BISHOP PAUL PEART
Call to the World: Stand Firm
Bishop Paul Peart, the longtime spiritual shepherd of New Testament Church of God in the Bronx, has guided his congregation of 650 members with steadfast faith and vision since 1994. Next year the church celebrates its Golden Anniversary. He is only the second Senior Pastor in the Church’s 50-year-history. His more than three decades of leadership along with his wife, Rev. Ingrid, stands as a testament to enduring commitment and community growth.
Believing that the church ought to be a holistic institution, Bishop Peart, a native of Jamaica from the Parish of Manchester, works tirelessly to make his congregation a living example of service. In 2002 following the 9/11 tragedy, the church started an organization called the Good Neighbors Community Outreach, which resulted in the creation of a food pantry using resources from its existing budget and serving 200 families weekly. That pantry became a lifeline for the community during the pandemic.
“We faced a crisis when the pandemic hit and churches were called to close. We approached our local councilmember, who was successful in getting the food pantry designated an essential service, and we remained open. By the end of the pandemic, we were serving 2,000 people every week,” recalls Bishop Peart. Today, the church has become a hub of food distribution in the Bronx, assisting more than 30 other organizations in starting their own pantries.
The church’s outreach extends far beyond food. Among its services are immigration status adjustment, housing placement – from finding someone a room to helping with purchasing a house, literacy programs, and GED preparation. The church also has partnerships with the True to Life Program and the United Way. On staff is a couple that provides mental health counseling and runs a special program dedicated to suicide prevention called Choose Life International. The church is further distinguished as the Bronx outpost for the Clergy God Squad Unit, headquartered in Brooklyn.
Through it all, Bishop Peart’s message to the people of the world in these times remains simple yet powerful: “Stand firm! It is the best thing we can do as believers in God. Just stand firm in the Lord.”
