One church family across the U.S. and Liberia

Our story & calling

OUR History

By: Rev. James H. Morris, Dea.Victoria E. Brown, and sis. Loretta Walker Boyce Williams

A half century ago God through His divine wisdom and by His selective process inspired a few Liberians spearheaded by Rev. Enoch C. Naklen to organize and operate a religious corporation. On Sunday May 18, 1975, the basic concepts of this organization were to teach, preach and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in conformity with the principles of Christianity.

Having experienced a period of intense deliberation and validating documents mandated by the state of New York, this organization was incorporated on August 4, 1975, under the name of the United Christian Assembly Church. After the incorporation of this institution, activities were held to a minimum , but not including a discussion of the annual election of the board of trustees, which was an important arm for the organization, mandated by the State of New York.

The organization’s first official meeting was held at the home of Rev. and Mrs. Enoch C. Naklen, at 625 Warren Street Brooklyn, New York with seven members present.

Primarily the agenda for the day was to locate a place of worship and the establishment of a financial base for operations of the church. A suggested amount of taxation of $300.00 was collected to initiate the church’s first bank account. Rev. Naklen also informed the body that he had communicated with Washington, DC requesting a place of worship for the church.

A subsequent meeting was conducted. Members who contributed 100% membership paid the required taxation. Elections were held by the consensus of the membership as follows: 
Rev. Enoch C . Naklen- Pastor
Bro. J. Zamgba Browne- Chairman Board of Trustee
Bro. Samuel Johnson- Deacon
Bro. James H. Morris- Treasurer
Sis. Sandra Nelson Johnson- Secretary
Bro. David S. Johnson- Member
Velma Garnett Prichard- Member

Within a short period, Bro. James. H Morris relinquished his position as treasurer and was replaced by Bro. David S. Johnson. Bro. Morris became the church business manager and chief custodian.

We began conducting services with Rev. Enoch Naklen at various locations until a permanent place of worship was obtained. With a divine directive of God, Rev. Clarence Norman and Bro. James H. Morris were directed to 317 Clermont Avenue, 3rd floor, Brooklyn, NY, where space was secured as a home base. We began our initial service at our new church home on February 13th, 1977.

Consisting solely of existing members, membership later increased and thus UCAC shifted into “take off” gear. The church now became spiritually operational, and the word began to go forth. But unfortunately, every good thing must come to an end; the tenure of Rev. Naklen ended.

The First Passing of the Torch

Shortly thereafter Rev. Charles Levi Martin, a young and dynamic preacher was selected to shepherd the flock. During his tenure as pastor, because he rendered pastoral services to UCAC members and nonmembers as well, the church experienced a substantial growth in membership. Church activities also expanded to include the following:

Annual Church Conferences.
For the first time UCAC ordained five members to the Board of Deacons. The service was spiritual and powerful. The Holy spirit was manifested.
Father and Mother of the Year were selected.

Rev. Martin was also able to form the church choir.
The first members of the choir included Sis. Daphne Dukuly, Sis. Cecelia Kandakai,Sis. Cicely Morris, Bro. Henry Elliot, and Bro. Ralph Edwards

The Church’s first Constitution was written by these members:
Dea. James H. Morris- Chair
Dea. Joseph C Simpson- Co-chairman
Rev. Charles Levi Martin- Member
Dea. Charles Brandy- Member
Bro. J. Zamgba Browne- Member
Sis. Daphne Dukuly- Member

Members worked together in peace and harmony. After a period of years in service to God and humanity Rev. Martin decided it was time for him to move on and experience a change.

He resigned as pastor of the United Christian Assembly Church, and established the All Saints Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York.

After the resignation of Rev. Martin, under the orchestration of Dea. James. H. Morris, the church then began hiring per diem preachers and after a few months, Rev Emmett Tolbert was invited to preach at the church as its interim pastor. By the end of February 1987, the officers voted to elect and install Rev. Tolbert as Pastor and Rev. Emerson Deline as Assistant Pastor.

Rev. Tolbert was confronted with the responsibility of instilling spiritual restoration to all people in destitution and desolation, a task in which he tried his utmost to accomplish.

During this time, the Women’s Organization for Christian Services (WOCS) planned and executed its first annual Women’s Day. The program was indeed a success, and an upward bound movement commenced.

Other programs were held including our first African Day Celebration which was in November 1987. This day was observed in recognition of our Black Heritage and is currently now being held in May.

Members of the Congregation re-instituted a sense of fellowship, bond, reaffirmation and rejuvenation. Our patience became exhausted and submitted to insubordination from our landlord at 317 Clermont Avenue. The cry was loud, the cry was unanimous, the message was focused, “we want our own edifice.” God heard our united cry and directed us to 1477 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn, NY, which will later become our first owned church building/property.

During this timeframe of Rev. Tolbert’s tenure as Pastor, Dea. Joseph C. Simpson, then Chairman of the Board of Deacons, expressed and announced his calling by God to a higher office in the Church. On November 10, 1991, Dea. Simpson was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and was installed as Associate Pastor.
Rev. Tolbert served faithfully and to the best of his ability until he resigned in July 1992. 

Still Onward we march…

Rev. Emerson Deline, then a young and energetic minister, became a part of the congregation in 1987 and served as Assistant Pastor under the leadership of Rev. Tolbert. He would then serve as the interim pastor after the departure of Rev. Tolbert. Rev. Emerson Deline became the fourth Pastor of UCAC with Rev. Joseph C. Simpson as Assistant Pastor. Together, these two great and dynamic ministers/preachers, who often boast of each other as “Partners in Christ” have steered this church to a higher level.

