Close

Mission’s Minded

Missions all year long!

Events

2023

Harvest Sunday
2023 Theme
Trunk or Treat

YouTube Sermon Series

Watch Now!

Pastor’s Most Recent Sermon

“Setting the House on Fire”

JOIN OUR NEHEMIAH SERIES, CONTINUED EACH WEEK!

“A Vision for Our Church”

Word from the Pastor

Each month Pastor shares his thoughts with a “Word from the Pastor” section in our printed bulletin. We wanted to post them here for you to enjoy as well!

October 2023

The Colors of Love

This month is a time of harvest and colors. The growing period is done and it is time to gather. Jesus even said, “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields: for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35) and “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few” (Matt.9:37).

Jesus is obviously referring to the harvest of humanity, who are ready to receive the Gospel; the problem is not enough laborers getting out into the field to do such a noble harvest.

What about the color of the trees that will begin to change in the coming weeks? The US Forest Service says, “Three factors influence autumn leaf color: leaf pigments, length of night and weather…and is primarily regulated by the calendar as nights become longer… and cooler, biochemical processes in the leaf begin to paint the landscape with Nature’s autumn palette. As night length increases in the autumn, chlorophyll production slows down and then stops and eventually all the chlorophyll is destroyed. The carotenoids (yellow, orange, and brown) and anthocyanin (color for fruit) that are present in the leaf are then unmasked and show their colors.”

So, while we enjoy the beauty of such colors, they point to the fact that the night is coming, winter is coming, cold is coming, and they are dying. At the moment of their own “falling” from the source of their tree sap, they are bursting with radiant and lush colors.

Here is the lesson, and Jesus again is the teacher. “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). While all around us the nighttime darkness is getting longer and the warmth of human hearts is getting cooler, we need to shine as bright and beautiful examples of Christ with love, patience, and diligence. We may be hurting, frustrated with difficult circumstances that are depleting our resources, but we can radiate the love Christ before it is too late.

Ministries

Life Stage Sunday School

For all ages.

Nursery

Birth – 2yrs old.

Teen Group and Class

Ages 12 – 19.

Mens/Ladies Meetings

Casual times of fellowship, breakfast, and practical challenge.

Childrens Ministries

An age approriate children’s program that takes place during our normal church services.

Seniors Fellowships

A casual time of fellowship, singing, fun, and a wonderful meal followed by a practical Biblical challenge.

Prayer Meetings

A casual time of fellowship, singing, fun, and a wonderful meal followed by a practical Biblical challenge.

Visitation

Visiting shut-ins, the sick, and getting the Gospel out in our community.

History

The Friendliest Church In Town

Center Road Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church founded in August, 1966 by Pastor Barney Lee, with his wife, Lillian, and their three children, Kenny, Patty and Jenny, by his side. Upon graduating from Bible College while still in Michigan, Dr. Lee originally had planned on going to Chicago to start a church, hearing it was a needy area. He believed God closed that door, so, upon hearing Buffalo, NY was also a needy place, he decided to investigate further.

Dr. Lee followed his calling and on July 4th, 1966, the Lee family moved from Pontiac, Michigan to West Seneca, New York. On August 14th, the church began in the Odd Fellows Hall, 104 Aurora Avenue, under the name Buffalo Baptist Temple. Ten months later, the building was greatly damaged by fire caused by a teenage gang and it became necessary to change locations. For over three years, the church met in the Masonic Temple at Main and Mill streets. In 1968, the church purchased 6 6/8 acres of land on Center Road in West Seneca and, as Pastor Lee wanted a name that would identify its location more, changed the name to Center Road Baptist Church.

Many notable miracles took place in establishing the church, building the new building, establishing a school, and overcoming overwhelming opposition from both outside and sadly, inside as well. Dr. Lee recorded many of these precious and powerful incidents in his booklet, Remembering the Miracles. On Palm Sunday, 1971, the church moved into the new building on Center Road. Sunday School classes met on the lower level of the building on a crushed stone floor. The upper level had only a plywood subfloor and the only heating system was an overhead garage-type heater.

By 1973, the average weekly attendance was 325! Nine bus routes had developed, which brought in most of the people. In September of that same year, the Day Care began and in 1974, the Center Road Christian Academy was born. The goals of the ministry were to reach families and provide for their needs. Additionally, the church supported twenty missionaries and six home mission projects!

In 1995, nearly thirty years after starting the church, Pastor Lee became the Pastor Emeritus and Pastor Bill Livermore became the new pastor. His wife is Mrs. Jenny (Lee) Livermore, Pastor Lee’s daughter. He was pastoring a small church in Buffalo, and, when they came to Center Road with their two sons, Bill and Sam, they brought several of the people from that church with them. The Livermore family was at Center Road for twenty years, in which time three other churches were established in: Bradford, PA, Warren, PA, and Salamanca, NY.

The pastor of the Salamanca work – Center Street Baptist Church, was Ed Darling. In 2016 he and his wife Rita assumed the leadership of Center Road once Bro. Livermore resigned and took the pastorate in Warren, PA. In turn, Bro. Darling’s son-in-law assumed the pastorate of Center Street. After two years, Bro. Darling, struggling with health issues, resigned the pastorate and, after the deacons led the church for some time, welcomed Robert Perrotti on as Interim Pastor in October of 2019.

The history of Center Road Baptist is still being written. What Pastor Lee called the “Friendliest Church in Town” has a renewed mission of “Speaking the Truth in Love”! We strive to be and do those things in truth and are always excited for the opportunity of new folks to experience them.

Missions

Fulfilling the Great Commission

We have an active missions program where folks give by faith over and above their tithe to support those who have dedicated their lives to serve God in the area of missions. We also have a missions conference each year where we try to give missionaries a platform to present their work and increase their support.

Contact

Keep In Touch

Tel.: +1.716.675.6545

412 Center Rd
West Seneca, NY 14224

United States

centerroadbaptistoffice@gmail.com
www.centerroadbaptist.com