The African-American pastor at Fenimore Street United Methodist Church (FSUMC) says his vision for the 134-year-old church in Brooklyn, whose congregants are predominantly Caribbean, has its roots in 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6.
“’There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God, who works all of them in all people,’” the Rev. Roger Jackson, a native New Yorker, told Caribbean Life exclusively on Saturday as part of a series in celebrating African-American History Month in February.
“I envision ministry at Fenimore Street to increasingly mirror the beloved community of faith, where the people are empowered to do ministry as an outgrowth of our participation in discipleship models of bible study,” added Rev. Jackson, who, on July 1, 2021, was appointed to serve FSUMC, at the corner of Rogers Avenue and Fenimore Street, as pastor.
“I believe that this type of study will not only nurture, encourage and help each of us to realize and/or articulate our unique calling through the expression of our gifts and talents, but to openly share our faith with all whom we encounter in our daily lives,” continued Pastor Jackson, who was born and raised in the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Queens. He and his wife, Kim, have been happily married for 25 years.
Rev. Jackson said, while the men at FSUMC are “few in number, they actively participate in ongoing projects, and lead praise and worship on the second Sunday of each month.
“I envision that, one day soon, that the men would attend bible study and prayer meetings,” he said.
In addition, Pastor Jackson envisioned that FSUMC will “seek out ways to participate in collaborative ministry initiatives with those churches in our Brooklyn Downtown South Cooperative Parish.
“May God’s grace continue to tie us together with an unbreakable cord of love for His glory and our benefit,” he said.
Pastor Jackson said he is the youngest of nine children born to Robert and Catherine Jackson. His father’s family is from Eastern Long Island, and his mother’s family is from the Savannah, GA area.
Before his appointment at FSUMC, Rev. Jackson, who has been pastoring since 2007, served as the senior pastor of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church of Vanderveer Park in Brooklyn.
He said prior appointments were at St. James United Methodist Church in Lynbrook, Long Island; First United Methodist Church of Hollis, in Queens; and First Roosevelt United Methodist Church in Long Island.
Pastor Jackson said he also served as a volunteer preacher for Sunday Services at the United Methodist Far Rockaway Mission Center.
As part of the process of becoming an ordained elder, he said he completed supervised ministry stints at Grace United Methodist Church in Valley Stream and Wesley United Methodist Church in Franklin Square, both on Long Island.
He said both of these ministry settings were “cross-cultural and cross-racial assignments.”
Pastor Jackson said he received his call to ministry while attending Springfield Gardens United Methodist Church under the Pastoral leadership of the Rev. Dr. Cecil B. Stone.
“I spent 10 years serving this loving and accepting congregation as a member of the church’s ministerial staff,” said Pastor Jackson, a graduate of New Brunswick Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity.
He also has a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Nyack College and an associate degree in business management from the Borough of Manhattan Community College.
“Out of all my accomplishments, that which stands head and shoulders above the rest was my good sense to have one day said ‘yes’ to Jesus Christ, when He called me out of a world of darkness to become a disciple of His,” Rev. Jackson said.
“I try to live a life emblematic of the fact that, ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me,’” added Rev. Jackson, quoting Gal. 2:20.
He said he has found the congregation at FSUMC to be “warm and welcoming to my wife and me.
“Fenimorians have proven to be generous in spirit, courteous and respectful to pastoral leadership, and have a willingness and openness to explore new things,” Pastor Jackson said. “None of this was a surprise to me, because they were defined as such by my former District Superintended Rev. Kim.”
He said, while he and his wife are among a handful of African-Americans worshipping at Fenimore, “this has not created a cultural barrier between us and the mainly Caribbean congregation.
“We all work together well and serve the Lord willingly,” Pastor Jackson said.
“It was with joy to also discover that Fenimorians are eager to engage the community through initiatives that help in addressing food insecurity, which is something that is close to my heart,” he added.
