New Clergy – Welcome

We are always pleased to welcome clergy who are beginning new ministries among us in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Council of Churches provides a page listing for each congregation – including a listing of its clergy – for congregations worshiping in Brooklyn and registered with the Council. 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 Brooklyh Council of Churches. Registered congregations – of all faiths – are listed in our online Directory of Churches.

Here on www.BrooklynChurches.org

There are many resources available on this website which can be useful to you in your ministry. The various sections of the website are accessed by the menu at the left. The LINKS section contains hundreds to links to other websites which provide relevant information on denominations, faith groups, social services, ecumenical and interfaith resources.

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, payable in money order only, 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, 1 Centre Street (Municipal Building), 2nd floor South, 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 here for more information and application form..

Pastoral Care

The Blanton-Peale Institute offers graduate-level training to clergy in pastoral psychotherapy. Their Blanton-Peale Counseling Centers, located in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island,, provide counseling on a sliding-fee basis and are available for your referrals. Call (718) 253-9001 for more information and to schedule intake appointments.

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.