Upstate NY Gospel Magazine spoke with a native New Yorker, Rochester resident and Pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Buffalo, Reverend Herman Alston, Jr.
Let us get to know you, Reverend Alston, please tell us about your background, your family and your call into ministry? I grew up in Jamaica, Queens, New York, and graduated from Andrew Jackson High School. Moving to the next level, I then received my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia. I relocated to Rochester, N.Y., to work for the Rochester City School District in 1973. I worked on my Masters of Educational Administration through night courses, and received my degree at the State University of New York at Brockport in 1978.
In the process, I married my college sweetheart which only lasted five years, from that union came two beautiful children, my son, Marcel who is now deceased and my daughter, Letitcia. In 1980, I married a young lady by the name of Margaret A. Williams. She also had two children, Theresa and Frank and with my two – we were like the Brady Bunch.
My call into ministry came in 1980. I received the voice of God indicating that my life was going to be changed. I didn’t readily accept it because at that time I was in the world. I had done foolish things and even then, I didn’t believe He (God) wanted me because my world was turned upside down.
Being obedient and following my calling, Pastor James L. Cherry, Sr. during this time, had come to the Aenon Baptist Church. He had me teach a Bible class and teach the Men’s Sunday School class. I continued to serve as a trustee, an appointment made by the late pastor, Rev. Murphy (Pop) Greer. I was licensed in 1980 then ordained in 1983 by Pastor Cherry when Christian Friendship Baptist Church of Henrietta, New York had called me as their first pastor. I pastored that church for about four years. We returned to Aenon where we continued to grow, matriculate and seek the will of God in my life.
In 1992 the Lord had called me to the Macedonia Baptist Church in Buffalo. The candidacy process only took a few months (April until May). I started full time there in June 1992 and was installed in July of the same year. July 2015, we will celebrate 23 years together. My journey has been sweet. I love God’s people. I love what God does, in His time to change lives of His people. I’ve compared my life to be like Jacob’s life – up and down. Even when I was at my lowest, God was still there. In February 2009, God transitioned my loving wife Margaret to eternal rest in heaven. Not wanting man to be alone, God brought me to the point of remarrying. In August of 2010, I married my childhood sweetheart, Cheryl Renee Bradley. Even though, many years had gone by, God enabled us to remain faithful to him as he would supply all of our needs according to His riches in Glory. We pray the years continue to escalate in the love bonds that God has already established.
Pastor Alston, you have been the pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church for nearly 23 years; what was it like to take over an existing church? What challenges did you face embracing an established membership? When I went to the Macedonia Baptist Church, I was entering unknown territory. Being an established church, I knew without a shadow of doubt, the Lord sent me there. I was unaware of the servants, the systems, and the service of how they worshipped. I was really in the dark. Since Jesus Christ is the light of the world He illuminated my mind with that light so that I could begin to get an understanding of the work God had in store for us and the ministry of God’s message for His people. It wasn’t easy – the Deacon Board was set in their ways, locked into their own ideologies and decision making process. I quickly realized that I needed to bring forth a way to have them to understand my mission and my work. However, today my Deacon Board has blessed my pastorate beyond measure.
It did not take long for me to realize that the church had been wounded and upset by the former pastor’s administration. This was very ironic because I had been recently wounded and saddened by a family member. Our hurt and pain brought us together. Unknown to me, God used my personal struggles and challenges to minister directly to the hurt and pain of the Macedonia Church family. The experience allowed us to grow together. Throughout the following months we set up programs focusing on the potential of Macedonia’s growth. I can remember an older deacon had asked me “What is going to be the theme for the church?” and my thought at that time was my last sermon at my former church, I John 4:8,” God is Love”. So that became the theme of the church. By reading the scriptures, one knows, that in order to have love from God you have to love God yourself eternally.
What are the demographics of your current ministry and have you noticed a change through the years? The demographics of the church in itself is located in what we call, in Buffalo, the fruit belt. Aptly named because street names are, Grape, Lemon and Orange streets, and so on, indicating that there were fruit bearing trees in that urban area. The logistics of re-establishing boundaries, have been overwhelming with different developments such as the St. John’s Baptist Church Community partnership expansion and the Kaleida Health Network, advancing in medical opportunities and health practices.
Through the changing times, I saw how God gave me the vision back in ’94 and ’96 to acquire as much land around the church as possible. At that time I really didn’t understand why, but today, I understand fully. We would have been gridlocked if we did not purchase the property that was available surrounding the church. Changing times, require changing pedagogy on the foundation. We have to make sure that our foundation is not only stable but sound enough to be sure. And that assuredly comes in knowing Jesus Christ. Like the hymnologist has penned, Blessed Assurance Jesus Is Mine.
We strive to impart upon the people of God as they come to hear the word from God. Lessons in my ministry comes daily, as I walk with God. However I always like to emphasize through my sermons, a way by which the parishioners, can see the real life world through spiritual insight, to make it a better place to live. In my sermons I try to break the sadness only to replace it with gladness and changing the feelings of funerals to restore those back to festivals. That has always been a mainstay of my message. The church at large is what we call an organism, but yet it has also become the organization by which we have many ministries, many facets to the ministry in various forms.
How is your ministry reaching out to our youth? What changes have you made to incorporate more young people into worship? In our case working with the youth has always been a challenge. As I matriculate in my pastorate years, I bless the babies, they grow up, they are baptized, they graduate from high school/college begin careers or get married. They relocate to various places in these continental United States. Buffalo may not afford them the opportunities they desire.
Youth ministry is a revolving door. You have young people going away but you still have babies being born. My technique is to try to deploy programs that will keep them into an area where they can teach others because youth can easily attract other youth. I have an Associate Minister whose ministry is geared to raise the awareness of our youth today. Many churches have excelled in techniques to draw youth and make a big congregation while other pastors such as myself, have to continue to work and drawing from the well of the world by enticing, enabling and energizing our youth. Here at Macedonia every third Sunday is Youth Sunday at which the youth are in charge of worship service. This will ensure them as well as preserve the ongoing celebration of the church to remain alive and well. We also have summer Vacation Bible School, Macedonia Youth Tutorials, the Youth Layman and basketball programs that enable them to bring their friends from secular school and the community.
What is your vision for the ministry that God has placed under your care? My vision is to empower people to the point that they are able to evangelize and handle for themselves the way of bringing others to Christ. We have examples of that in the Bible where Philip found Nathanael and he brought Nathanael to Christ after the question was asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” And the answer was, “Come and see.” So by them growing, sharing, caring about their church, the programs of their church, I believe that this enables us to work with the community to develop partnerships. Christian education is first and foremost, therefore we have established at Macedonia, The Rev. T. J. Merriweather Leadership School. My ministry has always been teaching and reaching, because my gift from God is that of a teacher.
Macedonia has weathered the storms of life through nearly ninety-four years. The Grace of God has sustained us, the Goodness of God has reformed us and the Mercy of God has maintained us. Join us on Sunday mornings at 10a.m. for Fulfillment Hour (Sunday school) then stay for 11a.m. Worship Hour. We are located at 237 E. North St in the city of Buffalo. Check us out online at www. Macedoniabaptist.com, or catch us on live stream. ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’ give praises unto our God!
