Our Pastor

 Pastor Kwesi Barnes was born in Ghana to a Christian family who attended a Methodist Church. As a teenager he
frequently travelled to London to visit family. It was on one of those visits, in 1999, that he personally accepted Jesus
Christ at a special service held by Trinity Baptist Church.

In 2000, Pastor Barnes emigrated to London, England to join his siblings, who were already established there in the city. There he continued his relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, pursued his desire to love, serve God and to see others do the same. Always eager to serve where needed, he led and volunteered in several ministries while attending Trinity Baptist Church.

Pastor Barnes has a passion for prayer; it was while coordinating the prayer ministry at Trinity Baptist Church, London, that he met (fell in love with and later married) his wife Jumi. They served together in the prayer and deliverance ministry and also as youth leaders.

In 2005, while training as a Sound Engineer, Pastor Barnes experienced a divine encounter with Jesus and was called to pursue full time ministry; to focus on leading his people to fulfill their God given purposes through Jesus Christ. The church leadership recognized the strong call of God on his life and sent him to Spurgeon’s College, in 2006, for ministerial training. While completing his studies at Spurgeon’s College he concurrently served as a ‘Minister in Training’ at Streatham Baptist Church, London.

In 2010, his wife Jumi, a software engineer, was offered an intra-company transfer to New York City. Trusting in God’s plans but not knowing how this would impact his ministry, they left their family and friends and emigrated to the United States. God has indeed been faithful and opened doors for him to serve as an Associate Pastor at Bethel Worship Center, Staten Island, NY, then Discipleship Pastor at Riverside Assembly of God, Jersey City, NJ and to become credentialed by the Assemblies of God.

Having the opportunity to live in multiple countries, worship and serve in different denominations and experience different cultures and styles of worship, it is Pastor Barnes’s belief that God has taken him through hands on “diversity training” in preparation to build a house of prayer for all nations (Isa.56.7).

For Pastor Barnes, it is a privilege to be called to serve West Hudson Christian Center which is strategically placed to minister to the Kearny, Harrison and Arlington communities. He is excited to be a part of God’s work and to bring churches and communities together to pray.

Pastor Barnes has been married over 9 years to Jumi and has two sons, Joel and Ezra.