From Cayuga Creek Schoolhouse to Broadway
On Saturday, February 17, 1818, a small group of settlers gathered in Miss Freelove Johnson's schoolhouse, near what is now Broadway and Cemetery Road in the settlement of Cayuga Creek, to organize a new church under the Presbytery of Niagara. Led by Rev. James Mills, the meeting produced thirteen charter members of the Presbyterian Society of Cayuga Creek, the first religious society in the settlement and the seed of what is today Lancaster Presbyterian Church, commonly shortened to LPC.
Buffalo, to the west, was still a small village, and the surrounding country was being carved out of woods and meadow by settlers moving west from New England. In 1828 the church called its first pastor, Rev. James Remington, and growth soon required a building of its own. A site at the center of the new settlement was donated by Joseph Carpenter, and after a New England tour in search of design ideas, construction began in June 1831. Oak and maple timbers came from the Hitchcock and Robinson families, while other beams were salvaged from the wreck of the Walk-in-the-Water, the first steamship on the Great Lakes. The sanctuary was completed in December 1832 at a cost of just over three thousand dollars. A bell cast in Buffalo by Adam Good was hoisted into a Christopher Wren style steeple, and for nearly two centuries its ringing has continued to mark Sunday mornings in the village of Lancaster.
In 1833 the Town of Lancaster was formed by splitting off the southern portion of the Town of Clarence, and the village was incorporated in 1849. The church sat at the geographic heart of that village for generations. By 1852 a brick chapel was added to the west of the sanctuary for prayer meetings and small services, and in 1891 a manse was built beside it for Rev. William Waith and his family. After fifty years of ministry, Dr. Waith was formally installed as called pastor in 1901. When he retired in 1911 he had served continuously for sixty years.
The twentieth century brought a brick educational wing known as Waith Memorial Hall in 1925, a westward educational addition in 1968 to accommodate a Sunday school large enough to overflow into the Elks' building across Lake Avenue, and a 1990s sanctuary renovation that added a balcony and air conditioning. Through decades of growth and seasons of difficulty, including the Depression years and a lengthy court battle over church property, LPC has remained at 5461 Broadway in the village of Lancaster, with much of its original footprint intact. In June 2008 the congregation voted unanimously to withdraw from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and to align themselves with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. After a property settlement in the spring of 2010 and a mortgage paid off in the fall of 2014, the church directed its full attention outward, supporting a growing list of mission partners and reinvesting in the building.
Sunday Mornings at 9:30
The congregation gathers for a single Sunday morning service at 9:30 a.m. in the sanctuary on Broadway, with a Sunday School and Adult Education hour to follow at 10:45 a.m. Worship style alternates from week to week. One Sunday offers a traditional service led by the church organist and Chancel Choir, drawing on the church's historic hymnal, and the next offers a blended service that mixes contemporary songs led by the LPC Worship Team with hymns accompanied by the organ and choir.
Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month, with the elements distributed by the elders and deacons. The Order of Service includes prayer, congregational singing, expository preaching, and a time of giving, and bulletins for every Sunday are archived going back years. Music Sunday in May and Confirmation Sunday in June add variety to the regular calendar, alongside a Resurrection Sunday celebration and a Maundy Thursday service during Holy Week.
The preaching is built around the text of Scripture rather than the preacher's preferences, and a rotating bench of preachers works through books of the Bible week after week, including extended series through First Samuel, Jonah, Philippians, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Easter texts. Pastor Kelly, Director of Youth and Music Ministries Raffi Wright, Ed Kuffel, Gaelen Negus, Bill Cuthbertson, Larry Wolf, and occasional guests such as Rev. Fred Greco each take regular turns in the pulpit.
Childcare is always available during the worship service for children up to kindergarten age, and the doors are open well before the service so that families can settle in. The service is livestreamed every Sunday on the church's YouTube channel, and recordings remain available for later viewing.
The Sunday School Hour at 10:45
Immediately after worship, the building fills with a different kind of noise, laughter, and a parade of children heading downstairs to Sunday School. Classes meet from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. on Sundays from September through early June. Sunday School is offered for every child from nursery through eighth grade, with grade levels paired so that first and second graders share a room, third and fourth share another, and so on. Each class is staffed by two adult members of the congregation, generally with no more than fifteen students per room.
The Bible curriculum comes from Great Commission Publications and emphasizes character formation through the teachings of Jesus. Parents of infants through age three may keep their children with them on the premises during this hour, and older children move into their own classrooms. The lower level care is in addition to the nursery provided during worship, so that families who attend both the 9:30 service and the 10:45 hour have a consistent place for little ones.
