Our Assistant Pastor

Pastor Thorpe officially welcomed the Reverend Dr. Brenda Harmon-Saunders to his staff as Assistant Pastor at our Annual Church Meeting in January 2024.

“I thank God and am excited to add Rev. Dr. Saunders to the ministry of Jesus Christ here at the Church-in-the-Garden,” Pastor Thorpe commented. “Her humble spirit, faith, compassion, and theological training will bless the Body of Christ, the congregation, and my pastorate. As we continue to grow in faith and numbers, Dr. Saunders’ skills and background will help us welcome and minister to a growing church family.”

Rev. Dr. Brenda Harmon-Saunders is a faithful and proud servant of God, willing to do whatever “God’ calls her to do. She is a native New Yorker who resides in the Queens Village community with her husband of 27 years, Andre Saunders.

She heard the call on her life at a very young age, and like many of us, she admits she ran, but we all know that you cannot outrun God. Her passion in ministry is to develop women and young adults, helping them to pursue their dreams while recognizing and embracing their “true God” given beauty, talents, uniqueness, and special gifts. In addition, Dr. Harmon-Saunders’ ministry involves the care and appreciation of the elderly/senior population, understanding that if it had not been for their ultimate sacrifices, we would not have the freedoms we currently enjoy. 

Rev. Dr. Saunders served for 19 years as Pastoral Assistant under the Rev. Brian C. Ellis Gibbs, Pastor of the Queens Baptist Church, located in Queens Village, New York. At Queens Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Saunders created the “See Me, Hear Me” Ministry, a ministry that enabled and introduced the Youth and Young Adults to their church family while sharing in words, song, dance, poetry, and art forms.

Rev. Saunders completed both her Master of Divinity and her Doctor of Ministry degrees at New York Theological Seminary in New York City and was ordained by the American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York.

Rev. Saunders has worked in Corporate America for more than thirty years with a focus on Business Management and Regulatory Compliance while mentoring and managing individuals personally and professionally and building teams of excellence. She has also obtained a Certificate in Project Management at the AT&T School of Business. She has had several other notable accomplishments during her tenure in corporate and her Non-Profit work at New York Theological Seminary.

Dr. Harmon-Saunders attributes her strong faith and belief in God, Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit for everything. Her strength and tenacity to push past the pains of life, disappointments, and setbacks have equipped and prepared her to be a true servant of the Lord. As a “Servant Leader” her favorite scripture comes from the Old Testament Book of Proverbs 3:5-7 (The Message Translation):

Trust God from the bottom of your heart: don’t try to figure everything out on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from Evil.