Our History
Committed To Kingdom Building
In Mid-July 2019, Nancy Clarke, Thesda Manu, and Rev Clinton Miller, and Pastor Grayson met in the home of Pastor Grayson on South Broad Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey. On July 23, 2019, they filed the State of New Jersey Application for Incorporation establishing True Word Community Christian Center (TWCCC) as a legally recognized religious organization in the City of Elizabeth and the State of New Jersey . After negotiations with Dr. Michael Granzen, Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, TWCCC began renting space to hold a church service. The Mission for TWCCC became to follow the mandate of Jesus Christ in Mathew 28:19; “Go ye therefore, teaching all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Because of this mission, it was decided to hold our service outside the traditional Sunday morning 11:00 AM timeframe. It was important to the incorporators to find a timeframe that fit the needs of people who could not or did not wish to attend services in the morning. On Sunday, October 6, 2019, at 1161 East Jersey Street in Elizabeth, True Word Community Christian Center offered the residents of the community a worship experience that began every Sunday at 6:00 PM.
During the first year, in addition to the incorporators, TWCCC has welcomed the lead musician, Mr. Rex Hill, our drummer, He Can Play. Our praise leader, Demetris Cohen, Our sound technician, Damián Brown, and regular attendees, Vicky Rhett, Kim Stanley, Minister LaFerrell VanDiver, Rev. Kevin Williams Deacon Bobby Brown, Krystal Brown and a host of weekly visitors. In the early part of 2020, we welcomed our first two members, Jeshon Ortiz and Frederick Walker. We intended to baptize them on Sunday, April 19, but as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we had to reschedule. During this pandemic, with social distancing in effect, TWCCC was given the opportunity to create our church service through online social media platforms, i.e, Facebook Live and Youtube. With the help of Joe Kim, a student from Livingston, New Jersey, we successfully developed our own Facebook page. On May 15, 2020, we activated the TWCCC Website.
It has been more than a privilege to serve the community of Elizabeth. It has been an even greater honor to work with the many churches in Elizabeth by providing spiritual food to assist in nurturing the residents of our community. As the Reentry Coordinator for the City of Elizabeth, it has also been an honor to work with the many individuals, men, women, and our youth, who have been incarcerated or have had some engagement with the criminal justice system. It continues to be a pleasure to offer them a holistic approach as they transition back into a healthy family and community life. True Word Community Christian Center endeavors to be a part of their story.
Our overall theme at TWCCC, continues to be “Kingdom Building on the Local Level”. While missionary travel abroad is very important, there is a lot of work to be done right here in the community of Union County and Elizabeth New Jersey. We continue to ask for your blessing as God uses us to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
