Foreword

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Several years ago, Sis. Florence Hargrove Curtis undertook the sacred work of documenting the history of the Western New York Annual Conference in recognition of its 15th Anniversary—the establishment of the newest conference in the First Episcopal District.

Her work, A Historical View of the Churches in the Western New York African Methodist Episcopal Conference, was published during the episcopal leadership of Bishop Richard F. Norris, Sr., and Episcopal Supervisor Mother Mary Ann Norris, with Rev. James E. M. Lawrence serving as Presiding Elder.

That volume did more than catalog churches. It preserved witness. It traced the journeys of twenty congregations through 2007, capturing a record of faith, formation, and forward movement that might otherwise have been lost to time.

As we gather for the 30th Session—the Pearl Anniversary—of the Western New York Annual Conference, we do so with a deeper understanding:

We have not simply come this far by faith.

We have been carried this far by those who refused to let the record disappear.

That testimony lives in the labor, leadership, and legacy of those who built, sustained, and, in some cases, rebuilt what we now steward.

In the absence of a widely accessible electronic version of Sis. Curtis’s work, we have used available technology to scan and preserve her book in digital form. This was not a technical decision; it was a stewardship decision.

It ensures that her labor remains accessible to the entire Conference—and to the generations who will inherit what we leave behind.

Only minor edits have been made to enhance grammar and readability, including the addition of section headers for clarity across formats. Every effort has been made to preserve the integrity, tone, and intent of the original work.

This is not simply history.

It is testimony.

It is the record of a people who organized when there was no structure, who built when there were no resources, who persisted when the future was uncertain.

It is the story of churches that did more than gather—they anchored communities, sheltered the vulnerable, and carried forward a Gospel that refused to be confined.

It is our prayer that, as you engage these pages, you will see not only what has been—but what is still required.

May this record deepen your awareness of God’s faithfulness in Western New York from the 19th century to the present day. And may the lessons contained here—many of which have shaped our 30-for-30 initiative—continue to form leaders who carry the Gospel with clarity, courage, and conviction.

In His service,

Rev. Kevin T. Taylor

Host Pastor