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What We Believe
Church of Love Faith Center was formed as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are a non-denominational church, but not opposed to denominations as such.
We believe the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's (Agape) love, which is greater than any differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.
We believe worship of God should be spiritual. Therefore, we remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship.
We believe worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, we give great place to music in our worship.
We believe worship of God should be intelligent. Therefore, our services are designed with great emphasis upon the teaching of the Word of God that He might instruct us how He should be worshipped.
We believe worship of God should be fruitful. Therefore, we look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have been truly worshipping Him.
We believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, that the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, infallible Word of God.
We believe that God is eternally existent in three separate persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that God the Father is the personal, transcendent, and sovereign Creator of all things.
We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, provided for the atonement of our sins by His vicarious death on the Cross, was bodily resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, ascended back to the right hand of God the Father, and ever lives to make intercession for us.
After Jesus ascended to Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to fulfill His command to preach the Gospel to the entire world, an obligation shared by all believers today.
We believe that all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that Salvation, Redemption, and Forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to spend eternity with the Lord.
We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and that they are valid for today. We as believers are to covet the best gifts, seeking to exercise them in love that the whole Body of Christ might be edified.
We seek to teach the Word of God in such a way that its message can be applied to an individual's life, leading that person to greater maturity in Christ.
In our services, we focus on a personal relationship with God through worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God. We provide expository as well as topical teaching.
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Senior PastorsBishop Gregory L. Parris, Senior Pastor, COLFC, Rochester, NY
Bishop Gregory L. Parris is a pastor, businessman, musician and community leader. He is senior pastor of Church of Love Faith Center in Rochester, NY and in Metropolitan Washington, DC. In addition to his role as pastor, Bishop Parris also serves as director of the University of Rochester Christian Fellowship, director of a local multi-cultural organization of pastors (S.T.R.I.K.E.), member of the board of directors of Reconciliation! International Ministries, and adjunct professor at Monroe Community College. Bishop Parris was formerly an Associate Director of Development for the George Eastman Circle at the University of Rochester. He has frequently lectured at the University of Rochester, Northeastern Seminary, and Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. He has also been a frequent guest speaker in several nations around the world including the Bahamian Islands, Trinidad, Grand Cayman Island, London England, Pretoria and Johannesburg South Africa, and Cuba.
He was successful for 18 years in the retail automobile business including sales, business management, and ownership.
He was a cello and saxophone performance major at the University of Maryland, and received his B.A. in music from the University of Rochester. Bishop Parris has performed with the University of Rochester Chamber Orchestra, Penfield Symphony Orchestra, Genesee Chamber Trio, and American Light Opera Company. He currently performs as a freelance musician, and with the jazz group Breathe. Bishop Parris serves as a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Board of Directors, and is the director of the Eagle Youth Arts Academy.
Bishop Parris and his wife Myra have three children; twins Addison and Chelsea and Matthew, who is a gifted musician as well.
Myra E. Parris, Co-Pastor, COLFC, Rochester, NY
Born and raised in Washington, DC; and came to Rochester in 1988. Pastor Myra worked in the insurance industry for 25 years. She was ordained Co-Pastor of Church of Love Faith Center in August 1998, where she presently serves in partnership with her husband, Bishop Gregory Parris.
Gifted in the music ministry, she has recorded several albums and taught, as well as directed, choirs in the District of Columbia, Tennessee and Florida. Pastor Myra is now active with the Anointed Celebration Singers and Praise Team, and serves as worship leader at the Church of Love Faith Center. God uses her to touch the hearts of women both inside and outside of her immediate ministry. As Children's Pastor she has also encouraged and led children into the presence of God.
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Pastors
L. E. Parris
Associate Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Ken Sayres
Youth Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Ronald Sykes II
Childrens Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Terrance Youmans
Congregational Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Ronald Gibson
Associate Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Marva Gibson
Associate Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Valery Sykes
Children's Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Stephen Miller
Executive Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Terry Paul
Nursery Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Brian White
Chaplain/Associate Pastor
COLFC
Rochester, NY
Thelma Hazel
Pastor
COLFC
Metro, DC
Lorraine Manuel
Associate Pastor
COLFC
Metro, DC
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What We Believe
Church of Love Faith Center was formed as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are a non-denominational church, but not opposed to denominations as such.
We believe the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's (Agape) love, which is greater than any differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.
We believe worship of God should be spiritual. Therefore, we remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship.
We believe worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, we give great place to music in our worship.
We believe worship of God should be intelligent. Therefore, our services are designed with great emphasis upon the teaching of the Word of God that He might instruct us how He should be worshipped.
We believe worship of God should be fruitful. Therefore, we look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have been truly worshipping Him.
We believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, that the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, infallible Word of God.
We believe that God is eternally existent in three separate persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that God the Father is the personal, transcendent, and sovereign Creator of all things.
We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, provided for the atonement of our sins by His vicarious death on the Cross, was bodily resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, ascended back to the right hand of God the Father, and ever lives to make intercession for us.
After Jesus ascended to Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to fulfill His command to preach the Gospel to the entire world, an obligation shared by all believers today.
We believe that all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that Salvation, Redemption, and Forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to spend eternity with the Lord.
We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and that they are valid for today. We as believers are to covet the best gifts, seeking to exercise them in love that the whole Body of Christ might be edified.
We seek to teach the Word of God in such a way that its message can be applied to an individual's life, leading that person to greater maturity in Christ.
In our services, we focus on a personal relationship with God through worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God. We provide expository as well as topical teaching.
