Busti Church of God
996 Forest Ave.
Jamestown, NY 14701
487-1636

In 1937 the First Church of God in Jamestown began having meetings at the Covenant Church on Mill Road in Busti. Meetings were held Friday afternoons for children, and Friday evenings for the public. The outcome was the established Busti Church of God. The first youth camp was held the following summer at the Stillwater Creek. Now the Youth Camps are held at Maple Springs in buildings owned by the organization.  Mrs. A.J. Powell was the main speaker at these early meetings with her youth group from Jamestown. Revival meetings were held often with early evangelists being Rev. A.J. Powell, Rev. N.K. Powell and Rev. Wesley Weisbrod (who grew up in Busti). The church soon began having services Sunday afternoons, then becoming a chartered church with meetings Sunday mornings and evenings, with Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Cradle Roll, etc. From the Covenant Church the Church of God moved into a building closer to the village on Mill Road remodeled from a dwelling.  In Sept.1952 the cornerstone was laid for the new building on Southwestern Drive into which the congregation moved in 1954.  The Busti Church of God is a member of the International Churches of God with Headquarters in Anderson, Indiana.

Busti Federated Church
875 Mill Rd.
Jamestown, NY 14701
664-1586

On August 30, 1819, the "Second Baptist Church of Ellicott" was organized with thirteen constituent members. Elder Paul Davis (Pastor of Carroll) held meetings and within a month 33 members were added by baptism. A record from the Chautauqua County Clerk's office, November 6, 1821, states "that the name or title of the said church or society is and shall continue to be "The Frank Settlement Baptist Society in the town of Ellicott." When Busti township was formed from parts of Ellicott and Harmony in 1823, the church took the name Busti Baptist Church. The members of the Baptist church met in the Frank Settlement schoolhouse or in homes until 1835, when under Elder Palmer Cross they built a meeting house at a cost of $700. The following year, Elder Ira C. Stoddard came and was the first full-time Baptist pastor.

An interesting item in this early history occurred in December 1827 when the members from Jamestown and vicinity asked to be "set off as a branch," to hold meetings and to do business under the supervision of the church. This they did until the First Baptist Church of Jamestown was organized May 24, 1832.  In 1849 the Rev. Alvin Burgess, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Ashville, began holding services for the Busti Methodists. At this time also, the members erected a church building. (This building still stands and is used for a Grange Hall.) When the church was remodeled in 1900, the late Ezra T. Hazeltine of Warren, a former Busti resident, gave a bell to it. An event of great importance for both churches took place in September, 1923. These two former rivals had become so well reconciled that they joined forces to become the Busti Federated Church.

They chose to hold services in the Baptist church which was larger and better equipped, and to use the Methodist Church for meetings, suppers, and as a recreation center. They alternated between a Baptist and a Methodist pastor. The federation is one of the strongest and most workable in New York State. There are also quite a few people who are not members of either branch who make this their church home. Thus it is truly a community church. It was a great blow when on Friday evening, April 16, 1948, the former Baptist Church burned to the ground. The only things saved according to the newspaper account, were two pianos, some chairs, the Church Bible and an American flag.

Services were held the next Sunday in the old Methodist Church with a larger group in attendance than there had been for some time. Plans for a new church building were started immediately, and by May 1, 1950, the new Busti Federated Church was ready to use. A capacity crowd of about 300 attended the opening services. The old bell from the Methodist Church was moved into the new church the week prior to the opening. The old church itself, was sold to the Busti Grange to help pay for the new one.

A few years later the Sunday School became too crowded. Rather than make an addition to the church, it was decided to build a new parsonage and to use the old one for more Church School space and for a Parish House. The parsonage was built up on the Nutt Road and was completed in 1959. Later that year, August 30, 1959, the church celebrated the140th Anniversary of the Baptist and Methodist Churches and the 35th Anniversary of the Federated Church.

Garfield Road Christian Fellowship
3130 Garfield Rd.
Jamestown, NY 14701
487-1712

Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church
35 West Fairmount Ave.
Lakewood, NY 14750
763-8979

Gloria Dei was organized May 3, 1953 with 52 Charter members under the direction of The Reverend Paul V. Beck, Mission Developer for the former Augustana Lutheran Church merged into the Lutheran Church in America so that Gloria Dei's present member/affiliation is with that National Church body. While the history of Gloria Dei is a more recent addition to the total history of Busti her antecedents and roots are steeped in the early days of Busti at least going back to 1854 when Hessel Valley Lutheran Church was founded in Chandlers Valley, Pennsylvania, by the early Swedish settlers of this area. Gloria Dei is located on West Fairmount Avenue in the Village of Lakewood with Worship Services and Church School classes every Sunday morning.

