Woodcliff Community Church

In 1874, a group of men from different churches around Woodside, concerned about the lack of a strong Gospel presence in the then heavily wooded area, started a Sunday School. This humble beginning marked the genesis of what we now know as Woodcliff Community Church. The Sunday School, initially held above a carpenter’s shop near 56th Street and Woodside Avenue, grew to include preaching and prayer services. By 1880, the congregation organized into a church, still renting space above the carpenter’s shop. A significant milestone occurred in 1885 when the church purchased land and built its first dedicated building at the intersection of Woodside Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue, and 58th Street. Imagine a traditional wooden structure with steep steps leading to the front door, a far cry from the Woodcliff Community Church we see today. The church officially incorporated in 1887 as “The First Baptist Church of Woodside, Long Island”. This was before Queens became its own county in 1889. The roar of the elevated train along Roosevelt Avenue, built around 1916, disrupted services, prompting another move. The church bought a swampy plot on Manson Place and Betts Avenue, present-day 58th Street and 41st Avenue. A new building was completed in 1925, and the name officially changed to Woodcliff Community Church in 1926. This change reflected the church’s welcoming stance toward all Protestant denominations, while maintaining its Baptist theology and practices. From a small Sunday school above a carpenter’s shop to a vibrant multi-national community, Woodcliff Community Church has continuously adapted to serve its evolving community.