The Church then began experiencing a high growth not only in its membership, but also spiritually. Bible education and comprehension were religiously taught by Rev. Deline. As a result of these teachings, the church experienced a large transformation of its members, where more members and visitors as well, gave their lives to Christ. Participation in Holy Baptism also increased. Rev. Joseph Simpson began teaching an intellectual training course, which inspired many of our young members, who became interested in their pursuit of religious education.

Our Missionary Ministry tremendously increased as well. Through God’s direction and Rev. Joseph Simpson ‘s initiative, the Gospel was spread into the uttermost parts of India and Korea where residents of that part of the world had very limited or no knowledge of Christianity. Thousands of souls were saved.

Also, under the leadership of Rev. Deline, a team consisting of Rev. Simpson, Assistant Pastor, and Dea. James Morris, Chairman of the Deacon Board, led several crusades to Liberia. The Crusade Teams did not only take the name of Jesus with them, but also took several forty-foot containers with food, clothing, educational materials, and medical supplies as relief items. Again, thousands of souls were saved and converted.

As a part of our outreach work, the Church shipped relief items to the Caribbean Island of Montserrat, where people were devastated by a hurricane. Here at home, UCAC was also involved in giving out relief items of clothing to the needy in our community.

Additionally, under the orchestration of Dea. James H. Morris, our evangelistic team, missionaries and some  church members, the Gospel was moved from the walls of our building into the Streets of New York, preaching and spreading the word of God. Specific areas targeted were on the streets of Staten Island, NY (mainly the Park Hill neighborhood) and the Empire Blvd., Brooklyn, New York, during the Labor Day Weekend, where a large crowd gathered to watch the ongoing Parade. Gospel Tracts were distributed to thousands, and many were blessed.

During this period of time, the leadership also focused its concentration on the acquisition of a larger facility, to be able to accommodate the needs of its growing membership which was now growing by leaps and bound) and the community involvement.

The membership of UCAC applauded and supported the leadership for its farsightedness. Having outgrown the 1477 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn, NY location due to this huge growth in its membership, the Church then purchased its second and much larger church home at 2401 Atlantic Avenue @ 22 Jardine Place), Brooklyn, N.Y. in 2007.

Onward Bound

In 2008, due to a mass relocation of its members, and through much prayers, fasting and supplications, a new church was established in the South Jersey area to continue the preachment of the gospel of Jesus Christ to lost souls, “the UCAC way”. Under the guidance of Bishop Deline and Rev. Joseph Simpson, those members who relocated to the South Jersey community, established the South Jersey branch

UCAC SOUTH JERSEY and began worshipping at the St. James Baptist Church, Beverly, NJ . The names of those members were: Rev. Milton D. and Sis. Carolyn Joshua, Dr. Ivy Zoe Cooper, Rev. Annie Williams and Bro. Shadwin Williams, Bro. Joshua and Sis. Karen Cassell, Dea. Arnold and Sis. Anna Toe Johnson, and Dea. James and Sis. Cicely Morris. Rev. Milton Joshua was appointed the Pastor. After approximately five years as pastor, Rev. Joshua resigned on May 12, 2013. Following the departure of Rev. Joshua, the South Jersey church then welcomed Rev. H. Lafayette Willis as Interim Pastor and then became the second pastor of UCAC SJ, through the present. Rev. Willis is assisted by a team of four other Ministers.

Following that, another branch of UCAC was opened in Irvington New Jersey (North Jersey), led by Rev. Samuel Brooks as Pastor assisted by Dea. William Cisco and others

UCAC NORTH JERSEY . With several Hubs now being established and fully functional, the United Christian Assembly Church (UCAC) became fully incorporated to include those “foreign dba ministries” and hence assumed the name United Christian Assembly Church, Inc. (UCAC, Inc.), maintaining the Brooklyn, NY church as its headquarter and parent church.

With the newly established status as UCAC, Inc., on January 12, 2012, the Church then elected and installed Rev. Emerson H. Deline as its first Bishop. Not long thereafter, Rev. Joseph C. Simpson, II was elected and installed as its first Executive Pastor. Additionally, on December 8, 2019, Bro. Joshua F. Cassell, Jr. was inducted into office as the Administrator of the Bishop’s Office.

Immediately following, due to the farsightedness of a few UCAC members who left the Brooklyn church years earlier and relocated to the Atlanta GA area, another branch of UCAC was established in Atlanta Georgia with Rev. George Barcolleh as Pastor, assisted by Dea. Albert Caulker and Rev. Juanita Caulker

With the departure of Rev. Barcolleh, the Georgia branch is now headed by Rev. Juanita Caulker as its Interim Pastor, and is now located in Winder, GA. UCAC, Inc. then expanded its Ministry globally, establishing the Liberian Churches as follows: UCAC Monrovia (Smythe Rd.), UCAC Cape Mount, UCAC Louisiana and UCAC Todee (Margibi).

The work continues moving forward with a new Church underway in Grand Bassa County and with future plans of going into other parts of the country to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ as much as possible. There are many other churches that are not directly under the UCAC umbrella, but have been “birthed” through UCAC, hence not mentioned in this history.

Also, out of the UCAC Ministry the United Assembly Foundation was founded, under the leadership of Dea. James Morris. We thank God for this insight as well and give Him all the Glory!

Still, we Move…

Today, 50 years later, the United Christian Assembly Church, Inc. gratefully and with the utmost humility is standing strong, with ongoing Ministries/Branches both nationally and globally. Our USA Ministries are grateful for four branches, throughout the Northeast and Southeast USA. Our branches and their current clergy members are as follows:

UCAC Brooklyn (Headquarters) 2401 Atlantic Ave., @ 22 Jardine Pl, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11233