Lakewood Baptist Church
150 Erie St.
Lakewood, NY 14750
763-9621

Services:
Sunday:
     Morning Worship 8:30 am and 11:00 am
     Sunday School (classes for every age) 9:45 am
     Evening 6:00 pm
Wednesday Evening:
     AWANA (Ages 3 through 6th grade, Sept-May) 6:30 pm
     Youth Bible Study 6:30 pm
     Adult Bible Study and Prayer Meeting 7:00 pm

Pastors:
Rev. Daniel W. Cook
Chris Vitarelli, Youth Pastor
Minister of Worship and Music Kerry Byard

The history of Lakewood Baptist Church began in the summer of 1956 when Rev. Robert Hails, pastor of Chandler St. Baptist Church, now Hillcrest Baptist Church, together with some energetic young people, started looking for a place where they might start a Baptist Sunday School.

Lakewood, being a fair sized community with only three churches, seemed a good place to locate. The first task was to find a place to hold classes. This proved to be quite difficult until they were graciously given permission to use the basement of the Lakewood Fire Hall or Village Hall. Later, when the area was needed by the Police Department, the use of the large room upstairs was granted.

Classes were started in October of 1956 with Rev. Grant Morse as leader and Ernest Erickson, Sunday School superintendent. Rev. Morse stayed until the following spring when he left to pursue further study. In the fall of 1958 regular church services were begun with the new pastor of the Mother Church, Rev. Clifford Anderson, preaching at 10:00am. During the summer, Mr. Richard Reed of Warren, PA, a Bethel Seminary student, led the services. Mr. Roy Engdahl was Sunday School superintendent. Two years later, in the fall of 1960, the building at 8 Gifford Ave. was purchased and remodeled. Morning and evening worship services and Sunday School were begun here in April of 1961 and continued until 1966. During this period services were conducted at first by Rev. Anderson and subsequently by Mr. Stafford Hall and Mr. Kenneth Sturdevant. During this time several Bible students from Chandler St. Church also assisted. In December of 1963 Rev. Allen Oyer was called as full time pastor.

On July 9,1964 a church constitution was adopted and in July 1965 the church was welcomed as a new member church of the Baptist General Conference. On September 26, 1965 a Ground-Breaking Ceremony was held for the building of a new sanctuary at 150 Erie Street. The building was erected and completed with the first worship service held on Easter Sunday 1966.

Lakewood United Methodist Church
164 Shadyside Ave.
Lakewood, NY 14750
763-9345

Methodism in Lakewood, NY traces its history to the year 1893, when the villagers were striving to establish a church in the community. On September 11 of that year a group gathered in the Lakewood Chapel, on Ohio Ave., and formed "The Church of Christ in Lakewood, Union Congregational."

The new church found it increasingly difficult to pay for a regular minister and the upkeep of the church. Consequently, at a public meeting of the citizens of Lakewood on May 6, 1913, the Union Congregational Church was disbanded and a Methodist Episcopal Church was organized. On July 10, 1913 the Union Congregational Church building was sold to the Lakewood Methodist Episcopal Church.

But tragedy struck in less than a year. On June 23, 1914, the Methodist building was totally destroyed by fire, widely rumored to have been set deliberately. However, the rumors were never substantiated. Recovery from the disaster was rapid. On July 18, 1915 the service of dedication of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Lakewood was held. The building, located on East Summit Avenue, served as home for the congregation until 1965.

The move to the present location at Shadyside and Summit was accomplished in three stages. The site was purchased in 1953. In November of 1955, the Education Building was opened. Ten years later, in April 1965, the sanctuary was completed and used for worship for the first time. The former church building was subsequently sold to the Lakewood Lodge, I.O.O.F., and serves their needs as a lodge building.

Living Waters Open Bible Church
946 Southwestern Dr.
Jamestown, NY 14701
664-6789

Sacred Heart
380 East Fairmount Ave.
Lakewood, NY 14750
763-2815

The original Sacred Heart Catholic Church was located at 29 Ohio Avenue. The building was first constructed to serve as a summer Chapel in 1884 by Mrs. Rose Kent. Later the building served as the Chamber of Commerce and elections were conducted there. The electric light plant then utilized the structure. In 1913, it was remodeled and Rev. Thomas J. Harrigan established the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Prior to use of the building as a church, Catholics held services in the Odd Fellows Hall with Father Mountain officiating. In 1960, a building committee was formed and on June 16, 1963, ground was broken for the New Sacred Heart Church on Fairmount Avenue. That day also commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Pastor, Father Horne. A solemn High Mass was celebrated on Sunday, Dec. 12, 1965 for the formal opening of the new church. The new church was formally blessed and dedicated by His Excellency Bishop Pius H. Benincasa, Auxiliary Bishop of Buffalo upon the occasion of his conferring the sacrament of Confirmation, June 3, 1965.