At 6969 Strickler Road in Clarence Center, Buffalo New Hope Korean Presbyterian Church is known for a distinctive combination of Korean Presbyterian life and an English Ministry, with an affiliated Korean School extending the church's teaching into the Buffalo community. Founded in 1998, the congregation serves second-generation Korean families, Korean-language learners, foreign learners, and English-speaking participants through worship, Christian education, Bible study, spiritual formation, music, missions, and ministries for children, youth, university students, young adults, and seniors.
Two Languages, One Church Life
The church's Korean identity is evident in its name, Korean-language ministries, Korean School, and worship music. Alongside that identity, the English Ministry gives the congregation a clear English-language expression through worship, Christian education, Bible study, music, and organized activities for children, youth, university students, and young adults. Its mission statement is concise: “reflect the love of Jesus Christ in the church, community, and world.”
That statement connects the church's internal worship life with its outward service. The same love is expressed through mission trips, Vacation Bible School, Bible-based discussion, and opportunities to grow together. The English Ministry's place within Buffalo New Hope is visible in practical ways: its Sunday worship takes place in the church's Main Sanctuary, and its programs extend from childhood through young adulthood.
Sunday at 10:00 in the Main Sanctuary
The English Ministry Sunday service runs from 10:00 to 10:50 a.m. in the Main Sanctuary. The English Ministry's wider programming includes Christian education, Bible study, and music, giving the service a teaching and congregational emphasis beyond the sermon. For an English-speaking visitor, that time and location provide a clear point of entry into the church's weekly rhythm.
The church is at 6969 Strickler Rd., Clarence Center, NY 14032, and its telephone number is (716) 741-6107. Directions to the church are available. In-person worship proceeds with safety precautions, and online worship is also available for those joining from elsewhere. The English Ministry's children's, youth, university, and young-adult programs give families additional ways to connect with the church during the same Sunday rhythm.
The larger worship life of the church is also carried by Korean-language preaching and singing, with sermon recordings extending back to 2017. The church maintains a substantial collection of sermons, worship videos, special songs, and other ministry material, allowing congregants and visitors to revisit its teaching and music.
What the Church Teaches
Across its preaching, New Hope describes the church in distinctly biblical terms. Its members are called the body of Christ, a people built into a spiritual dwelling place by the Holy Spirit. The church teaches that this body has apostolicity, universality, holiness, and unity. These qualities accompany a message about the authority of God's Word, the church's mission to the world, the necessity of holiness, and the responsibility of each part of the body to care for the others.
The church repeatedly returns to God's grace in Jesus Christ. Its teaching connects the cross with reconciliation between people and God, freedom from condemnation, forgiveness, and the giving of new life. Sermons call listeners to repent, renew their minds, pursue holiness, pray continually, give thanks, and live as people shaped by God's word. The recurring message is not only about what happens in heaven but about how a church is formed, how it lives together, and how it carries the good news into the world.
The church's preaching also places everyday response alongside doctrine. The good news is to be announced and obeyed: people are called to love neighbors, forgive, pray for those who persecute them, share possessions with people in need, worship God, and pursue peace. Messages on the Holy Spirit describe the Spirit as the one who reveals God's identity, teaches and sanctifies the church, and gives assurance and hope amid suffering.
Family life is treated as an important place of spiritual formation. The church's teaching presents the home as a place to center life on God, communicate with love, honor parents, guide children with instruction and faith, and build a shared life of prayer and devotion. That emphasis connects family discipleship with the church's wider teaching on holiness, spiritual maturity, and a life directed toward God's purpose.
A long collection of sermon recordings extends back to 2017 and includes biblical expositions on Romans, Philippians, Acts, Mark, John, Ruth, Jonah, Psalms, and other books. Across the collection, recurring messages return to the church as Christ's body, the Spirit's work, grace, prayer, renewed living, and the call to serve as his witnesses.
Korean School: Saturday Learning in Language and Culture
Buffalo New Hope Korean School is a direct expression of the church's educational service. It is a nonprofit educational institution affiliated with Buffalo New Hope Korean Presbyterian Church, serving the Buffalo community by teaching Hangul and Korean culture to second-generation Korean children and foreign learners. The school describes its foundation as the Word of God and Christian values, with an aim of providing holistic education. Children growing up in the United States are to learn Korean within the framework of God's Word, become familiar with Korean culture, and be prepared to carry out their calling.
School meets on Saturdays in two semesters. Fall runs from mid-September to early December, while spring runs from late February to mid-May. Each semester has 12 weekly Saturday classes and one vacation week. A typical school day is organized around two Korean-language sessions, a snack and breaks, and a final hour devoted to K-Enter and extracurricular study.
- 9:00-9:50 a.m. Korean 1, focusing on speaking, reading, writing, and listening.
- 9:50-10:05 a.m. Snack and break.
- 10:05-10:55 a.m. Korean 2, continuing language study at the student's level.
- 10:55-11:00 a.m. Break.
- 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Extracurricular activities and K-Enter.
