00 a.m. On the first and third Sundays, Evening Worship and Communion are held at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday Prayer and Fasting runs from 10:00 a.m. to noon, and Wednesday Prayer and Bible Study begins at 7:00 p.m. The first Saturday of each month includes Prayer and Fasting at 9:00 a.m. Young People’s Service is held every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Communion is identified specifically with the first and third Sunday evenings, while the Sunday morning gathering is called Divine Worship.
The headquarters address is 130-08 Springfield Boulevard, Springfield Gardens, New York 11413. The adjoining property acquired in 2002 serves as a parking lot. A livestream with Facebook and YouTube links is provided for the church’s worship ministry.
Applied Christianity and Social Care
Bishop Altamont George Blackwood describes his vision as promoting the manifold blessings and spiritual comfort that come from applied Christianity, grounded in the doctrine of Jesus Christ and the apostles. The church’s mission is to declare the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ as Lord and Redeemer throughout the wider community. Its repeated emphasis on social care reflects the statement that social care is part of the Christian witness.
Minister Yvonne Blackwood, the church’s First Lady, has long embodied that blend of spiritual ministry and service. Born Yvonne Ionie West in Jamaica, she moved to London at age eleven and was baptized in 1967. She relocated to the United States in 1969 and was nurtured in worship in Brooklyn. Her service has included the women’s department, choir direction, Sunday School teaching and the office of evangelist; she was elevated to minister in 2006 and continues to teach Sunday School and serve with her husband. A retired registered professional nurse, she holds a bachelor’s degree in community health and theology degrees from the New Greater Bethel Bible Institute and Anchor Theological Seminary. Her preaching has included the United States and international settings, with an emphasis on empowering women and winning souls for the kingdom of God. Her personal motto is “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Women’s Department Turns Ministry into Care
The Women’s Department is the church’s largest auxiliary and serves as an outreach arm. It operates through committees to organize seminars and workshops for spiritual upliftment, support a tract ministry and carry responsibility for church fundraising. A caring ministry visits and assists people who are sick or home-bound, and the department works alongside the other auxiliaries under Bishop Blackwood’s supervision to advance the church’s mission. The department carries a substantial share of the church’s auxiliary responsibilities and seeks to align its committees with that mission.
Its service is strongly practical. The women provide an annual pre-Thanksgiving Day dinner for people staying in homeless shelters and for otherwise destitute families. They also maintain clothing and coat collection and a food distribution program. Monthly meetings, special Saturday morning prayer sessions and an annual women’s conference support fellowship, while the department’s overall aim is to ensure that Bishop Blackwood’s vision for outreach is fulfilled.
Brotherhood Sunday and Men’s Choir Practice
The Brotherhood Department also has an outreach role and works to strengthen men’s fellowship. Minister Richard Sutton serves as department president, with Minister Donovan Brown and Elder S. McKenzie as vice presidents, and a ministerial board of elders. Bishop Blackwood oversees its decisions, and the department supports his vision for the church.
Monthly meetings include men’s choir practice and discussions about spiritual growth, understanding God’s purpose and call, and men’s health. The department also organizes breakfast meetings, Fun Days centered on sports and project days for maintenance around the church property. The fourth Sunday of each month is Brotherhood Sunday, and an annual anniversary service is also held. Its stated major focus is stronger community witnessing, carried out alongside fellowship and service.
Friday Night Worship for Youth
The Youth Department opens with Paul’s charge in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” Its motto is “Pleasing God and Not Man, For to Me to Live is Christ,” and the department describes Friday worship as a time to worship without restraint, develop talents and enjoy fellowship in the Lord. The invitation is open without an age limit, and young people are encouraged to use their abilities in service.
New Jerusalem also has a broader youth ministry, youth choir and Youth Program, with a special focus on children and an emphasis on direction and guidance. The youth motto closes with the challenge to “be thou an example to the believers,” pairing personal example with evangelistic purpose and service to the kingdom of God.
Community Work Rooted in Springfield Gardens
One of the clearest expressions of the church’s mission is C.O.M.E., Christians Outreach Mission Endeavor, established to facilitate physical and practical needs in the community. Community outreach has included a food pantry, clothing and coat collection, food distribution, an annual community health fair, a GED program and a Senior Citizen Program. The food pantry was designed for anyone in the community and has generally been administered on Saturday mornings. The Senior Citizen Program was created with activities meant to enrich participants’ lives and keep them active in the community.
Giving is available through the Givelify donation portal. The church’s women also make giving back integral to their ministry through the clothing drive and food distribution, while their pre-Thanksgiving meal continues the church’s long-standing practice of caring for people staying in homeless shelters and for destitute families. The health fair has been centered at the Springfield Gardens headquarters, bringing community health programming to the neighborhood.
Philadelphia, Georgia and an Apostolic Fellowship
The Philadelphia worship community, New Jerusalem Church of Philadelphia, is based at 2061 63rd E. Chelten Avenue under Overseer Valentine R. Archibald Sr. Sunday School is held at 10:00 a.m. in person and by Zoom, followed by Sunday Worship at noon, also in person and by Zoom. Tuesday prayer meets online at 8:00 p.m., and Thursday Bible Study is online at 8:00 p.m. The month is organized around recurring emphases: Pastoral Day and Holy Communion on the first Sunday, Women’s Day on the second, Men’s Day on the third, Youth Day on the fourth and Building Day on the fifth.
Overseer Archibald’s ministry began in 1971 when he received the Holy Ghost and developed a desire for the Word of God. He served at the Jamaica Evangelistic Center, was ordained as a minister and later chaired and oversaw Holy Ghost Power Ministry in St. Catherine for ten years. After moving to the United States, he joined New Jerusalem in Queens, and Bishop Blackwood asked him to begin the Philadelphia work. He is known as a tent evangelist with healing and anointing.
NJC Georgia, at 5258 Rockbridge Drive SW in Stone Mountain, is served by Bishop Blackwood. Sunday School begins at 10:00 a.m., Divine Worship at 11:15 a.m., and Evening Worship at 5:30 p.m. on the first and third Sundays. Prayer Service is held Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m.
Beyond its named campuses, the church has adopted other churches through affiliated fellowships: Christ Ambassadors Apostolic Church in Brooklyn under Pastor Glen John; Deliverance Temple of Truth in Fairmont, North Carolina, under Pastor Amelia Mclean; and The Zoe Christian Fellowship in Johannesburg, South Africa, under Bishop Bennet Motatinyane. This network reflects the apostolic and outreach emphasis that grew from the original Queens church.
New Jerusalem’s story now stretches from that first Queens gathering of six people to a multi-city fellowship, but its central identity remains simple: an open-door church in Springfield Gardens where Sunday worship, communal prayer, Bible teaching, expressive youth worship and service to people beyond the congregation are closely joined.