Get to Know Us
We glorify God by making disciples of all nations.
Renewal Roots
In 2013, First Baptist Church of NT closed its doors and handed the keys to Randall Baptist Church in Williamsville, NY, hoping for something new to be reborn in this beautiful and central location in North Tonawanda. Doors remained shut for one year while the seeds of a new church sprouted at H&R Block. In April of 2014, the doors opened once more to Renewal Church - a community of believers on mission to glorify God by making disciples of all nations, starting here in our own Lumber City.
OUR LEADERSHIP
DAN
DAN
Dan is a New Orleans native, but has lived in N.T. since May 2014, when he and his family moved here to be a part of this new church plant. Formerly a missionary in East Asia, he has served as Lead Pastor of Renewal since April 2016. He and his wife, Crista, have 3 daughters: Marley, Mila and Lyra.
DICK
Raised in WNY, Dick has long been serving, leading and teaching in various churches while also practicing law. He was ordained at Randall Church while serving as Pastor of Discipleship from 2000-2014. He began serving at Renewal in 2014. Dick and his wife, Mary Ann, have 3 grown children and 8 grandchildren.
SEAN
Sean grew up in MA, but during his his Coast Guard career has lived in CA, VA, and NC. In 2012, he retired and settled in Williamsville. Sean has been leading the Celebrate Recovery Ministry since 2014. He and his wife Renie have three boys, Seanan, Westley and Zayden; and one grandson, Renzo.
JOE
Joe was born and raised in North Tonawanda. He and his wife, Courtney, currently live in the Town of Tonawanda. Joe and Courtney became a part of Renewal Church in 2014, where Joe currently serves an elder. They have a son and a daughter; Greyson and Rosalie.
Dan
Davis
Dick
Murphy
Sean
Hamel
Pastor
Pastor
Pastor
Joe
LaDuca
Pastor
STAFF & ADMINISTRATION
NICK
Nick was born and raised in Rochester NY, and has lived in this area since August 2017, when he and his wife moved to be a part of Renewal Church. Nick has been serving as the Youth Minister since September 2017. He and his wife, Brooke, welcomed their first son, Liam, into the world in April 2019.
KENSIA
After studying music ministry at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Kensia returned to her home in WNY while continuing her studies with Liberty University. In 2018, she joined the Renewal family to lead God’s people to sing His praises, while also teaching music to encourage and equip others use their gifts to glorify God.
Nick
Calcagno
Kensia
Russell
Associate and Youth Minister
Worship Leader
DENISE
Denise was born and raised in Tonawanda, where she currently lives. She is a special education teacher by day and a Young Life leader by night. Here, she seeks to build relationships with teens in the area and share the Gospel with them. She loves spending time with her friends and family of six by playing sports and adventuring in nature.
Denise
Fleming
Children's Ministry Director
RENIE
Renie is the Administrator at Renewal Church. She moved to the area in 2012 and retired from the Coast Guard in 2014. She is married to Sean and they keep busy with their boys Westley, Zayden and grandson, Renzo. Renie currently maintains the main church email address to answer or forward inquiries.
Renie
Bolyn
Office Administrator
CORE BELIEFS
THE BIBLE
II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21
We believe that "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”. We, therefore, believe that the very words of Scripture are the only complete and final revelation from God and are the supreme standard of all faith and practice. We further believe that Scripture “never had its origin in the will of man but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”.
GOD
Deuteronomy 6:4; I Corinthians 8:6; 1 Peter 1:2
We believe in one God eternally co-equal in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
LORD JESUS CHRIST
Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14; I Corinthians 15:3-4; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:15, 7:25
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God and that He became man when He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. We believe that Christ led a sinless life, died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven. We further believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest and is the only sufficient Mediator between God and man.
HOLY SPIRIT
John 3: 5-6; John 14:16-17; John 14:26; John 16: 8-11; Romans 8:14, 16, 26-27; Ephesians 1:13-14
We believe that the Holy Spirit is fully God, that He convicts of sin, regenerates the sinner, reveals truth, and enables and energizes believers in matters of prayer, godly living and service.
SATAN
Genesis 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 20:1-3, 10
We believe that Satan is a person, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the leader of all the powers of darkness. We also believe that Satan tempted man into sin. We further believe that Satan will be judged and ultimately cast into the lake of fire.
CREATION & FALL OF MAN
Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:10-18, 5:12, 6:23; I Corinthians 15:22; Ephesians 2:8-9
We believe that man is created in the image of God. Adam, the first man sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. As a result of this original sin, all human beings are born with a sinful nature. That sinful nature is demonstrated through active rebellion and passive indifference to God. Man has absolutely no personal ability to merit God’s favor, change his nature or his spiritual condition.
SALVATION
Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-9
We believe that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast”. We further believe that salvation involves repentance from sin and a turning in faith to Christ as personal Lord and Savior.
ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
Romans 8:35-39
We believe that each child of God is sealed by the Holy Spirit and preserved for eternity. As a result we believe that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
CHURCH
Matthew 18:15-18, 28:19-20; John 3:5; Romans 3:26, 6:1-5; I Corinthians 10:31, 11:23-32; Ephesians 1:20-23, 2:19-22, 4:11-13; Colossians 1:18, 28, 3: 12-17; Hebrews 10:24-25
We believe that the Church is defined as the body of Christ, with Jesus as its head, and is comprised of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, thus embracing all the redeemed called by God, born of the Spirit, and justified by faith. The Church is called to meet regularly for worship, edification, equipping, fellowship, and correction so that God is glorified, the Gospel is communicated, and believers come to maturity. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are prescribed practices for the Church that is for believers only. Baptism, by immersion following conversion, is a testimony portraying the believer’s union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper so that we will remember and proclaim His death until He comes again. We believe that it is appropriate and consistent with scripture for evangelical churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel.
LAST THINGS
Malachi 3:18; Matthew 25:31-46; John 3:36
We believe in the imminent, personal, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:8) We believe that all will be judged by God, which will result in the eternal state of blessing for the believer and eternal punishment for the unbeliever.