Adults have their own menu at the same hour. The new program year begins with a Survey of Church History video series from Ligonier Ministries taught by Dr. Robert Godfrey, with discussion of figures such as Polycarp, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, and the Emperor Constantine. A second adult class called Journey through the One Year Chronological Bible reads the entire Bible in a year in a group setting, gathering on Sundays to review the week's readings. Coffee is always on hand in Waith Fellowship Hall. A third option, Mighty Warriors, is led by Elder Sharon Miller for differently abled young men on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, and teaches from Henry and Tom Blackaby's book The Man God Uses alongside a study of the Ten Commandments.
Wednesday Family Night and Awana
Wednesday evenings at LPC revolve around the family. The Wednesday Family Night schedule runs like clockwork: pizza dinner from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m., followed by Awana Clubs and an adult small group in parallel from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Pizza comes from Picasso's, and families are asked to contribute a dollar per slice, though no one is turned away. The atmosphere is intentionally intergenerational, with greeters welcoming both long-time members and first-time visitors into the same room.
Children heading to Awana split off by age group. Cubbies (ages three through PreK) meet in the main church building, while Sparks (kindergarten through second grade) and Truth and Training (third through sixth grade) meet across Lake Avenue in the Potters House, the church's secondary facility at 5477 Broadway. The acronym Awana stands for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed, taken from 2 Timothy 2:15, and the program combines Scripture memory, engaging lessons, and high energy games designed to make Bible truth stick. Children wear the trademark Awana uniform, recite verses for their leaders, and earn awards as they progress through the handbook. Nursery care for children age two and under is available so that parents can attend the adult small group alongside older siblings in Awana.
For adults, the Wednesday night small group focuses on marriage, parenting, and family life, with curriculum rotating between formal study material and open-share fellowship nights. Topics have included supporting parents and families in the community, and the group is structured to grow by subdividing into smaller clusters as more people join. Cancellations follow Lancaster Central School District. If schools close, so does Awana.
Investing in the Next Generation
LPC's youth ministry is built around a conviction that parents and the church share the task of raising children in the Christian faith. The Junior and Senior High Youth Group, for students in seventh through twelfth grade, gathers twice a month on the second and fourth Saturdays of the school year, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Waith Fellowship Hall. Each evening begins with dinner, often cooked together on site and occasionally ordered in, before transitioning into a Bible discussion, small group time, and games. The leadership team includes both mature young adults and seasoned Christians who shepherd the group and walk alongside students during retreats, mission trips, and service projects.
In recent years the youth have traveled to one of the poorest counties in Kentucky for an annual summer mission trip, with leaders also building service partnerships closer to home through Good Neighbors Health Care and Buffalo City Mission. Students in seventh through twelfth grade are invited to serve alongside adults in church ministries as childcare assistants, ushers, greeters, and Vacation Bible School helpers. Confirmation Class, taught during the Sunday School hour by Ed and Diane Carlsen along with Pastor Kelly, walks committed students through the basics of the Christian faith and the distinctives of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Participants write a declaration of faith presented to the Session each spring, and Confirmation Sunday in June closes the year with the whole congregation celebrating the milestone.
Middle and high school students also have access to weekend retreats in both winter and spring, and the Confirmation Class in particular looks forward to an annual wilderness canoe trip into Algonquin Park in Ontario each summer. Younger children in third through sixth grade have their own weekend retreat available as well.
Dessert and Bible for Young Adults
College students and young professionals have a gathering of their own. DaB, short for Dessert and Bible, meets Monday evenings for college and career age young adults, hosted in member homes around the village and facilitated by Gaelen Negus. From June through mid-August the group meets every Monday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., often with plenty of time for games and conversation around the dessert table. From September through May it gathers twice a month. The goal is to give young adults a relaxed setting in which to work through hard questions about the Bible and how it speaks to college and workplace pressures. A GroupMe chat keeps regulars in the loop between meetings.
A Music Ministry That Leads with the Organ
Music is central to life at LPC, both because of the building's pipe organ and because of the people who fill the loft and the front pews. The Music Ministry aims to glorify God and to edify his people for the furtherance of the gospel and the advancement of his kingdom, framing every rehearsal and Sunday as a chance to encourage a Spirit filled life devoted to following Christ. Worship here is theological more than stylistic. The team chooses songs that are theologically sound, gospel centered, and Christ magnifying, drawing on a mix of historic hymns and contemporary praise.
The Chancel Choir sings at every service, alternating between the traditional and blended Sundays, and welcomes adults and youth from middle school age and older. They rehearse on Sunday mornings before services. The Worship Team, a rotating ensemble of instrumentalists and vocalists, leads the blended services and rehearses Wednesday evenings after Family Night and on Sunday mornings. The Adult Bell Choir, made up of youth and adults, rings once a month in worship and at other venues around Western New York, rehearsing at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings in the Music Room beneath the sanctuary. The Cherub Choir, LPC's choir for children and youth, rehearses during Family Nights and contributes special music to services several times a year. Behind it all stands the church's pipe organ, played most Sundays by Raffi Wright, as well as for weddings, funerals, and special services. Visitors interested in joining any ensemble are encouraged to contact the Music Director at raffi@l-p-c.org.
