Church Planter
Jomo K. Johnson
Church planter and storyteller. A graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, Jomo came to Rochester to plant biblically centered churches with a theology of activism — built street by street and table by table.
Rochester, New York // A New Church Plant
a seat at the table for everyone.
A Bible-centered church being planted in Rochester for the wounded, the wondering, and the hungry — built around an open Bible and a shared table.
Next Sunday Gathering
—
Lord's Supper Church · Sundays 1:30 PM ET · a different Rochester restaurant each week
Why We Exist
Rochester Affinity exists to open the Bible, set the table, and make disciples in the city of Rochester.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Matthew 28:19–20 — The Great Commission
The last command of Jesus is our first priority. We take it street by street and table by table — beginning in Rochester, one neighborhood, one meal, one opened Bible at a time.
We are a church plant, not a finished product. That means everybody gets a seat and everybody gets a part to play. If you have been hurt by a church, walked away from faith, or never had a church to call home, there is room for you here while we build this together.
About
Jomo K.
Johnson
Church planter. Storyteller. A graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary who came to Rochester to plant biblically centered churches — and came the hard way.
Rochester Affinity Church: Jomo was offered a job by a local Pittsford church. After he was questioned for his support of Black Lives Matter, the church rescinded the offer. The job he had been offered was taken back because of that support.
That closed door became an open call. If the existing church had no room for the whole gospel — biblical truth and biblical justice, never separated — then new churches would have to be planted. Churches with a theology of activism, built street by street and table by table.
Rochester Affinity Church is that plant: a growing network of affinity churches in Rochester, NY — for activists, artists, seniors, and seekers — the first truly “come as you are, stay as you are” church.
- PlanterJomo K. Johnson
- TrainingWestminster Theological Seminary
- Planting InRochester, NY
- Home on the Webwww.SmsNovel.com
Leadership
Who Leads
the Plant
Rochester Affinity Church Plant is led by its church planter, taught by Nicole MacBay, and served by Michael Key as Secretary.
Teacher · Lecturer · Group Facilitator
Nicole MacBay
Nicole MacBay is a class lecturer and facilitator who teaches free classes on faith, theology, gender, and politics for Rochester Affinity Church. An educator and school counselor with 20+ years of experience in education, student support, and community engagement, she facilitates thoughtful, engaging conversations about women’s issues, current events, and local-interest topics — bringing curiosity, humor, and a respect for diverse perspectives.
Secretary
Michael Key
Michael Key — Secretary of Rochester Affinity Church Plant. Michael tells his story in his own words in “From Brownsville to a Second Chance” — from Brownsville to a second chance after incarceration. A returning citizen whose life was rebuilt on faith, Michael now shares his testimony so other men coming home can hear it from someone who has walked the road back. His episode is the testimony at the heart of our reentry ministry in Rochester.
Hear Michael’s EpisodeThe Record
CV & News
Jomo K. Johnson — CV
Download the Full CVIn the News
Patch · Gates, NY · Oct 2026
Filmed Lecture and Open Discussion: Your Vote as an Act of Worship
Patch's Gates community calendar carried the Oct 15 filmed lecture and open discussion at Gates Public Library — the first stop in the four-week "Your Vote as an Act of Worship" class series.
Minority Reporter · Sep 2026
Jog With Jesus
Minority Reporter covered Rochester Affinity's beta test of Jog With Jesus — a simple way to begin church: meet at a park on Sunday, pray together, and walk or jog for twenty minutes. No cost, no membership, no obligation.
Substack · Press Kit
Rochester Affinity Church on Substack
Essays, updates, and the press kit from the church plant — read and subscribe on the Rochester Affinity Church Substack.
Also in the record: WHYY and The Philadelphia Inquirer profiled Philly Open Air Church in 2013, and ABC7 Los Angeles covered SMS Novel Films' on-demand drone-security app in 2023.
Lunch Invite — New Church Plant
The Lord’s Supper Lunch
Communion at a Rochester restaurant. Join us for lunch, an open Bible, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper around one table — church the way the first believers did it.
Sunday, November 1, 2026 · 1:30 PM · a Rochester restaurant · free — reserve your seat and we’ll share the spot.
