The History of Apostolic Holiness

1945 - A Pastor is Chosen

The First United Pentecostal Church began with 3 or 4 families meeting in a rented storefront on Market Street in Hannibal, MO in 1944.

Desiring to start a Pentecostal church, Sis. Ethel Stuckey contacted Rev. Harry Branding.

After several contacts Rev. Branding came to Hannibal and met with Sis. Stuckey in her home because he had heard that she was very ill at the time. In the spring of 1945 they located a small building at 420 Mark Twain Ave. that was for sale and that they felt would fit their needs. Rev. Branding, then secretary of the Missouri district and Rev. B.H. Hite, Missouri District Superintendant met with this small group to discuss future plans for the Hannibal church.

 

An agreement was made that Brother Albert would become the first pastor, in return the Apostolic Pentecostal Church of St. Louis would loan the little congregation the $5000 needed for the purchase of the Mark Twain Avenue property. The monthly payments would be no less than $44.58 per month.

Services were held downstairs and the 6 rooms upstairs was used for a parsonage.

The first service conducted by Brother Albert was the second Sunday in July, 1945 with 16 congregants present.

In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Brother Albert also worked in Quincy, Il to help support and pay the bills of the church. The church at that time would have to drive 90 miles to St. Louis, MO for fellowship meetings. At this location on Mark Twain Avenue the church held open –air tent meetings. It was at one of these tent meetings that Sister Sylvia Brown heard the singing each night, as she only lived a few blocks away from the church. In her testimony she said, “The Lord got a hold of my heart and I’m so glad I found the truth!”

Since the church had no indoor baptismal tank at this time, baptisms were regularly held in the Mississippi River and at Bear Creek.

The Lord was blessing the church and as a result they quickly outgrew the church building on Mark Twain Avenue.

The church began to look for a new property to accommodate their growing need.

1948 - A New Building

In 1947, the church realized there was an unoccupied church building located at 11th and Broadway. The church was listed at $24,000 and the church members knew there was no way they could afford that, so they began to pray. After  several months of dedicated prayer many of the church members, including Pastor Albert, began to lose hope of acquiring this building, but Sis. Ethel Stuckey and Sis. Albert continued steadfastly in prayer.

In 1948, the owners of the building agreed to sell the property for half of the original asking price. On October 15, 1948, the congregation moved into the property at 11th and Broadway in direct answer to the prayer of the faithful saints.