THE
MIRACLE OF ATTICA CENTER BAPTIST CHURCH
Greetings in Jesus'
name,
This is a brief
account of the miracle of Attica Center Baptist Church, and how the Lord has preserved this “Lighthouse” for the
future generations. The Lord has put it on my heart to share it with you here, to help acquaint everyone with God's purpose
and vision for this church and the surrounding area of the “Hills of Attica.”
I graduated from
Bible School having studied predominantly the subject of foreign missions, which is a significant part of what I feel called
unto. However, during the last semester of my studies, the Lord placed a very real desire in my heart to pastor a local church
in Western New York State. I tried to shake it, and even shared it with Pastor O'Connor at the time. I remember so clearly
his response, “Well, Warren, if it is God's will, then He will bring it to pass!” It didn't make sense to me,
as my plan was to get overseas as soon as possible. Yet, over and over, in waves, for that last part of the school year, the
burden, not only to pastor, but to raise up and pioneer a local church was upon me heavily, and the Lord was preparing my
heart for what I could never have imagined.
Just two weeks
later, a good friend of mine emailed me and told me of a church that he had heard might be available. Not realizing what the
Lord was trying to do yet, my response was to encourage him to give it a go there, but he really felt that it might be that
the Lord was trying to lead me there. Well, my friend and I went to see it for ourselves and laid hands on the building and
prayed, “Lord, if you want this to happen, bring it to pass, because we cannot do it without You!”
My friend gave
me the phone number of the current Trustees who had custody of the property, and yet I didn't call them right away, because
I still thought my friend would be the one to see about raising up a ministry there. After all, he was the one who had heard
about it. So after another week or so, it became apparent that he just was feeling that the Lord was leading him in a different
path, and he insisted that he would rather see me try.
At this point,
the burden of the Lord was growing stronger and I knew the Lord was speaking to my heart about pastoring there, but how would
this all happen? What was the current situation with the property? What would I find when inquiring about it? Was there a
catch? Why wasn't my friend taking it on? What was God's will for the place?
Well, that night
I called Pastor O'Connor and shared these things with him, and I will never forget how the presence of God descended upon
us as we spoke. Under a great unction and with great urgency, a powerful prophetic word came forth that night while on the
phone, that I was to speak with the owners of the property immediately and not to wait one more day, because if I waited,
all hope for this vision would be lost! At this point, I knew it was God's will and the prophetic word served as a strong
encouragement and confirmation to me. It also served to get me moving, because if not, I would have waited too long and missed
what God was trying to do. Many times when God is moving, we have to be quick and move in faith, or else we can miss God's
timing. The old expression says it best: “You have to strike while the iron is hot.”
The very next
day I called the phone number that was given to me by my friend, with great anticipation. Keep in mind that I didn't even
know these people's names or where they lived, but only had this phone number. I dialed their number and it began to ring...
and no one was picking up the phone, so I planned to leave a message... but it just kept ringing... no answering machine!
I called back again after a little while and the same thing. What a let down. It was so hard to be patient. Did I even have
the right number?
I went about my
business that day and was out in the garage that afternoon wondering what to do. I was coming back into the house and I heard
my Mom on the phone with someone, just getting ready to hang up. She was saying, “Who? …, No, I didn't... I don't
think anyone here called you...” I shouted: “Mom, WAIT! DON'T HANG UP! I took the phone and discovered that it
was them. They saw my number on their caller ID and decided to call back to see who it was. If they hadn't, then things may
have turned out a lot different, as you will soon learn.
I introduced myself
to them and inquired about the church, and said that I would like to meet with them right away. They were fine with that and
I jumped in my car and went straight there. We sat down at their kitchen table, it was a husband and his wife, and they opened
up and shared with me their story. They had been there as Trustees for over ten years, and been the stewards of the property,
but how the Lord was leading them to move on. It had been a difficult season for them. The funds had dried up and the attendance
had dropped right off. They also told me they had been praying for the Lord to send a pastor, to relieve them, and carry on
the work. No one had come forth. They didn't know what to do. They couldn't carry it alone and they were so weary in their
stage of the journey. The only other option they had was to turn it over to another denomination that wanted it, but this
group had plans to then sell it off to an antique dealer.
I could see from
their faces that that was the last thing they wanted for this little “church in the Wildwood.” They wanted so
badly for it to remain a viable local church, but no one was stepping to the plate, and they simply couldn't carry the expenses
out of pocket anymore. They told me that if I had come a day later, it would have probably been too late. They had already
drained the fuel oil tank and made all preparations to leave the property, having made their last trip already.
I wanted to see
the inside of the church, since at that point had only seen the outside. So, the next day they agreed to meet me there and
showed me the building and property. We then stood there inside the front door. With tears still in the wife's eyes, we all
knew that God had answered their prayers. They had put so much effort into maintaining that property through the years that
it was heartbreaking to think it would all be lost and fall out of the Lord's work to become a type of flea market. We took
hands and prayed together and just thanked God! They put the keys to the church in my hand and said, “It's all yours.
We are ready to move on now. You will have to believe God for money for the bills. It is up to you to pastor this church.”
If they had gone
to the denomination the next day and handed the deed over, all would have been lost! It would have been immediately sold,
as that group didn't feel a work could be raised up there. Once sold, the chances of it ever being a church again would be
slim to none. In the world's eyes, it might just be a little country church building that's “seen its day,” but
the ways of God a far above the ways of man, and His thoughts are far above our thoughts. That little old country church has
served as “the house of God” in that area for nearly two hundred years. God sovereignly orchestrated a series
of miracles to make sure that it stayed in the Kingdom of God, because He still has great purposes for it and for that community.
That evening I
went home to share the news with my parents. We were in the back yard and looked up in the sky, and there before our eyes
was one of the brightest rainbows we have ever seen. You could see the full arch all the way across the sky and it appeared
to come down right in those Attica Hills from where our perspective was. Other people saw that rainbow that day and commented
about the size and brightness of it. It spoke to me of God's promise to protect that which is His. Even my parents were amazed
and felt it to be a “sign in the heavens” from God to confirm His will. I will never forget this as long as I
live.
During the following
days, I opened the doors of the church and started having services. God's anointing and presence has been so real there ever
since. Many have testified of feeling a strong presence of the Lord there and share testimonies of being greatly blessed and
ministered to there. We have witnessed healings and miracles in that very church. Some have received healings who didn't believe
in such a thing! How many of you reading this right now can say in your heart that God is faithful, His wonders to perform!
Truly, there is
a great purpose in the plan of God for the Attica Center Baptist Church and for those to whom it would reach out to in those
hills!
Very Sincerely,
Brother Warren
