To many of its congregants, it seems like only yesterday that Pastor Michael Peynado informed them of the impending purchase of a new property for the Westbury Divine Congregational Church of God.

Having been begun by three local families under the Reverend Peynado's guidance, the church had, up to that point been located on Prospect Avenue in New Cassel.

The lot the pastor told them about consisted of a large, over-grown yard, a boarded up, ramshackle building, and a plethora of tall maple and crabapple trees.

"This is what the property looked like then," the Reverend Peynado said as he produced an old photograph during a recent interview with The Westbury Times.

"To us, the move from Prospect Avenue to Brush Hollow Road represented an opportunity to launch a more effective ministry in the community," he said.

Westbury was a community the Reverend Peynado had grown to know well long before the June, 1980 purchase of the church. For ten years, many of them coinciding with his pastoral duties, he owned and operated Mike's Tailoring, Alteration and Ready to Wear on Post Avenue.

"I used to say that I was in the business of mending clothes for the community," the reverend smiled. "For the past 20 years, I've enjoyed a new role ¬ mending souls for the kingdom of God."

Even during its significant restoration of the property at 911 Brush Hollow Road, the congregation maintained its focus on being of service to the community.

This service has continued to include twice monthly food distributions to the needy in Westbury and New Cassel; distribution of food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas; providing bus transportation to church; sponsoring year-long and summer activities for youth; offering a vacation Bible School; having church members make monthy nursing home, hospital and prison visitations; and seeking ways to enhance the amount of affordable -- and livable -- homes in Westbury.

The church also provides a nutricious breakfast every Sunday morning for its Bible School students, and offers a weekly music course for children and young adults.

In addition, each June, the Westbury Divine Congregational Church of God sponsors a Community outreach day that includes an old-fashioned barbecue, health forums, and workshops, and is attended by representatives of the Nassau County Medical Center, the Episcopal Health Mobile, and a licensed Chiropractor.

"I would describe what we have as an effective ministry," the Reverend Peynado said.

The Pastor was asked if he finds Westbury to be a faith rich community.

"Well, yes and no," he said. "You have to recognize that we have a lot of affluent people here in Westbury, and because of that, religion sometimes doesn't seem to be one of their main priorities.

"Now, at the same time, I think in a sense that this has enlivened our congregation, and made us far more active, because we have seen the need to reach out to those people who are neglecting their faith."

In describing his congregation, the Reverend Peynado said the members of the Westbury Divine Congregational Church of God are essentially Protestants.

"Although I think we're a bit more on the charismatic side of that," he continued. "I think we put a lot more energy in our worship. You know, we clap our hands vigorously when we sing, and when I'm delivering a sermon, it's punctuated and accompanied by a lot of 'Amens' and 'Praise the Lord.'"

The pastor laughed.

"You might say we put some action into it."

In addition to the activities already mentioned, the Reverend Peynado said the church is also involved in outreach to foster the education of local young people and actively keeps in contact with the Nassau County Police Department and other community organizations to try to keep crime in the Westbury and New Cassel area at a minimum.

"The needs we've attempted to address really evolved as the church evolved," the pastor said.

"In that sense, we didn't really have to go looking for things to become involved in, we simply got involved because we recognized that there was a need for us to do so."

And the plaudits the church has received as a result of their selflessness are impressive. For instance, there's the certificate the congregation recently received from the Central Island Healthcare facility, which states that "through your continuing... efforts, our residents are reminded daily of the love and support of families, friends, and the community."

On June 15, Westbury Mayor Ernest Strada wrote the church to offer his own heartfelt thanks.

"The time and effort you expend in service to the community is appreciated, and we look forward to a continued spirit of cooperation in all matters of mutual interest and concern."

But perhaps Nassau County Executive Thomas S. Gulotta said it best in his recent letter.

"The Westbury Congregational Church is recognized as a prominent contributor to community life, supporting various religious, cultural, educational and humanitarian concerns.

"Today, as in the past, the church affords worshippers and visitors the opportunity to share in an enriched appreciation of cherished religion and tradition."

Now more than 150 congregantes strong, the Reverend Peynado said his goal for the next 20 years is to be of even better service to the community.

"And when I say that, I mean serving all people, but particularly our young people and our senior citizens," he explained.

"To my mind it seems our youth need nurturing. They need somebody to be there for them when they need guidance.

"Today, I think a lot of parents are working two jobs and it makes it hard for them to be there as much as they want to for their children. I believe we need to help them fill some of the void that's created in that situation.

"At the same time, we have a growing senior population here in Westbury, and they need us to be there for them too.

"You know, more than anything, I think our seniors just want to know that they are not being neglected, that somebody is always there for them, and that they can keep active... in whatever way that they desire."

At 20, the Westbury Divine Congregational Church is entering an exciting new era, and plans are now in preparation to transform the church from its current modest configuration to a more beautiful, more church-like structure.

Given those plans, and the ongoing mission of the church, the Reverend Peynado said he would like to remain pastor here "for as long as I can."

"There is just so much left to do," he said in a way that indicated he's not even close to tiring.