Valley Stream church ‘a slice of heaven’

The Rev. Steve Milazzo, right, has been attending the church since he was 6 years old and has been pastor for the past 18 years.

Julie Mansmann/Herald

The Rev. Steve Milazzo, second from right, chats with youth from the church following Sunday morning’s mass.

Julie Mansmann/Herald

Members of the Bethlehem Assembly of God Church on Fairview Avenue pray during last Sunday morning’s mass. Attendance has grown at the church over the past several years.

Julie Mansmann/Herald

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When an earthquake struck her Haitian homeland in January 2010, Monique Dorcely had to remain in her new home in Valley Stream to care for her children. She and her four daughters continued to attend services at their new church, Bethlehem Assembly of God, where they could pray for the country.

It was there that Dorcely learned that she was not the only one who wanted to help those who were suffering, noting that Pastor Steve Milazzo traveled to Haiti himself. “He went there when I couldn’t,” she said. “I appreciated that. He is a good man and a great leader at this church.”

Dorcely and other new parishioners at Bethlehem Assembly of God said this leadership and their dedication to the word of God have kept them coming back to the expanding Valley Stream church.

Milazzo, who has served as senior pastor for 18 years and has been going to the church since he was 6, said Bethlehem is one of about 12,000 institutions around the country that follow the church of the Assembly of God. He said churches within the denomination typically have 90 members, whereas the Valley Stream location has 1,500 — attendance records indicate that the congregation expanded from about 300 people who attended services there when Milazzo took over.

According to the pastor, the Christian church’s membership reflects the multicultural makeup of the village. “The Valley Stream community seems to be embracing diversity, and here we are intent about celebrating it as well,” he said. “Sunday mornings can be a very segregated time. But here, it is great joy to see all kinds of people come together and worship God. It is a slice of heaven.”

Aside from having an ethnically diverse membership at the church, which is adorned with flags from European, African, Asian and South American nations, Milazzo said the parishioners are of all different ages. Oscar Balloveras, a six-year member, said he thinks there is a lot of focus on family, as there are activities and ministries designed for both children and teens.