Rev. Michael Peynado, the pioneer leader and senior pastor of Westbury Divine Church of God will celebrate his retirement on November 17, 2023, with a banquet at the Uniondale Marriott Hotel. After more than 45 years of dedicated service impacting Westbury community and beyond, he will be passing the baton to a new leader to take the church to the next level of 21st-century ministry.
Pastor Peynado was born in St. Thomas, Jamaica, W.I., and began his profession as an apprentice tailor in Kingston, Jamaica, at the age of seventeen. He migrated to Birmingham, England, worked for the British Railroad, plus tailoring part-time while attending Bible School. Later, he met and married Nomey, and they started a family. They moved to the United States a few years later.
He accepted the pastoral call to ministry and began to pioneer Westbury Divine Congressional Church of God on July 16, 1978. Founding members unanimously agreed to purchase a 1.9 acre of land with a 1,500 square foot dilapidated building at 911 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury N.Y. because it had potential for growth. The three families who started the work, pledged financial gifts and remarkably by God’s grace paid off the 30 – year mortgage in 7 years.
The congregation outgrew its space, and built a 13,000 square foot building to accommodate approximately three hundred gathering in worship, with Christian Education Classrooms, a fellowship hall, a pantry, and adequate parking spaces. Rev. Peynado has wished before retirement to satisfy the $800,000.00 loan on the new building, for the new pastor to inherit a debt-free church. Due to member retirements, migration, and decline of attendance since the pandemic there is a struggle meeting this financial obligation. He would greatly appreciate people financially blessing the church which is a 501c3 tax deductible corporation, so as to continue making a difference in the community.
Pastor Peynado believed a healthy pastor produces a healthy community, so the church has hosted and continues to host Community Outreach Days with health forums and health workshops by experts from the local medical centers. The church distributes food to the community twice monthly, visits and prays for the sick in nursing homes, gives food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas and sent barrels of food and clothing abroad to assist the needy in other countries.
Pastor Peynado has a love for youths and has invested in their future. He provided yearly scholarships for college-bound youths, created opportunities for youth volunteerism that is fitting for their resume when applying for colleges.
Rev. Michael Peynado with his leadership skills and many amazing experiences will still be around as Pastor Emeritus to coach upcoming leaders and ministers. He has published a book available at Amazon called Life is a Journey to encourage and give hope to those in deep despair; to inspire others to achieve beyond their natural expectations.
Come and share Life is a Journey with him, his family, friends, and church group.
