Our Leadership

Rev. Dr. Joseph Mukuna Nzeketha
Senior Pastor, SMC

Rev. Joseph M. Nzeketha was born and raised in a Christian family in Kenya, East Africa. He gave his life to Christ at the age of 17yrs while in high school, and got involved with the Africa Inland  Church (part of American/British missionary churches) after serving as a youth leaders for several years he answered a call to full time ministry and joined a Pentecostal ministry doing church planting in the city and rural areas.

He later joined CICM bible college in London England, where did his undergraduate studies in ministry in 1992. He planted a church in South east London where he was a pastor for four years before migrating to New Jersey where he started SMC church in 2000. He did his M.A in ministry at CLU (Christian Leadership University) in 2005. He did CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) and was a Resident chaplain at Robert Wood Johnson University hospital up to May 2010. He completed his doctoral studies (D.Min) at NYTS (New York Theological Seminary) February 2012.

He is currently the senior pastor at Somerset Miracle Center, a ministry of World Compassion Outreach Ministries Intl, in Plainfield New Jersey. He is married to Elizabeth and blessed with two adult children, Jennifer and Peter both serving in the worship ministry  

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Rev. Benjamín Rivera, M.Div.
Associate Pastor, SMC

Rev. Benjamín Rivera was born in Santurces, Puerto Rico.  He grew up with his parents and four sisters in Loíza a small town founded by free blacks and runaway slaves.  At the age of ten, his family migrated to Jersey City, New Jersey. 

Rev. Rivera received a BA from Rutgers University and a M.Div. from New Brunswick Theological Seminary.  Presently, he is enrolled in the Doctorate program with a concentration in Urban Ministry.  

For the last twenty- two years he has served as a volunteer chaplain in the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center. Employed at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital   as the Bilingual Chaplain, Rev. Rivera specializes in rendering pastoral care to Hispanic patients, their families and staff members.   Additionally, he is an ACPE supervisor in training with Overlook Hospital CPE Training where he assists with the Extended CPE unit.  

Rev. Rivera was ordained and installed as a hospital chaplain on January 30, 2011. He was previously ordained with the Pentecostal Church in 1996.  He and his family joined the SMC in November 2012 after several years of visiting there.  As the Associated Pastor at SMC, Rev. Rivera heads the education and ministry development department. 

Additionally, he and his family are an integral component of the praise and worship ministry.  His wife, Isabel Torres-Rivera, is a tenured teacher with the New Brunswick Board of Education and their three children, Rebekah, Benjamin II and Elíz are active in their family outreach and music ministry Latidos Puertorriqueños (Puerto Rican Heart Beats).