A History of Joy Community Church
In the early 1970′s, during the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement, a prayer meeting grew up in the Rochester area, attended by members of several area Catholic churches. This group functioned under the leadership of Al Gerhardt and a core group of people. They met at various locations around the city, including Mercy High School, Holy Angels and the Health Association.
In 1982, when New Covenant Church in Penfield, NY donated a church building in Bushnell’s Basin to the group, they decided to incorporate as New Jerusalem Community Church (NJCC) with Al Gerhardt as pastor. At this point they shifted from attending Catholic Mass on Sunday mornings and meeting in the evening as a prayer group to holding Sunday morning services as a church.
Following the influence of leaders such as Bob Mumford and Derek Prince in a movement known as New Wine, NJCC committed themselves to discipleship and covenant relationships in the context of a Christian community under the headship of Christ. Pastor Al was ordained through the New Wine movement in 1983. It is these committed relationships which form the building blocks at the very core of the church’s foundation.
In September of 1986, encouraged through his affiliation with Elim Fellowship, Pastor Al Gerhardt prayerfully decided to make the move back to the city, purchasing our current building, the former Profetta Funeral Home. For the next 18 years, NJCC reached out and impacted the neighborhood and the world at large.
In the spring of 2004, while fighting an illness, Pastor Al decided to retire and the search for God’s replacement started. At the same time Pastor Tony, who was overseeing a growing church in New Jersey heard the Lord speak to him that he was to move back to Rochester and to minister in the city itself. Pastor Tony was a good friend of Pastor Al and when he heard that the church was looking for a new shepherd he believed that was where the Lord was bringing him, though he did not speak of this until he was selected.
Pastor Al was glad and blessed Pastor Tony and not too long after, the Lord took our beloved Pastor Al home in peace. A new season began for us in June 2004 with the installation of Pastor Tony. The name of the church was changed to Joy Community Church in September of 2004.
At that time the Lord began to speak of ‘enlarging our tent’ and that the growth that He had spoken of for many years was about to start. Joy then began to experience much growth and refreshing newness and plans were put in place for expansion. Next door to the church was a run-down building, housing a bar, a burned-out laundromat, sub shop, and apartments. Once a landmark, this early 20th century building had become a crime-infested, neglected corner of darkness.
But Pastor Tony had a vision. He challenged the congregation of Joy Community Church – “we are going to “LIGHT THE NIGHT”!!” In 2005, Joy Community bought the two-story, 8000 square foot building and began its transformation. The renovations, through much toil, trouble and money, took place over the next 2 ½ few years and today it houses a food pantry (The Hope Shop), a medical clinic (Joy Family Medicine), a computer lab and classroom (The Learning Center), a crisis pregnancy center (Place of Hope), a baby item resource center (Bundles of Joy), an addiction recovery group (James’ Place) and a place where teens can come and learn about Jesus (Cross Culture Youth Center).
In September 2014, Pastor Tony retired after over 30 years of life changing ministry. God brought to us Pastors James & Greta Laughlin who are taking the combined visions of Pastor Al Gerhardt & Pastor Tony Martorana and seeing God take Joy Community to the next level. Their vision is to equip Joy to be a bridge that others may continue to find hope, find love and find God on the corner of Bay & Goodman and beyond. And to make devoted disciples of Jesus who are transformed by God’s hope, love and purpose. They are a couple who believe in end-time revival with all of their hearts and put all their hope, sweat and tears into all God has for them and also to help Joy Community Church become all God for wants for us!