Zion Dominion Global Ministries began in 1993 with twenty members meeting at 360 Genesee Street on Buffalo's near east side. Bishop Roderick L. Hennings, who founded the work, grew it into the largest Church of God in Christ congregation in New York State, a roster that now exceeds four thousand names. The original 30,700-square-foot cathedral, a nineteenth-century building slated for demolition before the young pastor stepped in, was reduced from roughly three million dollars in reconstruction debt to about five hundred thousand dollars in less than five years. The renovation reshaped the Genesee-Hickory neighborhood and prompted the City of Buffalo to rename Genesee Street as "Roderick L. Hennings Way" running east from Jefferson Avenue to downtown.
By 2005 the building could no longer hold the ministry it had birthed. On June 12 of that year Bishop Hennings led the congregation out of the inner city to 895 North Forest Road in Amherst, the first time in Western New York that a worshipping community of African descent had acquired a property of that magnitude in a largely Caucasian suburb. The 14½-acre complex includes a Worship Center with a capacity of about 1,500 plus 400 in overflow, plush rose-colored carpeting, cushioned pews, television monitors through the sanctuary, ceiling-hung speakers, a motorized podium that rises at the push of a button, and teleprompters in the vestibule. A separate Children's wing houses ten age-divided rooms and its own sanctuary. An administrative building contains twenty-five offices and a conference room. Outdoors, members enjoy a pavilion, a regulation-sized basketball court, and a volleyball court. The Bishop has continued to add improvements since the move.
Bishop Roderick L. Hennings and the First Family
Bishop Roderick L. Hennings preaches and teaches as senior pastor, while First Lady Pamela D. Hennings serves the ministry as Chief Operating Officer, chief musician, bible teacher, and counselor. Bishop Hennings was consecrated on November 8, 2015 at the Church of God in Christ's 18th Holy Convocation and was appointed Co-Chairman of the International Men's Ministry for the COGIC by Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard. He previously served the denomination as International Director of Church Growth and Development, an Administrative Assistant and District Superintendent in the New York Western Jurisdiction, COGIC Vice President of the Youth Department, and Chairman of the Ordination Board. He also sits on the executive board of the Joint College of African American Bishops and contributes lectures for Logos Bible Software. He is the author of "It's A Matter of Dominion!" and "Survey of Biblical Theology."
First Lady Hennings holds a bachelor's degree in business administration, is a certified fitness trainer, and released her own fitness DVD in November 2011. She anchors her work in 1 Corinthians 13. Beyond the church, Bishop Hennings serves the wider community on the United Way board, has partnered with Hopevale, Inc. on faith-based services for abused women and children, and secured grant funding to expand computer literacy in lower-income neighborhoods. Under his leadership Zion Dominion formed the first known Pop Warner-affiliated church youth football and cheer program in Western New York.
One Church, Multiple Locations
Zion Dominion describes itself as "one church in multiple locations," with campuses in western and central New York, the mid-Atlantic, and abroad. The Amherst campus on North Forest Road serves as the official headquarters and is staffed Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Rochester location, launched in 2012 and branded "The Upper Room Experience!" meets at 961 Lyell Avenue. The Delaware campus gathers at 585 Forest Street in Dover, and ministry work has also extended into Virginia, India, and the Ivory Coast.
Sunday Worship Across Three States
Gathering times vary by campus. The Amherst campus celebrates at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. The Rochester location gathers at 1 p.m. Eastern. The Delaware campus meets at 11 a.m. Eastern, followed by Bible study on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Eastern. Services at the Amherst and Rochester campuses run as hybrid events with livestream access through the Virtual Church page and the Zion Dominion mobile app. Worship is rooted in the Church of God in Christ tradition, anchored by the Music Department under Minister Timothy "TJ" Dowdell, with the Liturgical Dancers bringing mime, hip-hop, and dance to the sanctuary as "Praise in Motion."
Word on Wednesday and Noonday Prayer
Two online touch points hold the church together between Sundays. Word on Wednesday, or WOW, streams Bible study at 6:30 p.m. Eastern with Bishop Hennings teaching through topics such as "The Danger of Open Canon Theology," "What Kings Learn From Queens," and "The New Witchcraft." Noonday Prayer, led by Assistant Pastor Keith D. Scott Sr., runs at noon Eastern on Wednesdays and lasts around twenty minutes, with recent episodes titled "Do You Qualify for What You're Asking?" and "Grace for the Assignment." Both streams are available through the Zion Dominion app for iOS and Android.
Generation Next: A Children's Ministry of Their Own
Generation Next ministers to children from birth through age twelve. Director Sister Nijade Welch oversees a children's wing on the Amherst campus with a fully equipped nursery, age-divided classrooms for infants through elementary-age children, and a children's sanctuary. Programming runs on the second and fourth Sundays of each month during the 9:30 a.m. service. On second Sundays the ministry partners with the Legacy Institute to teach an interactive lesson by age group. On fourth Sundays the children lead their own service, complete with youth prayer leaders, a youth praise team, ushers, and a young congregation. Electronic check-in at the Amherst kiosk greets families as they arrive, and parents receive a tag for pick-up at the end of class. Generation Next is offered at no cost, and Rochester Sisters Jasmine James and Josette Walton coordinate the children's work on the Lyell Avenue campus.
