In 1996 the congregation of Payne Avenue Christian Church voted to move to a location where a modern, new building could be built with a large parking lot and room to grow. The first proposed location was the then vacant and unfinished strip mall on Niagara Falls Boulevard in front of Crestview Nursing Home. That location was eventually by-passed.

About five years ago, we purchased 20 acres of farmland on Shawnee Road. We recently purchased an additional five acres.

The church building at Payne Avenue and Wheatfield Street was for sale for four years. During that time we did not have one credible offer. We took the building off the market. Shortly after taking the building off the market, the congregation of St. Mary/St. Moses Coptic Christian Church made an offer to purchase the building. This unexpected opportunity necessitated our hurried leaving.

Until construction on our new church is completed, we are meeting at the Sutherland Lodge - formerly Community Christian Church - at the corner of Rule Road and Vanderbilt Avenue.

We have a hundred and fifteen year presence in North Tonawanda. We have met in many different locations: a school, a bar, a private home, and four different church properties. We have had many names: North Christian, Payne Avenue Church of Christ, Central Church of Christ, the Tabernacle, the Church of Christ, Community Christian, and Payne Avenue Christian Church.

But through it all, we have been a family. We have sung together and prayed together, worshipped together and played together. We have mourned and laughed. We have grown and studied and learned together. Sometimes we even argued and fought, hurt and angered each other. But through it all, we found an avenue to love each other.