Our Mission: Grow in Christ, to Know His Love and to Follow His Footsteps
We are an established congregation for all ages and “youthful” in our energy and enthusiasm. Services include the singing of hymns, the reading of Scripture, sharing in liturgy, choir anthems and a sermon. Our Sunday School students worship with us for the first portion of the service, and they are dismissed to their classes following the Children’s Message. Our dress code is casual, we have plenty of parking, welcome your children, and are wheelchair accessible.
The 2025 Congregational Watchword for New Dorp Moravian Church:
“God, who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32)
Our Sunday Schedule
- 10:00 AM – Morning Worship
- 11:00 AM – Fellowship/Coffee Hour
Join us in worship this Sunday! If you do not have a church home, we invite you to consider joining our church family, even as we come here together as part of the family of God. Parents are also invited to visit with our Sunday School: Ask about registration information or call the Church Office for details.
The Moravian Church practices an “Open Communion,” which means that anyone who professes a faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord is welcome to join us at our Lord’s Table. You can also stop by during the week at our Church Office between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM for a tour, or if you have any questions.
New Dorp Moravian History
In the 1730s, Moravian settlers in New York and Pennsylvania commissioned a new sailing ship to be built by John Van Deventer at his shipyard at Van Deventer Point, located near today’s Verrazano Bridge. The “Irene” made 14 round trips to Europe, bringing mostly Moravian missionaries and church members to New York. Nicholas Garrison, a Staten Islander, was the first captain of the Irene; Cornelius Jacobsen, also a Staten Islander, served as captain on its last voyage in 1758. One of the oldest Protestant denominations, the Moravian Church has served Christ since 1457. Known then as the “Unity of the Brethren” early Moravians came from the area of what is now the Czech Republic known as Moravia – hence came the name Moravian.
New Dorp Moravian Church was established in 1763. We are the second oldest church on Staten Island, second only to St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Richmondtown. We continue to seek to provide not only a place for individuals to gather for worship, but also a place where people are challenged to grow in their faith.
Everyone is welcome to attend our services and to participate in any of our worship, fellowship, study or service opportunities. Contact us for a tour, or if you have any questions.
Our Staff
The Rev. Walter Bishop
Pastor
The Rev. Walter Bishop began serving with the New Dorp Congregation in November of 2022. Rev. Bishop was ordained in 2005 after graduating from Moravian Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. Prior to arriving on Staten Island, Pastor Bishop’s service to the church has been in the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina (his home state).
In addition to his work within congregations, he has served the larger church in a variety of ways, including as a neutral facilitator for Fellowship Meals and Conversation on Homosexuality; as Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Board of Cooperative Ministries of the Moravian Church, Southern Province; as a member of the New and Emerging Ministries Team; as an occasional short-form writer for denominational publications; and as an occasional Summer Camp Counselor.
Prior to entering into ordained ministry, Rev. Bishop worked in a variety of secular positions from laborer to management. Pastor Bishop’s ongoing education has covered a variety of topics including training and certification as a Transitional Pastor.
Debbie Bishop
Administrative Assistant
Debbie Bishop has served as our Administrative Assistant since December 2023. Having spent most of her adult years in North Carolina, Debbie relocated to Staten Island in November 2022 along with her pastor husband, Walter. Walter and Debbie joined the Moravian Church in 1988. She has worked both in office and retail positions but her experience as a church secretary both in a Moravian and Lutheran church, as well as her time as Communication Assistant with the Interprovincial Board of Communication of the Moravian Church, and Relationship Manager with the Moravian Ministries Foundation in America, have given her a wealth of experience in church work.
In her spare time Debbie enjoys reading, games, keeping up with friends/family, taking in nature, and experiencing the attractions of her new home state.
Ji Yong Kim
Music Director & Organist
Ji Yong Kim is a pianist/organist, composer, producer, and educator. He launched his professional musical career at the age of ten with IMG Artists after winning the New York Philharmonic Young Artist Competition as the youngest musician to ever do so. Since then, he has appeared as soloist with many orchestras around the world such as the New York Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and has held many recital tours around the US and Asia. As an avid lover of chamber music and interdisciplinary projects, he has been involved in projects at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Seoul Arts Center, Budapest Spring Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, SXSW, La Folle Journée Tokyo, Ravinia Festival, and more. As a recording artist with Warner Music, he released J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations on the Warner Classics label. Previous releases include Lisztomania (Universal Music), Bach Exhibition (CREDIA), and Ji-Yong LIVE (CREDIA).
Ji received his Bachelor of Music at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Yoheved Kaplinsky, Robert Macdonald, and Choong- Mo Kang, and his Graduate Diploma at the New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Wha Kyung Byun.
Our Organ
Learn about the history of our organ, from 1845 through today. Click here.