Our Story

IN MEMORIUM

Rev. Frederick J. Naedele

            In October of 1982, Pastors Fred and Donna Naedele met in the basement of a private residence with nine other people and decided to pioneer a church. By January of 1983, we were a bonafide New York State Religious Organization with tax-exempt status. Shortly thereafter, we purchased a building on the corner of Seneca Street and Pound Road in Spring Brook. By 1986, we had outgrown that facility and sent out “spies” to start looking for property on which to build a new complex. Our “spies” prayed for a sign and within minutes they passed a billboard that advertised an Auction for acreage with frontage on both Seneca Street and Pound Road. We put in a bid and won the L-shaped piece which we decided to divide and sold-off the Seneca Street portion in order to get the funds for a down payment on our building.

The first service in our new building in Elma was Christmas Eve of 1991. The only finished area at that time was the sanctuary. Little by little, classrooms, offices, kitchen, and fellowship hall were finished with much of the work being done by volunteer craftsmen in the fellowship. In spring of 1993 we added our much-needed Children’s Wing. Since that time we have tweaked the interior several times, changing offices around, storage areas, and etc. but we always tried to be good stewards of what the Lord has given us and did most of the changes without going to the bank.  Exterior additions included a paved parking lot, a shed for more storage and a playground with a modern Jungle Jim set for the children.

Pastor Fred Naedele was the most humble and most genuine man you would ever want to meet. He had a unique style, sense of humor, and energy that was contagious to everyone. His vision for My Father’s House Ministries was raising up disciples and leaders, and then sending them out into the world. He willingly allowed people to “try their wings” when they had an idea for a new ministry.

Near Christmas of 2008 we lost our beloved founder Pastor Fred to cancer. The transition time was easy, however, because we had Pastor Fred’s wife, Pastor Donna Naedele already on staff as well as Pastor Randall Smith. They now work together as our Co-Pastors; sharing the duties of the office and working as a team, they continue the vision Pastor Fred had for this fellowship. Pastor Donna continues to teach the women and they both teach at our Wednesday Evening Bible Study.

My Father’s House Ministries has been active in evangelism, (both in the U.S. and overseas), being a voice for the unborn, and training disciples for the Kingdom of God.

Like many churches we have had our share of bumps in the road but we serve a living and faithful God who has brought us through.