Council

Consistory

Steve M. Schlissel — Senior Pastor of Messiah's Covenant Community Church, UN Overseer — Steve@schlissel.com 
Steve Schlissel has served as pastor of Messiah's Congregation since 1979. Born and raised in New York City, Schlissel became a Christian by reading the Bible. When Jesus said that everyone who hears His words will give an account for his response (Matthew 7:24-27), Steve took it seriously and sought the mercy of God through Jesus.

Steve and his wife Jeanne were married in a synagogue in 1974 by a rabbi and a priest. You had to be there: they marched down the aisle to an organ arrangement of  Led Zep's "Stairway to Heaven." The Schlissels homeschooled their five children (who now range in age from 30 to 19), and also helped raise several foster children (mostly Vietnamese). In 2003, they adopted Anna (who was born in Hong Kong in 1988, but is now a U.S. citizen). They have 8 foster grandchildren and eleven "natural" grandchildren, and likely more on the way!

The Schlissels enjoy singing Psalms, listening to classical music, Casandra Wilson, Roy Hargrove, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Andre C. Setyon — Elder/Clerk of Council — Setyon@aol.com
André was born in Cairo, Egypt, into a Jewish family. He came to America in 1959. His family settled in Brooklyn, NY. Though raised in an Orthodox home, André received and began reading a Gideon New Testament in 1982. Over time, God worked in André's life, convincing him that Jesus was the Messiah, and that it was only through Him that we could be reconciled to God. Eventually, he received this Messiah as his own and was baptized in the Name of the triune God. André is a Vice President with a financial firm, and is married to Stefanie. They have two sons. They reside in Brooklyn, NY.

Deacons

Anthony Venetian — Deacon — TonyVenetian@MessiahNYC.org
Anthony lives in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn with his wife Zulaika, and his children Joshua,  Angelina, Antonella and Eli. Anthony was raised a Roman Catholic and by the mercy and grace of God was saved and called to live a life of faithfulness through the witness of a coworker. Anthony teaches an ESL class at Urban Nations and is an Engineer with a communications firm.

Matthew Gonnella  — Deacon-in-Training — MattGonnella@msn.com    
Matt was raised in northern New Jersey. He and his wife, Sarah, began attending Messiah's, fell in love with the community and the work and decided to move to Brooklyn! They have been devoted to Inheritance/Messiah's Day School and the continuing godly education of Messiah's next generation, including four of their own—Kris, Abigail, Samuel, and Nathan. He works as an elemetary special education teacher in the NYC Department of Education. 

Nicholas Kozak — Seminarian — nicholaskozak@gmail.com
Born and raised in a Ukrainian Catholic Church in Pittsburgh, PA, Nicholas now lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori, and three children, Kaiya, Naomi, Isaiah and Priscilla. It was because of our Lord's compassion and forgiveness that Nicholas was first called to live consistently as a Christian through the witness of a friend (Craig Brann, son-in-law of Rev. Schlissel).  Then, through his study of the Reformed Faith, the Lord brought Nicholas to Messiah's Covenant Community Church and has pressed upon his heart the dire need in the broader church for men devoted to Reformed Ministry.  Nicholas currently volunteers at Coney Island Hospital ministering to the sick, regularly Exhorts the Chinese congregation at New Life Gospel Church (under the aegis of Messiah's Council), and works as a Manager for Starbucks Coffee Company.

Staff

Craig Lawrence Brann  — Assistant to Rev. Schlissel — CraigBrann@gmail.com   
A native of rural Maine, Craig moved to the metropolitan area to study Jazz Performance. After his first visit to Messiah's in 2002, he was immediately taken by the unabashed preaching of the Word as well as the 'hand to the plow' ethos of Messiah's broader ministries. He married Rebeccah Hope (formerly Schlissel) in 2004 and they have two lovely children, Tehilah and Irving.

Matthew Byrd   — Missionary — MCByrd@gmail.com    
From three generations of family missionaries, Matt was first deputized by Messiah's Council as a Missionary to China in 2005 when he spent a year teaching English as a Second Language in the Chengdu province. While there, he not only picked up the language but simultaneously fell in love with the culture and assumed a tremendous burden for them spiritually. Since returning to the States, and Urban Nations, Matt has devoted himself to ministry in Brooklyn's Chinatown, teaching ESL, and assisting Nicholas Kozak in services for New Life Gospel Church as well as partnering with other evangelical churches to provide Reformed teaching and materials.

Ministerial Affiliates

Paul T. Murphy - Pastor Messiah's Reformed Fellowship of Manhattan - paul.murphy60@verizon.net
Rev. Paul T. Murphy was born in Rome, Italy (1953) and came to this country when he was three. He was raised in an Irish-Catholic neighborhood in the Bronx, N.Y.C.. Although he was an altar boy in the church and attended regularly until age 14 he did not know Jesus Christ personally.

From an early age he searched for Truth and the meaning of life. A college degree in philosophy brought him no closer to the Truth. He pursued a career in deep-sea diving and underwater construction that took him all around the world as he continued the search for Truth. This searching also was vain. At the age of 29 he was confronted with the claims of Jesus Christ. Thinking them foolishness he sought to refute Christianity with the teaching of secular philosophy. The Lord broke down the barriers of his heart and captivated his life. The Truth had found him! Now like the apostle Paul this Paul can say " to live is Christ.

Prior to coming to Messiah's Reformed Fellowship, Rev. Murphy pastored Dutton Independent Reformed Church, Dutton, Michigan.

The Council for Messiah's Covenant Community Church & Messiah's Ministries are composed of the Pastor, consistory of Elders, and Deacons ruling together.