Real Power Moves and the Teen Years
Once children turn thirteen they move into Real Power Moves, or RPM, the youth ministry directed by Youth Pastor Shai Fears. RPM supports teenagers through mentoring and Bible teaching, with the goal of helping young people cultivate their gifts for kingdom work. The group gathers every other Tuesday at 6 p.m. Eastern on the Amherst campus, with additional midweek touch points for teens through TEEN Word on Wednesdays and TNT on Saturdays. The youth ministry meets either in the youth sanctuary or off campus for Bible study, fellowship, and worship.
M.O.R.E. and For You Alone: Young Adults and College
Young adults in their twenties find a home with M.O.R.E. (BOM Squad), the millennial ministry led by Resse Smith with Minister Terrell James coordinating in Rochester. M.O.R.E. focuses on reaching the unchurched, meeting them where they are through outreach, events, and social media. For college-age students the F.Y.A. (For You Alone) College Ministry, directed by Christine Wingo, organizes on-campus activities at Buffalo State and the University at Buffalo and offers mentoring for students adjusting to college life and transitioning into the workforce.
Men's, Women's, and Marriage Ministry
Deacon Darryl Johnson directs the Men's Department with Pastor Rico Jemison as the Rochester contact. The men's brotherhood centers on the theme "Faithful and Teachable" and the proverb "Iron Sharpens Iron," walking in unity, supporting the Bishop's vision, and encouraging spiritual strength among brothers. The Women's Department, led by Sister Kimberly Folmar under the banner "Sanctified and Set Apart 2 Serve," gathers quarterly on the first Thursday at 7 p.m. Eastern at the Amherst campus to provide prayer support, training, fellowship, and financial backing to the wider ministry. Women In Ministry, the senior women's board under Interim Director Evangelist Connie Cooke, meets the first Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Couples find support through the Bone of My Bone Covenant Ministry, better known as B.O.M.B. Ministry, led by Minister James and Sister Carla Martin. The ministry meets the second Friday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, equipping husbands and wives with biblical marriage principles and providing space for personal spiritual growth and fellowship.
Ezekiel Ministry and Outreach
The Ezekiel Ministry, directed by Sister Tiffany White, forms the evangelistic and outreach arm of the church. It exists to reach, restore, and revive lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ, sharing the good news and meeting real needs in underserved communities. The ministry runs a virtual voicemail mailbox for prayer and spiritual direction requests and meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6 p.m.
We Are Manna Ministry: Local and Global Missions
We Are Manna Ministry, or WAMM, is the home-and-foreign mission arm of Zion Dominion, led by Pastor Donna Reed. WAMM supports ministry both overseas, including in Africa and other parts of the world, and across the United States, distributing resources to those in need and partnering with other ministries on foreign soil. The team meets the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. on the Amherst campus.
Legacy Institute: Sunday School for Every Age
Legacy Institute serves as the church's version of Sunday School, offering biblically based classes that range from how to study the Bible to career, life, and health skills. Elder Kenny Brown directs the program in Amherst, with Dr. Gwendolyn Turner coordinating the Rochester campus. Adult classes begin at 8:15 a.m. Eastern in Amherst, with children's classes following at 9:30 a.m. on second Sundays. Online adult and teen classes are held at 1 p.m. Eastern, and the Rochester adult class meets at 11:30 a.m. Generation Next partners with Legacy on second Sundays to deliver age-appropriate interactive lessons.
Media, IT, and the Virtual Church
The Media Department, under Minister Darren Stanfield, runs cameras, coordinates broadcast shots, manages multimedia on the sanctuary screens, and processes recordings for television and online distribution. The IT Department, led by Executive Director Minister DaQuan R. Anderson Sr., oversees VoIP systems, live streaming, smart-security infrastructure, and emerging technologies that keep the multi-site ministry connected. Both feed the Virtual Church experience, which streams services through mobile apps available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The Bishop's messages are also available on the @BishopHennings YouTube channel and have been featured on The WORD Network, TBN Church Praise in Los Angeles, and TCT Christian Television. Messages can be purchased through the church's media platform and are also distributed via the church's Spotify podcast.
Congregational Care, Hospitality, and the House
Pastor Keith D. Scott Sr. directs the Congregational Care Department with Sister Aiesha Balance serving as assistant director. The department offers personal contact, encouragement, and spiritual support to members facing personal or family illness, hospital stays, long-term care, grief after the loss of a loved one, or extended homebound circumstances. Congregational Care also coordinates New Member Orientation, baby dedications, and baptisms, and helps connect members to next steps through the Day of Ordinance, held twice a year.
First impressions fall to the Hospitality Department under Sister Daynell Rowell-Stephens (Amherst) and Dr. Stephanie Geter and Brother Marsay Houston (Rochester). Ushers, greeters, and servers make sure newcomers are welcomed, families with children find their way to the right classrooms, and services run in an orderly way. The Environmental Services team handles facilities and grounds so that worship and ministry can happen without distraction. The Shepherd's Staff, co-directed by Minister Marcus Brown and Evangelist Tasha Brown, provides dedicated support to the Bishop and First Lady, helping events and visits run smoothly. The Gentlemen's Academy recruits mentors and mentees who want to walk alongside younger men in faith and character.