BRONX, N.Y.—Commonwealth Community Baptist Church celebrated its first Sunday in its new building on Nov. 29, having received its certificate of occupancy from the city. The church had been waiting for the permit for nearly a year and was renting a storefront two blocks away in the meantime.
“We followed the letter of the law,” Pastor Marty Silverberg said of the process to earn occupancy. “No one follows the letter of the law when they build in New York City!”
Craig Golden, state representative for the Empire State Fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches, had recruited 20 New York pastors who prayed daily for two months until the Bronx church received occupancy. “Praise God, the prayers have been answered,” Golden said. “It was a glorious and grand Sunday.”
Craig Golden was guest speaker for the day, preaching from Psalm 145:3: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”
Ted and Jenell Lozier, missionary builders with Continental Baptist Missions who worked on the building project for four years, surprised the congregation by visiting on the first day the building was open. The building was formerly a Jewish synagogue that had fallen into disrepair.
Craig Golden reports that many people visited the church for the first service and also enjoyed a dinner in the spacious fellowship hall. “Many of our churches have involved themselves in working, praying, helping in so many ways,” said Golden.
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