Who We Are: 

Centennial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is a historic community institution located at the corner of Doat Street and Goembel Avenue on Buffalo’s East Side. Since acquiring this sacred building in 1975, our congregation has provided a place for worship, Christian education, community service, fellowship, advocacy, and hope. We are guided by our motto: “A Church with a Heart to Serve the Community for Christ.” Through **Equipping. Evangelizing. Emerging.**, we seek to strengthen people spiritually, respond compassionately to community needs, and prepare new generations to serve as witnesses for Christ. As part of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church known historically as the Freedom Church we honor a legacy of faith, justice, courage, and service represented by leaders such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth. That same spirit continues to shape Centennial’s commitment to addressing educational, health, economic, cultural, and social disparities affecting our community.

 

Our Sacred and Historic Home Designed by Buffalo architect Jacob Oberkircher, our church was constructed in 1911 and first dedicated in 1912 as a German Reformed church. The building features Gothic Revival architecture with Romanesque elements, including masonry construction, pointed arches, a prominent tower and steeple, and large stained-glass windows. In 1975, the congregation of Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church purchased the building to hold worship services, meetings, charitable activities, and community programs. Through this act of faithful stewardship, a former immigrant congregation’s church was preserved and transformed into a Black sacred place serving generations of Buffalo residents. On February 17, 2026, the City of Buffalo designated our building **Buffalo Local Historic Landmark No. 167**, recognizing its architectural, religious, and community significance. Centennial’s history also includes the legacy of William F. Robinson, a former Negro Leagues baseball player, Erie County legislator, Centennial member, and Trustee Board chair. The street beside our church also honors our longest-serving pastor, the late Reverend Maceo M. Freeman, through the honorary designation street sign **Rev. Maceo M. Freeman Way**. Serving the Community Centennial has long believed that ministry extends beyond the walls of the sanctuary. Our building has supported worship, youth activities, education, public gatherings, charitable outreach, and community partnerships.

 

Our recent service has included partnering with Harvey Austin School #97 to provide a free end-of-year Chiavetta’s chicken dinner that served more than 400  children and family members. We have also support yearly the Network of Religious Communities Youth Gift Box Project, helping provide gift boxes to more than 50 children from Buffalo United Charter School and other Buffalo Public  Schools. We continue developing relationships with schools, health organizations, churches, preservation advocates, civic leaders, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses. These partnerships help us respond to food insecurity, health disparities, youth development, senior needs, reentry challenges, homelessness, trauma, and other barriers affecting Buffalo families. Our doors may not presently be open for regular sanctuary worship, but our hearts, hands, and ministry have never closed.

 

Project 127 Restoring a Sacred Landmark - Rebuilding Hope on Buffalo’s East Side Years of water infiltration, severe Buffalo winters, freeze-and-thaw cycles, high winds, and heavy rainfall have caused serious deterioration to our historic church. The failing roof threatens the sanctuary ceilings, plaster walls, woodwork, framing, masonry, flooring, stained glass, and other irreplaceable historic materials. The sanctuary cannot safely return to regular public use until the building is stabilized. Project 127 is Centennial’s comprehensive preservation and community-revitalization initiative. The first critical phase includes: * Roof and steeple replacement * Flashing, drainage, and ventilation improvements * Necessary roof-decking and structural repairs * Interior plaster and gypsum stabilization * Environmental assessment and remediation * Stained-glass conservation and protective glazing * Professional architectural, engineering, preservation, and inspection services Stopping the water infiltration is our most urgent priority. Without a watertight building, every future restoration investment remains vulnerable.

 

Our Vision for Restoration Restoring Centennial is about more than repairing a building. It is about preserving a sacred landmark and returning an important community resource to active service in a historically underserved Buffalo neighborhood. Once the building is stabilized and restored, we envision expanding opportunities for:

* After-school tutoring and educational enrichment

* Youth mentoring and violence-prevention initiatives

* Girls’ enrichment and leadership development

* Health education and advocacy

* Trauma-resilience and emotional-wellness support

* Programs for seniors and homebound residents

* Assistance for single-parent households

* Reentry support for formerly incarcerated individuals

* Food, clothing, and emergency-resource outreach

* Community meetings, cultural programs, and civic engagement

Project 127 will help transform an underused historic property into a safe, accessible, and welcoming place where worship, service, education, healing, and community development can flourish.

 

Sow Into Good Ground

We invite you to help us preserve this sacred place and rebuild hope on Buffalo’s East Side. Every gift large or small helps stop further deterioration, protect our historic stained glass and sanctuary, restore the building for public use, and advance Centennial’s larger vision for community ministry. Your contribution is not simply a donation toward a roof or building repair.

 

It is an investment in:

* Historic preservation

* Faith and spiritual life

* Children and families

* Community health and wellness

* Senior support

* Reentry and second-chance opportunities

* Neighborhood stability

 

The future of Buffalo’s East Side Together, we can save a sacred landmark, strengthen a community, and ensure that Centennial remains a beacon of faith, compassion, and hope for generations to come.

 

Please Support Project 127 Select the Donate button to make your secure contribution. A donation emailed will follow your gift.

 

Centennial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt religious organization. EIN: 22-2543131

 

Thank you for sowing into good ground and supporting:

Centennial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

“A Church with a Heart to Serve the Community for Christ.”

 

[www.Centennialamezchurch716.org]   

 

(https://www.Centennialamezchurch716.org)