Our History
Emmanuel Charismatic Church began its ministry under the leadership of Rev. Gonzalo and Lilia Quintero in September 1990; with the valuable support of their daughter Judy Quintero. The meetings were initially held at the home of the Garces family in Douglaston, New York with eight people; eventually growing up to thirty in a very short period of time.
Emmanuel Charismatic Church is rich in anecdotes, sad times, miracles, and surprises, stories of faith, and – most of all – people and families transformed by the Power of God. This is a story about the love, grace, and mercy of God demonstrated through His servants and through a small group of people that believed in God with an honest heart. Given the growth of the congregation, a larger space had to be found for the meetings; and in March 1991, the reunions began at the Chinese Church in Flushing, New York. Four months later the church had some conflicts with the owners of the building and Emmanuel Charismatic Church had to find another place for its meetings. After a short period of time and with the help of God, ECC began to meet at the Evangel Church building on the second Sunday of August of 1991. Since that time God has used Evangel Church and its Pastor, Rev. Robert Johansson, to bless us greatly. Pastor Gonzalo Quintero shared the vision that God had placed in his heart for ECC which includes but is not limited to:
In 1992, the church decided to trust the Lord and work towards the purchase of a property, and build its own sanctuary. In an act of faith and with sacrifice, in September 1995, Emmanuel Charismatic Church purchased a building on 35th Avenue and 31st St., formerly used as a metal work factory, for US $270,000. The building was transformed into a Sanctuary for the Worship of the Lord in Long Island City, New York, with the capacity for 200 people. In 1997, ECC founded the Emmanuel Bible School with the support of the Emmanuel University Foundation in Bogota, Colombia, endorsed by Vision International University. In that same year, Melquisedec and Dulfay Quintero became part of the ministry and leadership of the church, working in the education and training of leaders. In July 2000, Rev. Gonzalo Quintero parted to be with the Lord, and Emmanuel Charismatic Church found its refuge in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in His grace, His love and His power. In August of the same year, ECC Confirmed Rev. Melquisedec and Dulfay Quintero as the new Pastors of the church. Since 2005, the church has been producing the “En Familia” (Family Matters) radio program, broadcasted once a week in a commercial, non-religious radio station. The program has a large audience in the tri-state area. Every year, following the Lord’s lead, ECC send a Missions Team to different countries where the doors are open for the preaching of the Gospel and for the love of our God. We have been able to bless Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Spain, India, and the Philippines, among many other nations. Currently more than 350 people of different nationalities and cultures attend Emmanuel Charismatic Church; with that in mind, we have constructed a new building with capacity for 600 people. The work was completed in 2016. |