The first two sessions use textbooks published by the Korean government and selected for each proficiency level. K-Enter uses selected popular Korean dramas to help students encounter natural language, Korean customs, and everyday conversation. The extracurricular class learns culture through crafts, Korean songs, and drama, giving students ways to practice and experience the language.
Placement is by proficiency and age. The available classes are Introduction, Basic, Intermediate, and Adult, with assignments refined after registration according to each student's level. The church's broader education ministry also includes elementary, middle, and high-school ages. Principal Yungki Park leads the Korean School, whose broader goal joins language competence, cultural understanding, and Christian formation.
English appears throughout the school's materials, while the classes themselves teach Korean language and culture. The bilingual presentation makes the goals clear to families and volunteers: students work with government-published textbooks, build practical communication skills, and use Korean dramas, music, crafts, and drama to connect language with everyday life.
English Ministry: Love in the Church, Community, and World
The English Ministry gives Buffalo New Hope a particular outward focus. Its stated mission is to reflect the love of Jesus Christ in the church, community, and world, and its programs put that mission into practice. Pastor William Knapp centers the ministry on the Great Commission: Jesus calls disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey his commands.
For Knapp, this commission places believers under heaven's authority and calls every Christian to share the gospel as an ambassador of Christ. The gospel is not meant to remain only inside the church. It is to be lived in obedience so that people can witness God's love in the places where he has called them to serve. That teaching gives the English Ministry's mission trips and activities their direction: growth in faith is joined with active love for people.
Around the Sunday worship rhythm are Christian education, Bible study, music, and programs for children, youth, university students, and young adults. Mission trips, Vacation Bible School, and a Bible-based discussion forum extend learning beyond the classroom. Bowling nights, ski field trips, and lock-ins create additional opportunities for fellowship and time together.
Children Through Seniors
New Hope's ministry structure covers a wide span of life. Children and young people have dedicated ministry, and recordings preserve special songs from the church's Sunday school. University and young-adult ministry has its own place within the church, while adults have Bible study, spiritual training, and opportunities for fellowship. A separate senior ministry gives older congregants a dedicated part in the church's life.
The church also speaks to the rhythms of family life. Its teaching on homes emphasizes reverence for God, loving communication, parents guiding children, prayer, and a shared spiritual direction. Family is presented not only as a subject of teaching but as a setting where faith is practiced, relationships are nurtured, and children and parents pursue holiness together.
Choirs, Praise Teams, and Songs for the Church
Music occupies a prominent place in Buffalo New Hope's ministry. The worship collection includes performances by the Zion choir and the Elsie praise team, as well as special songs connected with Sunday school, the Korean School, and the congregation. These named groups show a church that values both choral singing and praise-team worship, while Korean hymns and songs help carry the congregation's heritage through worship.
Alongside choir and team recordings, the church has produced songs for special occasions and built an extensive collection of worship material. The English Ministry also identifies music as part of its regular ministry. Together, these ministries make room for preaching, congregational praise, choral performance, and the preservation of Korean Christian song.
The breadth of the collection also shows how the church connects Scripture, song, and congregational life. Sermon videos are joined by Korean worship material, special congregational songs, children's and school presentations, and recordings from the two named music groups. For anyone entering the church's online worship, this creates a broad picture of a congregation that sings, studies, teaches, and serves.
Mission, Bible Study, and Spiritual Formation
Mission is one of the church's organizing commitments. The English Ministry names mission trips among its activities, and Buffalo New Hope also maintains a missions emphasis and a place for mission stories from those serving beyond the congregation. The Great Commission remains central: the church is sent to make disciples, to share the gospel, and to reflect Christ's love in community and world. Mission is therefore both outward action and a way of life for people who call themselves followers of Jesus.
Within the church, Bible study and spiritual training are named ministries. The Bible study material ranges across books such as Romans, Philippians, Acts, Mark, and John, with recurring attention to the Spirit, prayer, repentance, unity, and faithful living. The spiritual-training themes extend those subjects into the life of the believer: renewal of the mind, gratitude, forgiveness, dependence on God, and a willingness to be changed by the word.
The church also connects mission with its teaching on the church itself. The body of Christ is described as one body with many members, where each person has a place and the members care for one another. In this understanding, sharing faith abroad and caring for people close to home are not competing priorities. Both belong to a church that exists to bear the name of Christ and live as his witness.
A Church Rooted in Clarence Center
Founded in 1998 and based at 6969 Strickler Road, Buffalo New Hope Korean Presbyterian Church brings together a Korean congregation, an English-speaking worship community, and an affiliated school in Clarence Center. Its worship is grounded in the word of God, its teaching values grace, holiness, prayer, unity, and mission, and its ministries span childhood, university life, adulthood, and older years.
The church's identity is also practical. Korean School meets on Saturdays, the English Ministry gathers at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, and congregants connect through Bible study, youth and university ministries, senior ministry, missions, choirs, praise teams, and congregational worship. The common thread is a desire to reflect the love of Jesus Christ in the church, community, and world while helping people grow in faith, Korean language, and Korean culture.
That is the continuing shape of Buffalo New Hope: a Presbyterian church in Clarence Center serving families and learners through worship, education, mission, and music.