By the grace of God Pastor Ed Rizzo was born in Brooklyn, NY, February 23, 1945. In the mid-fifties his family moved eastward on Long Island to a town called Massapequa, where in 1962 he graduated from Plainedge High School. While his family moved further eastward on Long Island to a town called Bohemia, Ed attended Northrop Institute of Technology in Inglewood, California and graduated with an Aerospace Engineering degree in 1969. In that same year he married his wife Maureen.

 When the aerospace industry fell into a major recession in 1971 he moved back to Long Island and began work for a small chemical company called Preco Industries Ltd. During his next fourteen years God blessed him and his wife with two wonderful children, a son, Ed Jr. and a beautiful daughter, Tracy. By God's grace Ed became the president and CEO of the now growing chemical company and with that came extensive international travel.  Ed was on the fast track, he had everything the world said he needed to be a success. The Lord had richly blessed Ed and his family, but God was not finished with them.

  Ed and Maureen  practiced the religious traditions of their families and attended church regularly. Then a miracle happened, the Lord graciously saved Ed's wife Maureen in 1979 and continued to work on Ed's heart that year. The Holy Spirit moved Maureen to find a church that believed and lived the truths of the Holy Scriptures, Gospel Community Church in West Sayville, NY. Ed came along at Maureen's appeal (and fervent prayer) and he brought with himself a curiosity for this Spirit filled church. That year Ed began to grow in his knowledge of God and had his breakthrough in 1980 at a ministry conference held at the Calderon Concert Hall in Hempstead, Long Island. Ed saw his sin in all it's blackness in contrast to the pure white perfection of God's loving sacrifice in Jesus Christ and Ed came to know Jesus personally, not only as Savior of his life, but as Lord of his life.

 Ed was taught and trained in the word of God by then founder and Pastor of Gospel Community Church, Pastor Alfred Isaksen. Ed began to be drawn by the Spirit of God to ministry and by 1986 obtained a degree in Ministerial Studies from Berean College in Springfield, MS. Ed was ordained by Pastor Alfred Isaksen and in 1989 was called to pastor the church where he was saved. Ed officially left the business world in 1991 to serve the Lord in full time ministry.

  Pastor Ed Rizzo along with his Aerospace Engineering Degree and his degree in Ministerial Studies has obtained a Masters degree in Theology in 1997 and a Doctorate  in Theology in 1998 from Andersonville Baptist Seminary in Camilla, GA. Pastor Ed is also a charter member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

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