The Shiloh Baptist Church of Jamaica was organized in 1872. Shiloh was founded in the home of Brother James Johnson, grandfather of one of our deceased members, Sister Deborah Hayden, at 99 Douglas Avenue. Later, Brother Johnson donated land, also on Douglas Avenue, on which Shiloh built its first structure. The building was typical of the structures that were built before the turn of the century. The edifice was wooden, and two or three steps elevated it from the ground. In those pre-electricity days, Shiloh was heated with a potbelly stove and lit by kerosene lamps. The only musical instrument was an old organ that squeaked, but the choir and congregation did not mind. They sang to the glory of God, and the squeak was barely noticeable.
The first pastor was the Reverend George Bailey. Pastor Bailey had the distinction of pastoring one of the first Black Baptist churches on Long Island and the first in Jamaica, New York. It is not known when he vacated the pulpit.
The Reverend Coleman was called and pastored Shiloh until 1904. Reverend Coleman was a dedicated pastor who took in many members. They were baptized at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Flushing, New York because there was no baptismal font.
In 1904 Reverend J. A. Jordon became the third pastor and served seven faithful years and resigned in 1911.
Our next pastor the Reverend Harry T. Batton was called that same year. Reverend Batton, a graduate of Virginia Seminary and College, Lynchburg, Virginia (now Virginia University at Lynchburg) graced the Shiloh pulpit for 46 years. As a preacher he was an intellectual man of wisdom whose preaching was edifying and realistic. He was a community leader, whose hands extended beyond the membership of Shiloh. Even the Great Depression could not stop the spirit of the Shiloh members. During the Batton era Shiloh had much growth. In 1943, Shiloh was the host church for the first banquet held by the Layman’s Auxiliary of the Eastern Baptist Association. On Saturday May 15, 1954 the church building located on Douglas Avenue was completely destroyed by a tragic fire. The pastor, officers and members rallied together and negotiated to rent space elsewhere to hold worship services. Pastor Batton retired after a dedicated and committed tenure in 1957.
On June 5, 1957 Reverend John K. Brewington, a graduate of Shelton College was called to pastor Shiloh Baptist Church of Jamaica. Pastor Brewington, a young dedicated leader, was married to Winifred Broomstaff-Brewington. He took the flock and continued the work which Pastor Batton had so nobly begun. Pastor Brewington’s ministry was assisted by The Reverend Temple E. Banks. Little time passed before the new pastor, officers and members decided to build a new church home. Under the leadership of Pastor Brewington, ground breaking took place on September 20, 1957. Under the supervision of the late Brother Samuel D. McCain, the new building was started. Shiloh members proudly watched and prayed through the construction process. On Easter Sunday April 17, 1960 the members of Shiloh proudly marched into the present building on 173-70 106th Avenue to worship. They marched in without heat, pews and appropriate furniture; nevertheless, they marched in faith. Under the leadership of Pastor Brewington, the officers and members made memorable advancements since the construction. New clubs were organized and functioned with the many that were already in existence. Many of our members were honored throughout the years for their dedicated service. In 1976, a part time salaried secretary, Sister Rosetta U. Miller, was added to Shiloh. Reverend Brewington had many other plans to put on the agenda for Shiloh, but our Heavenly Father called that great soldier to his reward on August 31, 1988. Sister Winifred Broomstaff-Brewington was called home to be with the Lord in January 1992. Reverend Banks continued to serve as Shiloh's Assistant Pastor until his demise in 1995.
Under our Heavenly Father’s guidance, on January 16, 1990 the Reverend Alvin Tunstill, Jr., a graduate of the University of Louisville, Kentucky and Chicago Theological Seminary was called to be the shepherd of Shiloh’s flock. He is married to Sandra Mitchell and they have three sons, Alvin III, Michael and Lloyd. Under the ministry of Reverend Tunstill, Deacons Kenneth Payton, Sr. and Gene O. Birch were licensed to preach the Gospel on August 31, 1993 and October 29, 1995 respectively. Shiloh continued in the tradition of meeting the needs of the church and the community. Shiloh opened its doors on Friday nights to the community providing opportunities for arts and crafts for the young and old. The church started a nursing home visitation ministry. They also began to actively visit the sick and shut-ins. Holiday gift baskets were also distributed. Shiloh formed a new subsidiary, The Shiloh Baptist Church Nursery. Parents could leave their children in a secure and stimulating environment. The needs of the church community were further addressed through the Vacation Bible School and the Shiloh Baptist Church Summer Youth Employment Program. This program was funded by donations from the church members. Youth were being placed in small businesses and given weekly stipend. In addition, contacts were being made with Fortune 500 companies which resulted in numerous summer employment opportunities for our youth. The church also developed a College Scholarship Fund. Each year a banquet is held to present college bound students a monetary award. A church van was purchased and the part time secretary’s position was also increased to full time. Pastor Tunstill had the church office computerized. The new membership class, which continues to be a viable ministry to our new members, was also started under the guidance of Pastor Tunstill. In March 1996 Reverend Tunstill resigned and assumed the Pastorate of Trinity Baptist Church in Los Angeles, Ca.
In June 1996 the church called The Reverend Hildreth G. McGhee, Jr. as its seventh pastor and on October 20, 1996 he was installed. His wife Sister Louise McGhee and their children Shayla, William and Morgan were a blessed addition to the Shiloh church family. Under Pastor McGhee’s tenure Minister Kenneth Payton, Sr. was fully ordained in March 1998. Reverend Payton continues to be an Associate Minister at Shiloh. Minister Gene O. Burch was also ordained by Reverend McGhee September 1998. The mortgage for the parsonage was retired during this time. Reverend McGhee’s tenure ended in October of 2002. Once again the people of Shiloh prayerfully petitioned the Lord to send them a pastor. After praying and fasting, God answered our cries.
On March 23, 2004 and The Reverend Russell T. Marquis, who holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from Iona College, NY and a Masters of Divinity degree from Drew University Theological Seminary, accepted the call to become Shiloh’s next pastor.. In July 2006 Pastor and Sister Marquis were blessed with a son, Julius Terence. Under Pastor Marquis’ direction, worship had an added dimension of inclusiveness. Lay persons became more active in the Sunday liturgy. The Deacon and Deaconess Boards have been merged to form an inclusive Diaconate ministry. Both men and women are referred to as Deacon. The youth choir and the liturgical dance ministries were reorganized and growing. As part of that growth, a male liturgical mime ministry was formed. In the fall of 2006 a Forty Days of Purpose Campaign was successfully completed leading to exponential spiritual growth for the entire congregation. A wheelchair lift and a stair lift were installed for added accessibility. In the fall of 2008, a voter registration drive was conducted and over 50 people were registered in the “Bricktown” area of Jamaica, New York. On November 9, 2014 Sister Patricia Wyatt was the first woman to be licensed to preach the Gospel at Shiloh Baptist Church. Rev. Marquis’s tenure ended in February 2016.
A pulpit committee was formed and after a prayerful and thorough search Reverend Dr. Michael B. Gittens was called to the Shiloh Baptist Church of Jamaica. On November 12, 2017 Reverend Dr. Michael Gittens, was installed as the 9th pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church. Pastor Gittens and his wife Rev. Val Gittens served Shiloh until 2021.
In 2023 ,Dr. Sharod Tomlinson , was called to SBC and is currently serving as Pastor.
