Who We Are

We are a diverse intercultural parish with worship services conducted in 3 primary languages: English, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. Saint George’s Episcopal Church elects a single Vestry from all 3 language-specific cultures to manage our affairs. Our church is but one within the dynamic Diocese of Long Island, and has grown from serving early English settlers to providing community, language, and spiritual services to parishioners who thrive on contributing to the most dynamic and industrious nation on Earth.

After an intentional discernment process, we have agreed on four strategic goals:

1. identifying as one body in Christ, a community reflecting his light and compassion;
2. maintaining a spiritual connection with God through Scripture, prayer, meditation, and teaching;
3. treating others as we would want to be treated, doing God’s work without boundaries;
4. ministering with our combined youth—motivating, supporting, and guiding them to build a foundation of Christian values.

In point of fact, Saint George’s Church offers many activities to promote our service to the Flushing community. For example, our doors are open to the public daily; the Service League operates a Thrift Shop; we hold an Annual Bazaar, host a Music School (CenterStage: the Queens Center for the Performing Arts), host a chapter of Episcopal Church Women, host prayer groups and services 5 days a week; host ESL classes; and we started free tutoring for 5th to 9th grade students on Saturdays in July and August of 2011.

Our commitment to the community at large is grounded in our traditions as an expression of the Episcopal way of life. Moreover, our growing participation within the community is spurred by implementing new ideas for more language-inclusive harmonies in our traditional worship services. Currently, in each calendar year we hold at least 2 services, at Christmas and Easter, that are tri-lingual and for the complete congregation— comprising all language groups normally found in language-specific services on the other days of the year. It should be noted that our celebrations and events are open to all.

Our desire is to establish combined religious education for youth at Saint George’s. We would like to see a strong religious education component for all youth irrespective of language affiliation, preparing them for service within the Church as either lay readers or as befits other ministries, instilling in them an identity that proceeds from Episcopalian beliefs and traditions. Our Church youth will benefit from corollary competencies in English and the American idiom.

The Diocese of Long Island has a ministry dedicated to working with youth and youth projects within the Episcopal Church. The Cathedral for the Diocese is located in Garden City, 15 miles from our Church.

Where We Are Going

The future at Saint George’s Church relies on the total acceptance of intercultural realities specific and peculiar to Flushing, New York, in spiritual harmony with our diverse membership within the larger Church, as we celebrate our identity as one body in Christ.

Visionaries of the world of commerce plan for our near future a community with luxury apartment housing and dynamic retail enterprises, working diligently to make their ideas realities in measured progression year by year.

Changes are typical for Flushing, and the future will bring even more beautification and economic opportunity to our community. Saint George’s is a part of and not apart from the changes that define our neighborhood. To be sure, our parish members have been entrusted with history, a prominent edifice on a modern thoroughfare, and a measure of faith able to move mountains. Just as our neighborhood is and will continue to be a drawing point for new immigrants, accomplished businesspeople, industrious entrepreneurs and cultural innovators, our Church must be able to lead and minister to all of Flushing’s residents. We are a drawing point for the future of Flushing just as we are an anchor to the founding of America itself. We are Saint George’s Episcopal Church in Flushing, New York. We have a mission to bring the Good News to all of God’s people.

Where We Have Been

Saint George’s Church began in 1702 as a church within the Anglican Church of England and was given a Royal Charter in 1761. Samuel Seabury, the first Episcopal Bishop in America, was Rector of Saint George’s from 1757 to 1765. Embroiled in the Revolutionary War against England, Francis Lewis, a signatory to the Declaration of Independence, was warden of Saint George’s from 1770 to 1773. Lewis and his wife, especially, suffered persecution at the hands of the British owing to Francis Lewis having a prominent role in breaking America’s ties to England. In pace with its warden’s revolutionary role, Saint George’s Church severed its ties with the Church of England and became a member of the new Protestant Episcopal Church in America. Our present building was completed in 1854, and Saint George’s enjoys Landmark Status as a living reminder of America’s dynamic past and promising future.

Saint George’s Episcopal Church, located on Main Street between 38th and 39th Avenues, is in the heart of downtown Flushing, New York. Saint George’s continues to minister to the community in which it is located, and draws membership from within Flushing and from the

neighborhoods outside of Flushing, serving those seeking and cherishing its special charm. Saint George’s has weathered many changes since its founding, and has responded with wisdom and enthusiasm to challenges that characterize America and Americans in our rich 309-year history. Our new Rector will join a distinguished list of prominent American heroes and spiritual directors.