Faith Word Fellowship - Our Church History

The Holy Ghost through David said in Psalms 127:1, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” Then in speaking on how the kingdom of God operates, the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Mark in Mark 4:28, “For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.”

These two scriptures describe and reveal what God, and only God , has done with and through Faith Word Fellowship. The conception of Faith Word Fellowship exploded into Pastors Mark and Cheryl Roberson’s hearts, the first quarter of 1997, during a time when they were enduring great trials of affliction. The year of 1996 was a very tough year for them. They had relocated from Ft. Worth, Texas, Nov. 1993, and now had been in Buffalo, NY just about 3 ½ years. Pastor Mark wasn’t seeing the ministry advance like God had spoken to him back in Texas, so he set his heart on moving back to Texas. He had not spoken to Cheryl about it as of yet, when the Lord begin tugging on his heart to do something more for Him. God gave Pastor Mark Isaiah 54:1-5, and the spirit of faith for this next move had entered Pastor Mark’s heart. God gave Pastor Cheryl the name for this next move, “Faith Word Fellowship,” and the motto: “Where Faith in the Word Leads to a More Intimate Fellowship with God.”

Pastor Mark began dreaming about a local church that would be saturated with a Faith atmosphere, a Word atmosphere and a Worship atmosphere; where Christians would be challenged to boldly go where they’ve never gone before. He began seeing a place where people would be taught to stand on the integrity of God’s Word based on Numbers 23:19; where they would come to know who they are in Christ, what they can do in Christ, what they have in Christ and where they are in Christ; where they would learn to walk in the authority that Jesus delegated to the Church. A local church where believers would learn how to flow in the Holy Ghost. A Word Church! A Faith Church! A Family Church! A church called Faith Word Fellowship!

Pastors Mark and Cheryl set out to do the impossible. With no members, no advertising, and with only a family of five, they rented a building at 1655 Kensington Ave., the corner of Century and Kensington. Faith Word Fellowship opened its doors Sunday, August 10, 1997. 50 chairs were rented for that first Sunday morning service. With only a building, no church furniture, no equipment, and only the Pastor’s family as the only members of Faith Word Fellowship, the fight of faith was on!

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:13 (New American Standard), “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore also we speak.” They then believed God for church furniture, and 25 chairs and a podium were given to them. They borrowed 25 more chairs so they could have something to speak faith to. Believing this Scripture, Pastor Mark had his family speaking to the walls, the chairs, the parking lot, the North, the South, the East and the West. They spoke and declared! Spoke and declared! During this time, Pastors Mark and Cheryl learned an important lesson of faith. You have to despise the shame! Walking by faith will, in the natural, make it seem like you’re being made a fool of! They despised the shame and stuck with it! The Word of God prevailed!

Then God begin adding to the church. Faith Word Fellowship’s first visitors came the first Sunday night service. They didn’t become members, but the threshold had been broken. Others would come, but no one committed to stay and help build a ministry for God. After 5 months, Faith Word Fellowship got its first commitment from the Watford family, who joined the second Sunday of January 1998. The next Sunday, another family committed, the Gamblin family. And God has continued to add to Faith Word Fellowship as He worked with Pastors Mark and Cheryl, and confirmed the Word that was being taught and preached at the church. And every since then, God has faithfully and systematically continued to build this ministry, an independent church that has developed its own personality; an independent church that isn’t a copy but an original that’s open to the move of God, and He’s attracted people who would be partakers of the grace that’s on this leadership, and empowered us to move toward our full harvest to obtain all He’s promised this ministry. And here we are now, challenging ourselves and challenging our faith to become more, see more, and obtain more! To God be all the glory!