Reserve Your Free SeatSunday Gatherings
Lord's Supper
Church
Church the way the first believers did it: a real meal, an open Bible, prayer, and the Lord's Supper — gathered around a restaurant table in Rochester.
No stage. No dress code. No cost. We announce the week's restaurant in advance, you reserve a free seat, and we eat, learn, and remember Jesus together. Can't make it in person? The whole gathering streams on Zoom.
- WhenSundays · 1:30 PM ET
- WhereA different Rochester restaurant weekly
- CostFree — signup required
- OnlineLive on Zoom, code 122281
Sundays · For Artists · Starts Sunday, November 1, 2026
Church and
a Movie
A church for Artists and Activists.
A new way to do church, right here in Rochester, NY. We start with a super action-packed time of worship — spoken word, song, rock, and more. Then we eat together, and then we go make something together.
- 01
Worship
Spoken word, song, rock, and more — an action-packed gathering for artists and anyone who creates.
- 02
Group meal
We share a meal together before we head out. Pay what you can.
- 03
Write, shoot & film — about 2 hours
Out in the city, the group writes, shoots, and films a fun faith-based movie and its soundtrack.
- 04
Premiere next week
The movie is edited during the week and premieres at church the next week. Everyone gets a copy to share.
SundaysFREE
Private group bookings$300 per group
ForYouth groups · schools · crews
Or reach us at contact@smsnovel.com and www.SmsNovel.com.
Free Class Series · Hosted by Rochester Affinity Church
Your Vote as an
Act of Worship
“Your vote is an act of worship of the truth or a lie.”
A free class series taught by Nicole MacBay and hosted by Rochester Affinity Church.
Bring your questions and a friend. Each session stands on its own — come to one, or come to all three remaining dates.
- TeacherNicole MacBay
- WhenThursdays · 6:30–8:00 PM
- CostFree
Meet Your Teacher
Nicole MacBay
Nicole MacBay — Rochester Affinity Church's first teacher — is a class lecturer and facilitator who teaches free classes on faith, theology, gender, and politics. An educator and school counselor with 20+ years of experience in education, student support, and community engagement, she facilitates thoughtful, engaging conversations about women's issues, current events, and local-interest topics, bringing curiosity, humor, and a respect for diverse perspectives.
Oct 22Thursday · 6:30–8:00 PM
Henrietta Public Library
625 Calkins Road
Oct 29Thursday · 6:30–8:00 PM
Pittsford Community Library
24 State Street
Nov 5Thursday · 6:30–8:00 PM
Fairport Public Library
1 Fairport Village Landing
Podcast · Listen
Hear the
Story
Missed the class, or want to hear it again? Listen to the episode from the night — and then join us in person at one of the remaining dates above.
Your Vote as an Act of Worship — Rochester Affinity Church Plant
A recap of the October 15 class at Gates Public Library — what it means to treat your vote as an act of worship, and where the series goes next: October 22 at Henrietta Public Library, October 29 at Pittsford Community Library, and November 5 at Fairport Public Library, all Thursdays 6:30–8:00 PM and all free.
Download the episode (MP3)
Michael Key: From Brownsville to a Second Chance
Michael Key tells his story in his own words — from Brownsville to a second chance after incarceration. A returning citizen whose life was rebuilt on faith, Michael now shares his testimony so other men coming home can hear it from someone who has walked the road back. His episode is the testimony at the heart of our reentry ministry in Rochester.
Download the episode (MP3) Watch on YouTubeSermons · Listen & Share
Sermon
Library
Past and recent sermons from lead church planter Jomo K. Johnson — the full sermon library from smsnovel.com/sermons, brought here so you can listen in place. Press play, and share a sermon with somebody who needs it.
Making Our Mess Our Message: Being a Continual Example of God's Grace
Our mess becomes our message when grace keeps writing the story — a sermon on living as a continual example of God's grace.
What is the Gospel?
The foundational question, answered plainly from Scripture — what the gospel is, and why it is good news.
The Gospel According to Charlottes Webb
A beloved barnyard story read through the gospel — friendship, sacrifice, and words that give life.