Small Groups and Adult Ministries
Small groups are the backbone of LPC's ministry to adults. Most small groups are mixed men and women and draw from every stage of faith development, with groups meeting on different days and at different times to fit working schedules. Adult small groups meet approximately twice a month in members' homes from October through April, gathering around a meal, the pastor's most recent sermon, Bible study, and prayer. A separate Young Adult Small Group for those in their twenties and early thirties meets in the Carlsen home, hosted by Ryan and Kayli Carlsen, with dinner starting at 6:00 p.m. and discussion running until around 8:30 p.m.
Ladies Bible and Brunch meets during the fall, hosting women of all ages for a few hours of teaching, food, and conversation. Recent studies have walked through Christ's own words from the Gospel of John, with a small donation requested for the meal, and the gatherings also collect personal care items for PATH, a regional anti-trafficking ministry. The Men's Ministry gathers for Bible study during the school year and for periodic Fellowship Brunch events. Men's and women's Bible study groups meet separately to create space for honest accountability and shared encouragement, with a break for the summer months.
Summer Camp at Camp Duffield
Each summer the church sends dozens of children to Camp Duffield for a week of outdoor fun and concentrated Bible teaching. LPC has upheld this camp tradition for over fifty years, and the program is open to students completing third through sixth grade, with an Outpost program available for those finishing seventh and eighth grades. The week begins with check-in on a Sunday afternoon and ends with check-out on a Friday morning. Third through sixth graders sleep in cabins with bunk beds under the supervision of counselors who are eighteen or older. Seventh and eighth graders sleep in tents supplied by the camp. Swimming in the camp's pond is supervised by a certified lifeguard, and family-style meals are served in the dining hall. The camp's theme rotates each year. Recent themes have focused on Jesus as the living water who satisfies us forever. Registration fees help cover food and camp rental, with confirmation typically opening in the spring.
Reaching Beyond the Village
Missions are an integral part of LPC's identity, with an annual mission conference, a dedicated missions budget of forty thousand dollars, and a long list of partner ministries in Western New York and around the world. Locally the church supports Buffalo City Mission, which serves the homeless and hurting of the region, CompassCare, which offers compassionate care and information to women facing unplanned pregnancy, Cross Training Athletics, which builds character through sports and uses the gym in LPC's Potters House, and Harvest House, with its Good Neighbors Health Care clinic, New Hope Education Center, and children's ministries. Other regional partners include International Students, Inc. Buffalo, Urban Christian Ministries, the International Association for Refugees, PATH, Kairos Prison Ministry, and Reformed Evangelistic Fellowship.
Internationally, LPC walks with EPC World Outreach, the church planting mission agency of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, alongside Global Outreach International, Serge, and United World Mission. The annual Mission Conference brings many of these partners to the church for a weekend of teaching and report-back, and small groups adopt specific missionaries for regular prayer. Members also participate in short-term service trips, including the annual youth mission trip to Kentucky.
Becoming a Member
Anyone interested in joining LPC is invited to a New Members Class taught by Elder Ed Carlsen Jr. and his wife Diane, offered periodically through the year. The class meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., typically runs for a handful of weeks, and walks newcomers through the church's beliefs, governance, and expectations of membership in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Graduates who wish to join are presented to the Session, the body of elected ruling elders that provides spiritual oversight for the congregation, and welcomed into membership during a Sunday morning service.
The Staff and the Session
LPC's day-to-day ministry is led by its pastor, Rev. Kelly Negus, who joined the congregation in 2006. Under his ministry the church deepened its commitment to expository preaching, grew its youth and small group ministry, and shepherded the denomination transition that brought the church out of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Raffi Wright serves as Director of Youth and Music Ministries, joining LPC in November of 2024 after completing a Master of Divinity and an Advanced Certificate in Biblical Worship at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music. He also provides organ music for traditional services, weddings, and funerals. Marie Babcock manages the church's schedule as Administrative Assistant. The Clerk of Session is William Stortz. Beth Manley serves as Moderator of the Deacons, a board whose calling is to minister to those in need, the sick, the friendless, and anyone in distress. Dennis Cole serves as Moderator of the Trustees, who oversee the buildings and grounds. Paul Yates, the church custodian, also plays bass on the Worship Team and was inducted to the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame in 2025. The Session, the board of elected ruling elders that governs the church, includes named ministry leaders such as Ed and Diane Carlsen, who teach Confirmation, and Sharon Miller, who leads the Mighty Warriors adult Sunday School class.
The church office at 5461 Broadway in Lancaster is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the school year and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in July and August. Giving is available online through the church's giving portal, and worship services continue to be broadcast live on YouTube, with recordings of past sermons archived for later viewing.