In March of 1982, our founding pastor, Rev. Ossiny Jean, his wife, Mathild, and three of their children, Betty, Anide, and Harry, gathered in the living room of their Newark, New Jersey home to give worship and praise to God. Soon afterwards, others began to hear of this weekly living room fellowship. A prayer partnership across borders set the spiritual foundation for this anointed living room fellowship. From as far as Haiti, to Boston, to New York and Philadelphia, and surely in New Jersey, saints of God would join together in one spirit asking God to bless this budding ministry. Pastors and Believers from many other established church congregations would visit and offer their prayer and support. Soon, the living room fellowship outgrew its space. A visiting pastor and close friend, Rev. Wilmen St. Pierre, who is now with the Lord, introduced Rev. Ossiny Jean to the Christian & Missionary Alliance Ministry. With the help and support of the C&MA and believers from everywhere, this small but growing fellowship was able to move into its first official home in December of 1982. The Eben-Ezer Christian & Missionary Alliance Church Inc. made its official home address at 1101 South Orange Avenue in the Vailsburg section of Newark, New Jersey.
In the coming years with continuous and fervent prayer, organization took root and membership increased rapidly. Weekly prayer meetings, bible study, Sunday School, Choir, Children’s Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Youth’s Ministry and many other ministries were created and founded during these initial years.
By late 1991 and early 1992, Pastor Jean realized that the congregation was outgrowing the building’s capacity, once more. Again with lots of prayer and the support of all our members, we made a move to a location just a step away, (more specifically, down the street). So in December of 1992, we re-located to our present location at 1152 South Orange Avenue in the Vailsburg section of Newark, New Jersey.
In 2002, ten (10) years later, the congregation was still growing and we found ourselves at another crossroad. With a congregation of nearly 500, our present worship home was quickly running out of space. Our children between the ages of 0 – 12 years old, roughly make-up over 20% of congregation. Living in such changing and challenging times, our youth were in need of more resources. Our administrative and teaching ministries needed to be updated with proper resources to effectively minister and represent the kingdom of Christ. Continuously in prayer, Rev. Ossiny launched a building expansion project which would increase and make our existing church building more multi-functional. Our vision was to have this project completed by the year 2003, so we kept on praying and trusting in the Lord.