Uncrowned Community Builders

Rev. Ware was the son of a sharecropper. He was born in Macon, Mississippi and grew up in the cotton fields of that area. He served in the US Army before becoming a Baptist Minister. He received his bachelor of divinity degree from Daniel Payne College in Birmingham, Alabama, a diploma in theology from J. Campbell School of Religion in Memphis, Tennessee and a doctorate of humane letters from Tennessee Baptist School of Religion. Before coming to Buffalo Rev. Ware served as Pastor of Eastern Star Missionary Church in Toledo, Ohio. Earlier he served churches in Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee.

In Buffalo he served twenty years as Pastor of the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church at 402 Clinton Street. Rev Ware was a Pastor who did everything possible to help members become more active in the church and participate in activities of other churches. Rev. Ware was moderator of the Western District Baptist Association; a member of the executive board of the Evangelistic board of the National Baptist Convention USA and a life member of the NAACP. He was also well known for his tireless efforts and concerns to improve life in his church's neighborhood, which was one of the poorest in Buffalo.

Rev, Ware was 71 years of age at the time of his death on July 21, 1998. He is buried in the Rosewood Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY.


Reprinted with permission from "Historically Speaking": April 2003

Afro American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier, Inc.

Reverend A.C. Ware, as he was known to so many, served as Pastor of Friendship Baptist Church located at 402 Clinton St. Buffalo N.Y. for 20 years.
Albert Charles Ware was born December 26, 1926 in Macon, Mississippi. Pastor Ware was educated in Greenwood, Mississippi. He was a graduate of Tennessee Mechanic Institute (TMI) class of 1953. Pastor Ware received the degree of Bachelor of Divinity in January 1963 at Daniel Payne College, Birmingham, Alabama; Diploma in Theology from the J.L. Campbell School of Religion in Tennessee in January 1966 and received the Doctor of Humane Letters from the Tennessee Baptist School of Religion in 1982. On December 22, 1991, he received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from the Baptist Bible School of Western New York.
Rev. Ware served as pastor of several churches in different states including; Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Toledo, Ohio before he and his widow, Mrs. Shirley Ware stepped out on faith and became the Pastor and First Lady to the congregation of Friendship Baptist Church in July 1978. Throughout his guidance Baptist Church he completed a $250,000 renovation of the Sanctuary and lower auditorium. The $750,000 Edward McNeely Education Building, and a $2 million 50-unit Senior Citizen and Handicapped apartment complex named Friendship Manor.
He was a former member of the NAACP Executive Committee of Buffalo branch and was selected by the National Director of the NAACP to Coordinate the Religion affairs Department to the 1981-82 annual NAACP church Financial Campaign in Buffalo and its surrounding area.
Pastor Ware served as former president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Buffalo; former member of the Board of Directors of Sheehan Memorial Hospital. One of Rev. A.C. Ware biggest and most visible accolades was being president of the Board of Directors which oversees the management of two large housing complexes. Town Gardens limited and Ellicott Community Redevelopment Foundation (Town Gardens Phases 1 &2) which have allowed low-income residents to live m affordable apartments and new 'build homes in our city which 2.2 million was provided by M&T bank in 1993.
Before Rev. Ware's death on July 21, 1998, he had many incomplete projects, which since 1998 have been successfully completed. These include: new stained glass windows and doors in the church's vestibule, a 20-unit Senior Citizen complex located across from Friendship Manor, purchase of land for church parking, in addition to the Friendship Bus Ministry. And lastly, a significant reminder that his legacy lives on the A.C. Ware Manor was completed February 27, 2002 and welcomed its first occupant in March 2002.
Although Pastor Albert Charles Ware is no longer here with us, we see and visit the many contributions and accomplishments he left behind in Western New York daily.

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