Joseph Garafolo has become senior pastor at Huntington Baptist Church, the 25th pastor in the church’s history.
He preached his first sermon at the church on Sunday.
“We are delighted that Pastor Joe has accepted the call to be the next pastor of our church,” said MaryAnn Boccia, chair of the Trustee Board.
He previously served as the outreach pastor of Island Christian Church for almost 15 years. In that role, he oversaw overall outreach, marketing, partnerships with outside organizations, the website and social media, and as discipleship pastor.
The church was founded in 1868 as the First Baptist Church in Cold Spring Harbor. It moved to6 Oakwood Road in 1928, its present location.
“Helping people understand the Scriptures and how it applies to their lives will be my most important and cherished role,” he said.
Before becoming a pastor, Garofalo was the co-founder of a publishing group specializing in tourism and economic development publications for the Long Island region. His company was acquired by Newsday in 2004.
As senior pastor of the Huntington church, Garofalo will set the vision for the church. “We are a part of this community and really look forward to doing what we can to be a resource in the Village and surrounding areas,” he said.