Second Canaan Baptist Church

New York, NY

Second Canaan Baptist Church

Mission Statement

A Church Committed to Seeking God

through Worship, Evangelism,

Discipleship and Community.

Second Canaan Baptist Church Doctrine

Bible: We believe the scriptures are the inspired and inerrant word of God and revelation to humanity. 2 Timothy 3-16:17

God: We believe that there is but one true and living God existing in three persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. John 4:24

Deity of Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, shed blood, burial, bodily resurrection and ascension to the Father. Luke 1:26-33, 1 Corinthian 15:4, Hebrew 1:3

Holy Spirit: We believe that God the Holy Spirit, is divinely sent to the world by God the Father, through the mediation of God the Son. John 14:16

Salvation: We believe humanity’s only hope of redemption and reconciliation with God is through the shed blood of Jesus, the Son of God. Ephesians 1:7 Salvation is secured through confession of and belief in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 True salvation is evidenced through faithful deeds. James 2:17

Water Baptism: We believe in believers’ baptism and baptism by immersion, as it is commanded in the scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as the Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Romans 6:4.

Baptism of the Holy Spirit: We believe that all believers are entitled to and should expect and seek the promise of the Father; the baptism in the Holy Spirit. With this comes the bestowment of spiritual gifts and there use in the work of the ministry. Acts 1:4-8

The Lord’s Supper: We believe that the Lord’s Supper consisting of the elements of bread and fruit of the vine is a symbol expressing our sharing of the divine nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, a memorial of his suffering and death. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Church History

The church was named Second Canaan Missionary Baptist Church and organized by the late Rev. John Polite Ladson.  Rev. Ladson was instrumental in laying the foundation and building the infrastructure that sustains the church to this day.  During the month of February 1956, Rev. Ladson led Second Canaan to 10 Lenox Avenue, where it still flourishes to this day.

On August 6, 1983, Rev. Ladson was called home to glory.  After his death, Rev. Henry Smalls was charged with the role as the under-shepherd of the flock.  He served as pastor of the church from February 1985 to December 1992.  In October 1993, Rev. Henry P. Davis, III was called to pastor Second Canaan Baptist Church.  He served until August 2000.  In December 2001, God called Rev. Derick Brennan to the Pastorate of the Second Canaan Baptist Church.

Fulfilling our mission as a wholistic church, Second Canaan is committed to worship, evangelism, discipleship and community.  Highlights of our ministry include:

• Dynamic Sunday Worship that centers on worshipping God through individual Praise, Diverse and Inspirational
  Music, Worship through the Arts, Sacrificial Giving, Inclusive Communal Activity and Revelatory Preaching.

• A Prayer Ministry that includes Prayer Intercessors, twice weekly Congregation Prayer hours, Community Prayer
  Walking, A Prayer Room, and regular congregational fasts.

• A Christian Education Ministry that offers Sunday School, and Ministry Training using the most up to date teaching
  techniques and curriculum. Through the Sunday School Ministry, individuals study the whole Bible over the course of
  several years. The curriculum and classes are designed for every age group from the ages of three to fifty plus, which
  enables complete family discipleship. The Christian Education Ministry coordinates and oversees training workshops
  for every ministry in the church, which ensures that every ministry has relevant and up to date training.

• A Pastoral Bible Study, that consists of life application Biblical instruction. Past studies have included Divine
  Healing, Stewardship, Contagious Christianity, Spiritual Gifts, Books of the Bible, Personal Finance & Debt Free Living,
  to name a few. To accommodate all schedules, the classes are offered 3 times per week. The classes are taught
  using Power Point and other teaching techniques.

• A Feeding Ministry that serves over 200 meals every Saturday and hosts a community fellowship on Thanksgiving. 

• A Youth Ministry that provides biblical discipleship, worship opportunities and fellowship activities for children and
  teens, including Friday Night Fellowship and Sunday Youth Church. 

• Church Outreach The church also has an array of other spiritual gift based ministries that serve the community and
  individual congregants. This outreach includes ministries for Bereavement, Boy Scouts, Choral Worship, Christian
  Education, the Diaconate, Discipleship, Feeding, Fellowship, Greeters, Men, Missionaries, Parents, Praise Dance,
  Prayer, Trustee, Ushers, Women, Worship, and Youth.

• Church Affiliations include American Baptist Churches, USA, National Baptist Convention, USA Inc., Empire Baptist
  Missionary Convention, and United Missionary Baptist Association.