About St. Mark’s
Building the glorious church
Our Vision
We are a glorious church, through the Grace of God which embodies a beloved community of hope made up of peoples from many nations, who are building up a healthy body of Christ, with heart warmed and open hands. United Methodist in Mission for the transformation of our community and the world.
Our Motto
I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! ” Go to people of all nations and make them my disciples, Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” Matt.28:18-20 (CEV)
Mission Statement
We are a committed Christian Community United Methodist, spreading the Gospel and Jesus Christ by sharing Christ-like love with all people. We minister to the needs of our community for the transformation of the world.
Our Pastor
– Reverend Morais Gonçalves Quissico
Rev. Morais Gonçalves Quissico is the pastor of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, New York, since July of 2019. He also pastored Epworth United Methodist Church in the Bronx, New York, from February 2013 to June 2019. While in the Bronx, Rev. Quissico served as president of the Clergy Coalition of the New York Police Department’s 44th Precinct. In this role, he brought together ecumenical partners and inter-religious leaders to work with the law enforcement towards reducing crime rates in South Bronx. During the same period, Quissico served as Vice-President of the Bronx Cluster of the United Methodist Churches that promoted high education by raising scholarship funds for college students in the Bronx.
Quissico served as Chair of the Connectional Ministries Vision Table (CMVT); which brought together Conference leaders to work with the bishop for the creation of new Vision, Mission, and Core Values of the New York Annual Conference. He also chaired the Metropolitan District Council on Ministries and served as a member of the Northeastern Jurisdiction’s Global Structuring Task Force.
Rev. Quissico started his pastoral ministry in January of 1993 and was ordained an Elder in Full Connection in December 1994 in Mozambique, his native country. While in Mozambique, Quissico served in various capacities, including pastoring three local United Methodist Churches and providing leadership to the young people as their General Councilor, at the North and South Mozambique Annual Conferences.
For five years, Quissico served as Disaster Relief Coordinator for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), in Mozambique. He provided relief and built more than 300 new houses for displaced families, including schools, health facilities, churches and personages throughout Mozambique. He assisted in the demining of landmines planted during the Civil Wars, both in Mozambique and in Angola. He also coordinated the New York University student teams with their academic research, both in Mozambique and in Angola. While in Mozambique, Quissico served as a Board Member of Habitat for Humanity International; helping provide decent housing to families in need. For Seven years, Rev. Quissico served as an Executive Secretary for Africa, at the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), based in New York City. In this role, Quissico provided oversight and supervision of missionaries deployed in Africa, he managed Global Ministries’ funding to mission projects and programs, including the provision of mission context to the work of the Global Ministries. Rev. Morais Quissico is fluent in nine languages. He serves as language interpreter and translator for the United Methodist General Conferences, Central Conferences and other denominational events worldwide. Quissico holds a four year seminary education from the United Seminary of Ricatla, in Maputo, Mozambique, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology, from the University of Malawi, and a Masters in Public Administration, from Baruch College, The City University of New York.
The greatest joy for Quissico is his wife Fatima, son Helton and daughter Vania. One of his favorite Scriptures is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Historic church in Flatbush
St. Mark United Methodist Church was organized in 1903 by a group of Methodists who had moved from downtown Brooklyn to new homes on Ocean, Church and Flatbush Avenues. The society was known as St. Mark’s Methodist Episcopal Church, and its first pastor, the Rev. John H. Willey, was appointed on April 8, 1903. The Jahn Mansion on Ocean Avenue between Beverly and Regent Place was rented as a place of worship for the young church on April 13 1903. Property on the northeast corner of Ocean Avenue and Beverly Road was purchased for $13,750. On October 20, 1903, the cornerstone was laid for a new edifice, and the completed church was dedicated on March 18, 1906.