The Reverend Curtis Hamilton has seen this ministry grow from its humble beginning to its present location at 299 East Utica Street, Buffalo, New York. It was in the summer of 1980, under the leadership of the late Bishop James A. Dockery, that he received a call to seek the lost at any cost. Consequently, at the leading of the Holy Spirit, he moved from 800 Sycamore Street and began preaching at his sister’s home at Dodge and Michigan Avenue. This are was known for its activities: people engaged in drinking, gambling, and after-hour social activities. Here, he had a captive audience and he began preaching and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Hamilton was led to seek a more suitable place of worship and after some time, at 120 Laurel Street, Word of Faith COGIC was born. The Lord filled the house with His presence and with many converted souls. The church remained in that location for about 1 and ½ years. The ministry grew from a membership of 5 to 45 which exceeded the seating capacity, so the church began seeking a larger facility. In 1983, the Lord directed young Pastor Hamilton to 299 East Utica Street, the church’s current location. The building was formerly used as a post office with a purpose of postmarking letters for mail, but the time had come to convert it into a cathedral with the purpose of marking souls for eternal life. Upon renovation, 299 E Utica Street became a soul-saving station for the lost and a haven for saints to grow in grace.
In 1995 the current building was built with a seating capacity of over 400 people. Later, the church’s name was legally changed from Word of Faith COGIC to Word of Faith Church due to some differences in Scriptural interpretation. The church has a variety of ministries, each of which serves a vital role in building and sustaining the house of God. Pastor Curtis A. Hamilton maintained the Great Commission vision, “to train an army of men and women, going forth winning souls for Christ.” The vision of the church continues to with the desire to meet the needs of this community through the message of the gospel of Christ.
In 2019 Pastor Hamilton passed the mantle of preaching and the role of lead pastor to his son and fellow elder, Mark Hamilton. Since 2019 Pastor Mark Hamilton along with elders Curtis Hamilton and Cyrus Hines has continued to pursue the mission of the Great Commission through faithful preaching/teaching, strengthening the believers, making disciples, and leading the church into biblical reformation by the Word of God. The church’s name change was in the works for some time. After explaining to the congregation the connection the former name had with false teachers and false doctrine, Word of Faith Church became Faithful Stones Church. Bearing fruit in keeping with repentance we not only changed the church name but also saw the necessity for continued renewal and reform. As the Lord faithfully builds his church in every era and age, we remember, repent, and reform. We welcome this message of reformation. Semper Reformanda - "always reforming." Our desire is not to honor tradition or heritage over clear scriptural teaching but to humble ourselves and submit to the authority of the sacred text. Far from changing or introducing new doctrines but rather continuing in sound doctrine to further define, understand, and hold to what God has already providentially provided the church (2 Tim 3:14). Faithful Stones Church is a community of believers crying out in the city, for the city. His name and renown are the desire of our soul (Isaiah 26:8).
For Christ, by Christ, in Christ.
