Pastoral Team - First Presbyterian Church In Jamaica

Pastoral Team

Reverend Patrick H. O’Connor

Head of Staff and Pastor

The Reverend Patrick H. O’Connor is the Lead Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, a multicultural congregation in New York City. He has served this congregation since 1992. “First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica’s calling and legacy is to welcome All God’s Children and transform lives.” He is the architect and chief visionary of many of First Church’s holistic ministries. Most notable is the “Tree of Life” , a $74 million dollar affordable “mixed income” housing development in partnership with the Bluestone Organization. The highlights of the building is that it contains, 174 rental housing units, 9500 sq. ft. of community facility space, a 15,000 square feet Federally Qualified Health Center run by Community Health Care Center , a Citibank branch and offices for Cornell University Cooperative Extension Program.

Reverend O’Connor is an organizer at heart believing that the pastor’s role is to bring like-minded institutions together to build power. He believes that power is achieved through organizing people and money He helped to organize and co-chairs Queens Power, a community organizing group which is fighting to create 2,800 units of affordable housing on the campus of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center.

Reverend Patrick received his formal education from the University of the West Indies, the United Theological College of the West Indies, and Yale University. Patrick is also a graduate of the Columbia Business School, Institute for Not-for-Profit Management, Executive Level program and the Beeson Institute for Advanced Church Leadership.

He is a director of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, and Chairman of First Jamaica Community and Urban Development Corporation, and a Board member of the Industrial Areas Foundation. He is a Clergy Liaison for the New York City Police Department, 103rd Precinct, and was a fellow at the Aspen Institute in 2017.

Rev. O’Connor’s greatest distinction is that he believes and fights for human beings to live their best life. Patrick is married to Marcia and they have two children, Ashley and Zachary.

First Presbyterian Church

Reverend Russell T. Marquis

Youth & Family Minister

The Reverend Russell T. Marquis is the fourth of five children born to the late Jennie and the late Rudolph B. Marquis in the Bronx, New York. He attended New York City public schools; was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Iona College, New Rochelle, New York; a Master of Divinity degree in Theology at Drew University Theological School, Madison, NJ. Because he demonstrated great potential to minister in a multicultural setting, he was awarded the prestigious Steele award while at Drew. Russell has also completed course work in Pastoral Counseling at Drew’s Doctor of Ministry program.

Russell was baptized at the Mount Carmel Baptist Church, Bronx, New York in April 1986. He served as an Associate Minister at Mount Carmel, under the pastorate of The Rev. Anthony Lowe, before going to The Concord Baptist Church of Christ, Brooklyn, NY. Reverend Marquis answered the call to the ministry in 1991; preached his trial sermon on January 14, 1996; and was fully ordained to the Gospel ministry July 26, 1998 by the United Missionary Baptist Association, National Baptist Convention.

In August 1996 Doctor Gary V Simpson, Senior Pastor of Concord invited Russell to serve as a student minister. He endeared himself to the people and was asked to stay on as an Associate Pastor, Youth Pastor and Administrative Pastor from 1998 - 2004.

In March 2004 The Shiloh Baptist Church of Jamaica, the oldest African-American Baptist congregation in Jamaica under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, extended the call to pastor to Russell. He accepted the call and was installed September 26, 2004, as the eighth pastor in 133 years of ministry. As pastor of The Shiloh Baptist Church of Jamaica, Pastor Marquis implemented several ministries and workshops to better serve the church: ordained deaconess to deacons and created a gender inclusive diaconate ministry, Youth Summit launched, embarked on a church wide 40 Days of Purpose campaign, Deacons and Trustees Leadership Retreat, Churchwide Leadership Workshop and a Strategic Planning Ministry Workshop. Under his leadership a wheelchair lift and a stair lift were installed for greater accessibility. A portable baptismal pool was acquired allowing baptism to take place in the sanctuary and the pews were refurbished. He has also organized several community health fairs for the congregation and Jamaica community. Pastor Marquis has partnered with several community-based organizations to host a community beautification project including cleaning several abandoned homes and sponsoring a mural of encouragement.

In 2003 Pastor Marquis received the Reverend Dr. Gardner C. Taylor Community Service Award. He is a contributor to Upscale Magazine. He also served as the Financial Secretary of the Brooklyn & Long Island Baptist Pastor and Churches Union. He was the Vice-President of Empowered Queens United in Action and Leadership (EQUAL), a local organizing group of Metro Industrial Areas Foundation consisting of several congregations in Jamaica & Sunnyside, NY. A former pastor in the Eastern Baptist Association of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. serving on the Advisory Council and Assistant Treasurer of the Board of Trustees.

After 12 years of service at Shiloh Baptist Church of Jamaica, Reverend Marquis resigned to seek another form of ministry. In 2015 he reentered New York State service and currently assists men and women recently released from prison reintegrate into the community.

In 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Russell responded to the call back to a congregational setting. Lead Pastor, The Reverend Patrick H. O’Connor, of the notable First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, reached out to Russell to provide temporary online and limited contact assistance with the youth as the Family and Youth Minister at First Church. In answering the call, for what was only a temporary assignment has grown to pulpit supply, pastoral care, Bible study leader and worship leader. Russell serves not only the youth of First Church, but the full spectrum of members with great joy, enthusiasm and love.

He is blissfully married to Nakia Foster-Marquis. Their beautiful, blended family includes Julius, Riley and Raquel.

First Presbyterian Church

89-60 164th Street, Jamaica, NY 11432 Phone: (718) 526-4775 Fax: (718) 526-6305

Join us for Worship Sunday at 8 am & 10 am Refuel Worship Service on Wednesday at 12 p.m.

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