Amherst Baptist Church sits on Willow Ridge Drive in the Town of Amherst, just north of Buffalo, where it has been the area's Southern Baptist presence since 1961. The church's motto is three words: Thrive. Multiply. Be Joy-Filled. Everything about the church, from a packed weekly schedule to a food pantry serving roughly eighty families a month, flows out of that vision of becoming "a thriving, multiplying, joy-filled follower of Jesus Christ whose understanding of God is always deepening."
A History from Bible Study to Miracle Sanctuary
The fellowship that became Amherst Baptist Church began in the fall of 1957 as a modest Bible study of transplanted Southern Baptists. Four years later, in 1961, the group organized as Amherst Baptist Church, and in 1963 they built what was the first Southern Baptist building in the Northeast, a structure that still serves as the nursery wing today. A two-story educational building followed in 1969, and in 1981 the congregation dedicated the "Miracle Sanctuary" that remains the main worship space.
Over the decades, Amherst Baptist has helped start several other churches throughout the region and is currently planting a church in the Sheridan Parkside neighborhood of Tonawanda. The building has also long been a home for other congregations: since the early 2000s, a Russian-language fellowship called Blagodat - The Church of Blessing has shared the facility, and most recently the church hosted a small Tamil-language congregation from Sri Lanka.
Two Pastors, One Pulpit
A distinctive feature of Amherst Baptist is its shared pastoral model. Co-Pastors Scott Gillette and Eric Napoli have served the congregation together since January 2015, splitting preaching duties and dividing other responsibilities according to their gifts.
Pastor Eric Napoli grew up in the church's youth ministry, joining as an elementary student in 1982. He felt a call to ministry in high school, began working with the youth of the church in the spring of 1991, was licensed to the gospel ministry in 1997, and was ordained in 2000. He completed his Master of Divinity at Liberty University in 2012 and is pursuing a Doctor of Education at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Kathryn have eight children, and he serves as a church planter with the Sheridan Parkside Community Church and its Life Center for the low-income community.
Pastor Scott Gillette came to ministry after seventeen years in the automotive industry. Convinced through the book "Halftime" and the "Experiencing God" Bible study that God had something more meaningful for him, he left that career in 2001 and volunteered at Amherst Baptist. He became the church's administrator in June 2005 and a co-pastor in January 2015. He and his wife Laura have been married for forty years and have one son.
Sunday Mornings and the Week Around Them
The Sunday worship service runs from 9:45 to 11:15 AM and is followed by DNA (Discussion and Application) groups that meet immediately after the sermon to dig into the message together. Separate DNA groups are available for men, women, college students, and others.
The rest of the week is equally full. Monday mornings bring a men's prayer time from 9:30 to 10:30. Wednesday is Bible-study heavy, with a women's Bible study from 9:30 to 11:30 AM and AWANA for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade from 6:30 to 8 PM during the fall and winter semesters. A Zoom Bible study meets Thursday evenings at 7:30 during the same months.
For those who cannot attend in person, services are streamed online, and giving is available through the church's online portal.
Raising the Next Generation
Amherst Baptist takes seriously the work of forming the next generation. Nursery care is available for children from three months to three years old. Children's Church is offered for Pre-K and kindergarteners during the sermon. After the service, Sunday School gathers kids ages two through sixth grade for Bible lessons and activities. AWANA, on Wednesday evenings during the school year, includes scripture memory, mission lessons, games, and awards. A weeklong summer Vacation Bible School rounds out the year for K through 6 students.
Youth in grades six through twelve meet for a Friday night gathering that runs from 6:30 to 9:30 PM and includes activities, Bible studies, and games, building a community of leaders and disciples.
Adults find community on Sunday mornings and continue growing through the week. Small groups meet weekly or bi-weekly for fellowship and Bible study, and weekly Bible studies are held throughout the school year. Prime Time, a monthly fellowship for those fifty and older, gathers on the third Tuesday evening for a meal, a short devotion, and often a game or outing.
New Beginnings Food Pantry
A major community ministry is the New Beginnings Food Pantry, which exists "to express the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to those from the community in need." Operating out of the church building and serving the 14228 and 14051 zip codes, the pantry partners with the Food Bank of WNY and others and currently serves about eighty families each month, along with a limited clothes pantry. It is run entirely by volunteers and opens Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 PM, on the second and fourth Friday mornings from 9 to 11 AM (with the first Friday by appointment only), and on the third Saturday of the month from 9:45 to 11:45 AM.
Missions and the Wider Church
The Missions ministry supports both local and international outreach, with recent trips including the Holy Land. The church also partners with the Frontier Baptist Association, regularly hosts associational gatherings, and has historically helped establish other churches throughout Western New York. Across everything it does, the congregation points back to its motto, inviting every member to thrive, to multiply, and to be joy-filled.