The Son of Man Lifted Up
Preached at Philly Open Air Church — Jesus, the Son of Man, lifted up on the cross and drawing all people to Himself.
Lawless Love
Preached at Philly Open Air Church — the love of God that breaks every boundary we put around it.
Bible Series on Suffering
Embracing God's Pain — a Bible series on suffering, and on what God is doing in us through the trials He allows.
Embracing God's Pain When It Causes Good
The series opens: the pain God allows is never wasted when He is using it for good.
Embracing God's Pain (Part 2) — The Experiment of Trials
Trials as God's testing ground — what our suffering proves, and what it produces.
Embracing God's Pain
Part three of the series — learning to receive suffering from God's hand without letting go of His goodness.
Embracing God's Pain (Part 4)
Part four — holding on to faith in the middle of the pain, not just on the other side of it.
Embracing God's Pain (Part 5)
Part five — how embraced suffering turns into comfort we can hand to somebody else.
Watch · Everything Rochester New York
Watch
Recent videos from our YouTube channel, Everything Rochester New York (@EverythingRochesterNY) — Rochester stories, faith, and life in the city. Press play, and scroll the reel for more.
Scroll sideways for more videos →
All Week Long
The Week Is
Church Too
Sunday is the table; the weeknights are the training ground. Every gathering below meets on the same Zoom — one link, one code, every night of the week.
8:00 PMNightly · ET
Contend — Nightly Book Study
Every night we open a book and the Bible together, contending for the faith once delivered to the saints — one chapter, one honest conversation at a time.
7:00 PMTuesdays · ET
Affinity Zoom — Progressives
For believers who believe the gospel has something to say about justice, mercy, and the world as it is — a Bible-first conversation, not a party meeting.
7:00 PMWednesdays · ET
Affinity Zoom — Ex-Evangelical & Deconstructing
A safe table for people sorting through what they were taught — keeping what is true in Scripture, letting go of what was never Jesus to begin with.
7:00 PMThursdays · ET
Affinity Zoom — Activists
For the marching, organizing, advocating people of God: prayer, Scripture, and staying power for the long work of loving a city.
7:00 PMFridays · ET
All-Church Zoom
The whole family in one room — updates from the plant, prayer for Rochester, and time in the Word together before the weekend.
Every Gathering · One Zoom
CODE 122281
Who It's For
come as you are.
stay as you are.
This church is being planted for people the church has not always made room for — people hurt by church, people asking hard questions, and people who are simply hungry for biblical truth and biblical justice in the same breath.
You do not have to clean up, dress up, or sign up to belong here first. Bring your doubts, your history, and your appetite — the table is where Jesus met people, and it is where we will meet you.
Rochester Affinity Church is led by Jomo K. Johnson, church planter — a Westminster-trained planter building a Bible-centered family in Rochester, one gathering at a time.
- Hurt by church There's a seat
- Deconstructing Bring questions
- New to faith Start here
- Hungry for justice Bible in hand
- Looking for home Come eat
Faith & MAGA
Faith That Tells
the Truth
Somewhere along the way, a political movement started wearing the name of Jesus. MAGA theology fuses faith with nationalism, grievance, and power — and calls it Christianity. We call it what the Bible calls it: another gospel, and not good news at all.
We do not hate people. Every person — whatever they voted for — is made in the image of God and welcome at this table. What we oppose is a theology: the lie that Jesus came to make one nation great instead of saving the world He so loved.
That is why planting new, biblical churches matters. Churches that understand MAGA theology and oppose it with an open Bible are a safeguard for the faith — and planting them is an act of protest: peaceful, prayerful, and rooted in Scripture.
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
- A theology opposed Not people
- Truth over tribe Every Sunday
- Jesus is Lord No one else
- Safeguard & protest With an open Bible
- All are welcome At this table
Contact
Say Hello
Questions about a Sunday, a Church and a Movie booking, or just want to talk faith in Rochester? Reach out — a real person reads every message.
- Emailcontact@smsnovel.com
- Call / Text240-328-5847
- Book a Callsmsnovel.youcanbook.me
- Mail36 Parkway, Rochester, NY 14608
- Webwww.SmsNovel.com
