A Reconciling Congregation on North Buffalo Road

On the north side of Orchard Park, New York, just beyond the village green and a short drive from the Lake Erie shoreline, a brick sanctuary on North Buffalo Road has been the gathering place for The United Methodist Church of Orchard Park. The church identifies itself as a Reconciling Congregation, an open door it has made official through the Reconciling Ministries Network. Its welcome statement is plain about who belongs: people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, of every age, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, level of education, and family structure, and of every economic, immigration, marital, and social status. The statement also names the work that follows the welcome, committing members to the pursuit of justice and to standing in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.

That commitment shapes more than the welcome card. It is woven into the church's outreach, its sermons, and an entire program the congregation calls Imagine No Racism. It is also visible in the way the church organizes its life around the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, a framework drawn from Bishop Robert Schnase that has guided the people of Orchard Park UMC for years.

Sunday Morning at 10:30

Worship at Orchard Park UMC is a single traditional gathering that meets each Sunday at 10:30 AM. The service is labeled on the church's materials as Traditional, signaling a liturgy that draws on the historic patterns of Methodism rather than a contemporary praise band format. Music is led from the piano and organ by Bailey Daly, who has played the piano for eighteen years and has been serving as a church organist for ten. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education and a Master's degree in Piano Performance, both from the Fredonia School of Music, and teaches elementary school orchestra in the West Seneca Schools.

For those who cannot attend in person, the service is livestreamed and archived on the church's YouTube channel, where past services can be watched or replayed. A link to the livestream is posted on the worship page. Visitors driving in for the first time will find the building at 3700 N. Buffalo Road, with directions available through the church's Google Maps link.

The People in the Pews and at the Pulpit

The congregation is currently pastored by Rev. Dr. Gladstone Ewart Morris, a retired Elder in the United Methodist Church. He was ordained a Deacon in 1994 and an Elder in 1998, and he served with congregations in the Upper New York Conference and its predecessor body, the Western New York Conference before retiring from active itinerant ministry in November 2020. His passion in ministry, as described by the church, has been the desire to see the church grow and mature as a multiethnic congregation and to reach its community with the love of Jesus Christ, with particular attention to serving the needs of the least fortunate regardless of their affiliation with the church. While the church's own materials indicate that a new pastor is anticipated, the language also makes clear that the work of nurturing disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world continues alongside the bishop and the conference.

Behind the scenes, Mary Willis serves as Office Administrator, and Maria Galley serves as custodian. Prayer requests can be submitted to the church office for inclusion in the weekly NewsFlash.

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations

The church's About page describes its ministry as an outworking of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations identified by Bishop Robert Schnase: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk Taking Mission, and Extravagant Generosity. Each practice has its own section of the church's online home, with regular activities gathered under each heading.

Radical Hospitality is the practice behind the Reconciling Congregation welcome. Passionate Worship centers on the 10:30 AM Sunday gathering and the livestream that extends it beyond the sanctuary walls. Intentional Faith Development gathers small groups, women, and seniors. Risk Taking Mission carries the church outside its building. Extravagant Generosity is expressed in regular financial giving to United Methodist special Sundays and to local outreach.

Reaching Out Beyond the Walls

Outreach is one of the most visible parts of life at Orchard Park UMC, and the church has built partnerships that span the Buffalo region.

Clara's Closet. Clara's Closet is a no-cost shop serving more than 1,100 low-income and refugee families in Buffalo, housed at Central Park United Methodist Church. Orchard Park UMC supports the effort by collecting items for the shop. Two members of the congregation serve as contacts, Candy at 716-649-1654 and Carolyn at 716-648-1179. Inquiries about the ministry can also be sent to info@clarascloset.info.

Acts of Kindness (AOK) Angel Tree. Each year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the church adopts local families in need for gift giving through the Angel Tree Mission, a beloved seasonal tradition in the congregation.

Seneca Street UMC. The church partners with this Buffalo mission site throughout the year by collecting household items and seasonal clothing. Volunteers also help with the annual Christmas Shoppe and donate gifts.

St. Pauly Textile donation shed. The shed on the church property is open for donations of used clothing, shoes, sneakers, belts, purses, linens, pillowcases, blankets, and curtains. Furniture, electronics, household items, dishes, books, toys, stuffed animals, garbage, pillows, rags, and fabric scraps are not accepted.

United Women in Faith and the Senior OWLS

Intentional Faith Development at Orchard Park UMC takes shape through long-standing small communities. The local unit of United Women in Faith describes itself as a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. The unit connects to the Niagara Frontier District, whose newsletter is shared with the congregation. Members of United Women in Faith occasionally bring the sermon, as they have on United Women in Faith Sunday and Earth Day.

The Senior OWLS, whose name stands for Older, Wiser, Livelier Seniors, gather once a month for food and fellowship. Anyone interested in attending or wanting the location of a given luncheon can call the church office at 716-662-7912.

The Sewing Circle on Thursday Mornings

One of the longest-running small groups at the church is the Sewing Circle, an ecumenical group that meets every Thursday at the church. Doors open at 9:30 AM and close around 2:30 PM, with members bringing their own lunch and drink. Over the years the group has produced quilts, blankets, pillowcases, and other projects that have been given to organizations, to families in need, and to AOK families. Knitters and crocheters are as welcome as sewers. Questions about the group can be directed to Carolyn at 716-648-1179.

Imagine No Racism

Imagine No Racism is the church's sustained response to what its own page describes as the United Methodist Church's failure to move from pronouncements and prayer to action on racism, white privilege, and white supremacy. The page acknowledges that these realities remain inconsistent with the kingdom of God and that the Church has often appeared complicit in perpetuating them. The goal, drawn from the Upper New York Conference, is for churches and connectional organizations to show a real increase in mission and ministries that impact racial justice in churches and communities.

The page draws on resources from the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) and R-Squared, and it points to a long list of books, articles, podcasts, videos, and studies that members can use for further learning. Titles include I'm Black. I'm Christian. I'm Methodist., White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, America's Original Sin by Jim Wallis, White Kids by Margaret A. Hagerman, Raising White Kids by Jennifer Harvey, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and Pushout by Monique W. Morris. A link to a spreadsheet of Support Local Black Buffalo Businesses invites members to direct their everyday spending toward racial equity in the region.

Generosity That Spreads Beyond Orchard Park

Financial giving is offered both online and in person. Online gifts can be made through PayPal at paypal.com/paypalme/opumc and through the church's eServicePayments page. Beyond supporting the church's own ministry and outreach, members give to a set of United Methodist Special Sundays that connect Orchard Park to the wider denomination. These include Human Relations Day, Peace with Justice Sunday, UMCOR Sunday (the United Methodist Committee on Relief, marking eighty years of disaster response grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ), World Communion Sunday, Native American Ministries Sunday, and United Methodist Student Day. Stories of impact from these gifts are posted at UMC.org/yourimpact.

Visiting Orchard Park UMC

First-time visitors will find the church at 3700 N. Buffalo Road in Orchard Park. The single Sunday service begins at 10:30 AM and is identified as Traditional. Parking is on site, with directions available through the church's Google Maps link. The service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and recordings of past sermons are archived there for replay. Prayer requests can be submitted through the church's online form, and the office can be reached at 716-662-7912 or opumc@verizon.net. The church's beliefs align with those of The United Methodist Church, and its own beliefs and denominational handbook are linked from the Fast Facts and FAQs page. As a Reconciling Congregation, Orchard Park UMC makes clear at the threshold that people of every background and identity are welcomed into its life and ministry.