Pastor's Corner
Rev. Luis A. Rivera
Rev. Luis A. Rivera, Manahattan Grace Tabernacle's Pastor, a former schoolteacher, was born and raised in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. Upon Graduation from High School in 1967, he enlisted in the Air Force where he served for four years. Shortly after his discharge from the Air Force, he totally committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ on New Year's Eve, 1971.
Three years after committing his life to Christ, he met and fell in love with Deborah Cortese (daughter of Joseph & Aimee Cortese, missionaries and ministers of the Gospel). Pastor Rivera and Debbie married in 1976 and together attended and ministered at the Brooklyn Tabernacle for many years. Pastor Rivera served as usher, choir member and in the prayer band ministry.
Pastor Rivera served as Associate Pastor at Crossroads Tabernacle and after five years returned to Brooklyn Tabernacle to further prepare for his present calling at Manhattan Grace Tabernacle. Pastor Rivera's vision for MGT is evangelism -- reaching souls with the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the U.S. as well as abroad! His greatest desire at this time is for MGT to purchase its own building, wherein all the ministries and outreach activities he envisions for MGT can be realized. He knows God is doing a great work and that MGT has a role to play in the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days.
Pastor and Debbie Rivera are the proud parents of Nina, Luis and Alexis, and even prouder grandparents of Audrey Rose
Deborah Rivera
Deborah Rivera ("Debbie"), wife of Rev. Luis Rivera for 30 years, mother of three grown children (Nina, Luis and Alexis) and the proud grandmother of Audrey Rose, was born and raised in Bronx, New York. She is the daughter of Missionary ministers, Joseph and Aimee Cortese, and at a very young age became familiar with the value of ministering the Gospel to a lost and dying world. Her parents were missionaries to Cuba for several years and prior to that, her mother Aimee co-pastored a church in the Bronx, Thesalonica, with her father, Rev. Rafael Garcia.
In her teen years, Deborah traveled and ministered in song with her sisters Damaris and Joanne Cortese (known as the Cortese Trio). Debbie, who studied piano at Carnegie Hall and also with the renown and professional pianist, the late Mary Louise Keys Cooper, is an outstanding pianist and music leader. She does an exceptional job as choir and music director, and is greatly esteemed amongst her music peers and church band.
Debbie greatly loves the Lord. Her utmost desire is that through the music ministry many would come to know the Lord and be encouraged. Like Pastor Rivera, her prayer is that the good news of the Gospel goes forth in full force and that Manhattan Grace serves as a haven known for its great devotion to Jesus Christ.