WHEATFIELD — Patricia MacKinnon once looked for answers in alcohol.

Today, Senior Pastor MacKinnon gives personal testimony on the power of prayer.

“My search for meaning had taken me down a dark path that many can relate to — the path of alcoholism,” said MacKinnon, who heads The Fair Havens Church at 7337 Ward Road.

“One day I had awakened to find my life was slipping away from me. In a foglike state, I realized I was about to lose everything — my two children, my husband, security, health and perhaps even my life. In my despair, I called out to God and, quite frankly, I was surprised he answered me.”

She found her calling in what she called, in her Scottish brogue, “a supernatural encounter.”

“I discovered that God is not an unfeeling, cold-hearted monarch of the heavens. I came to understand he cares about us and feels our pain. He shares our every sorrow and really does love us. You and I are special to God and because of that, he wants to help us live a full, meaningful life.”

Her life turned around in 1977.

“Since that moment, I haven’t even had a desire for alcohol,” she said. “I knew that my search for purpose was found in Jesus Christ. Today, my family is restored, along with my health and peace . . .

“I had said to God, ‘If you’re real, I need you. Help me. I don’t know what to do. Please take the need for alcohol from me. If you do, I’ll serve you every day of my life, for the rest of my life.’”

And so she did, with her husband, David MacKinnon, cofounder of the Wheatfield church. Born in Ayr, Scotland, the couple emigrated to Canada and then the U. S. in 1967 after David MacKinnon served in the British armed forces.

The Fair Havens Fellowship began Sept. 28, 1981 when a dozen people met in the North Tonawanda home of the MacKinnons. By that November, numbers had grown and they moved into three storefronts on Oliver Street, “right down around all those bars,” Patricia MacKinnon recalled.

The name “Fair Havens” was selected from the Bible, and as attendance continued to grow, in June of 1984 the congregation relocated to a church building on Schenck Street. A decade later, they were able to purchase 17 acres on Ward Road in Wheatfield, very close to the North Tonawanda border. In 2008, they were able to purchase an additional eight acres of land, bringing their total to 25 acres.

Today, the congregation has about 75 members.

For years, the church has ministered at local hospitals and prisons, and created, before David MacKinnon’s death a few years ago, The Fair Havens Church Children’s Orphanage in Haiti. Fair Havens supports missions around the world. Through the support of Fair Havens, there’s another David’s Home Orphanage in Haiti, named in memory of the beloved “Pastor Dave.”

“He was the love of my life, my soul mate” said Patricia MacKinnon, who was married for 46 years. “I have great joy in knowing he’s in the presence of the Lord.”

The church nurtures the next generation with its Fair Havens Youth Group, in which teens and young adults can worship in a fun-filled environment. It starts up again for the new school year at 6 p. m. Sept 19 and is held each Sunday at the same time. Meetings include messages for young people and plenty of time left over for fellowship. There are outings, and fundraisers for upcoming events. MacKinnon also mentors a monthly Career Group.

In addition, “we offer a well-staffed nursery and toddler facility, as well as classrooms for kindergarten through eighth grade,” said Patty Rinehart, Sunday school director.

“Here at the Fair Havens Sunday School, we’ve incorporated a fun, efficient and safe environment for your child to learn about God, from toddler to eighth grade.

“Preschool through fifth-grade children are taught the word of God through a curriculum geared for their grade level. They enjoy crafts, snacks and fellowship each week. Those in grades six, seven and eight participate in group activities, open discussions on life as a middleschooler, as well as curriculum for their age group.”

The church just wrapped up its Vacation Bible School.

WOW stands for the church’s Women of the Word ladies ministry. David’s Army is the men’s ministry.

Pastor Sandra Sterner heads the Outreach and We Care ministry. The team meets for hospital and nursing home visits, as well as street ministry at local farmers’ stands. They also help support soup kitchens in Niagara Falls.

“We recently reached out to homeless who live under the bridges in Buffalo,” MacKinnon said. “We’re a church with a heart for the city.”

Sunday services take place at 10 a. m. at Fair Havens, at 7337 Ward Road.