New Clergy – Welcome

We are always pleased to welcome clergy who are beginning new ministries among us in Queens. The Queens Federation of Churches provides Clergy Identification Cards annually to clergy serving Christian congregations worshiping within the Borough of Queens which are registered with the Federation. Please use this Form to begin the process to register a congregation or to report new clergy. Please note that "Registration" is not the same as "Membership" in the Queens Federation of Churches. Registered congregations – of all faiths – are listed in our online Directory of Congregations in Queens.

Here on www.QueensChurches.org

There are many resources available on this website which can be useful to you in your ministry. The various sections of the website, accessed by the buttons along the bottom of the screen, each have an overview message describing what is available. The LINKS section contains hundreds to links to other websites which provide relevant information on denominations, faith groups, social services, ecumenical and interfaith resources. The NEXUS of Queens is the online, weekly newspaper of the the Queens Federation which includes religious news with local, national and global perspective.

Performing Weddings in New York City

Section 11-b of the Domestic Relations Law of New York State requires that all persons authorized by law to perform marriages (including Clergy) register with the City Clerk's office before performing wedding ceremonies within New York City. Therefore, if you intend to perform a marriage ceremony within New York City you must register. If the wedding ceremony will be conducted outside of New York City, the registration requirement does not apply to you. There is a $15 charge, paid by credit card or money order payable to the City Clerk, for the registration. This is a one-time registration, not a separate registration for each wedding. However, you will be required to report any subsequent change of your address to the City Clerk.

Registration is conducted on Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Office of the New York City Clerk, 141 Worth Street, Manhattan. Please call (212) 669-8095 for further details. Registration forms, instructions and documentation requirements are available on the Marriage Bureau Web site.

Clergy Parking Permits

The NYC Department of Transportation will issue a Clergy Parking permit to a house of worship located within the City. This permit will register up to three vehicles used by the congregation's clergy and entitle them (one at a time) to park in the No Parking zone in front of the house of worship or in front of hospitals. Click for more information.

Pastoral Care

The Blanton-Peale Institute offers graduate-level training to clergy in pastoral psychotherapy. Their Blanton-Peale Counseling Centers, two of which are located in Queens (Douglaston and Forest Hills), provide counseling on a sliding-fee basis and are available for your referrals.

Catholic Charities offers an accredited program in Clinical Pastoral Education at the Queens Hospital Center. For information, contact Sr. Julie Houser, CSJ, CPE Director, at (718) 883-2009.

Mass Transportation

New York City is served by the largest regional mass transit system in the world. Buses, subways, and regional rail enables an individual to move throughout the metropolitan region. Here is a link to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Subway Map. From it, you can navigate to bus maps for each of the five Boroughs, Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Railroad and bus maps. You will also find information on MetroCard, bridges and tunnels, and EZ-Pass.

Emergency Numbers

This link to the website of the Queens Borough President's Office, will give you some important Emergency Information and Telephone Numbers for Queens County.

Fund Raising Resources

The Federation's Ministry of Wellness provides an opportunity to raise funds for your congregation while at the same time addressing environmental concerns and improving the physical, emotional and financial wellness of your members

Queens – The Most Ethically Diverse County in the World

Queen County has long been listed by demographers as the most ethically diverse county in the United States. The extraordinary breadth of diversity in the racial, religious, and nationality backgrounds of our neighbors provide an exciting environment in which we work and worship. Here are some Census Data that begin to tell of story of our diversity.