Our History
In early 1960’s, Bethel Christian Church was birthed in the Bronx, NY. It was affectionately known as “Betelita”, by the late Reverend Jose A. Roman.
In 1974, Bethel Christian Church in Buffalo, NY was birthed and established.
In 2011 the Reverend Emeritus Emilia Roman was ordained as Bethel Christian Church Pastor where she continued the legacy, heart and passion of Bethel.
In 2018, Pastor Enid McGinnis who was ordained in 2010 and the daughter of Revs. Jose & Emilia Roman united with her husband Pastor Jim McGinnis felt compelled to come along side Emeritus Emilia Roman to continue the legacy.
In 2021, Pastor Enid Mojica-McGinnis was installed as Senior Pastor to Bethel Christian Church by Bishop Levy Knox & Bishop Tommy Reid. In addition, on this day, Pastor Luis Rivera. was ordained as associate pastor of Bethel Christian Church.
In 2023, Stacey Cortina was ordained as Minister of Music at Bethel Christian Church. On this day, Daniel Betancourt was ordained as Deacon of Bethel Christian Church.
Reverend Jose Roman’s Desire and Purpose
Reverend Roman’s desire was and has always been “COME-UNITY.” Living in community, was a call to unity in the church around the most important values. Attached to the call for “Come-Unity” was: the purpose of making the ministry of Christ and His Kingdom available to all people, making a difference in our local community, city and the world. His desire was to bring people into a relationship with Jesus Christ and to one another, in addition to bringing God’s sovereign rule into every dimension of life.
“Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not…” - Genesis 28:16
Later, Reverend Emilia Roman became ordained and carried the mission of Bethel along side her husband. With passion, she carried the Gospel of Christ as a missionary. However, her lifetime mission became “Bethelita”. She continues as a prayer warrior and prays that the presence of God remain evident to His people in Bethel Christian Church and in the local community. She has been a pillar to Bethel and in the larger community of Buffalo, NY. Today, we honor Rev. Emilia Roman as Pastor Emeritus.
Today, Senior Pastor Enid McGinnis, the daughter of the honored Rev. Emilia Roman and the late Rev. Jose Roman, has passed the baton. Along with her husband, Pastor Jim McGinnis, they have continued the legacy of Bethel. It is still their desire that Bethel Christian Church would continue to pour into the community, as kingdom ambassadors, holding on to Bethel’s Legacy, yet marching forward in our Destiny!
Passing of the Baton.
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said,
“Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.”