50 for 50: Meet Rev. Dr. Timothy Mitchell

Rev. Dr. Timothy P. Mitchell (1930–2012) was a lifelong New Yorker whose legacy bridged local community building and the national civil rights movement. A founding shareholder of the Forest Hills Co-op, Mitchell played a pivotal role in shaping the early direction of both the Co-op and the Forest Hills Community House, where he served for many years on the board. He was an early and outspoken advocate for the creation of public housing in Forest Hills, helping to lay the groundwork for the compromise that ultimately led to the formation of the Community House.

Mitchell served as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Flushing for 47 years, becoming a towering figure in both local history and the national civil rights movement. A native son of Flushing, he graduated from Flushing High School, Queens College, and New York University Seminary. He also served in the Korean War before assuming leadership of Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1961.

Mitchell’s ministry was defined by an unshakable commitment to civil rights. He marched with the Albany Freedom Movement, was jailed alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and played a leading role in King’s Poor People’s Campaign in New York. He later supported Rev. Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns in the 1980s, and worked on David Dinkins’ successful 1989 mayoral campaign.

Even in his later years, Mitchell remained a fierce advocate, notably joining a hunger strike to protest the privatization of Elmhurst Hospital. Despite his national stature and powerful presence, those who knew him best describe him as warm, approachable, and deeply connected to everyday people. His enduring impact was clear at his standing-room-only funeral in 2012 and again in 2013, when the intersection of Prince Street and Northern Boulevard was co-named in his honor.