OUR HISTORY

1966 
Rev. and Mrs. RB Bingham and their family moved to Indiana from Louisiana to take over the pastorate of First Pentecostal Church located at 19th & Lincoln. The church had already been holding services since 1928 under the pastorate of Rev. Robert VanNess. The original church building started out as a hand built basement in which they held services. The membership had already purchased the new property on 53rd Street for future use. In 1968, Rev. Bingham moved the church to the new location and built the current church building. Ground was broken in the Spring of 1968, and in November of the same year, they held their first service in the new building.

The property at 53rd Street at first only housed the current church building.  The next property to be purchased was the neighborhood plot directly behind the church.  Further property was purchased later, two separate times, to complete our total acreage today.

1977 
After purchasing more property (located at the back of our current acreage), the First Pentecostal Church built the parsonage on the grounds. That portion of property also included the land where the fellowship hall sits today. At a later date, Rev. Bingham was able to purchase the frontage property that is located at the front of the fellowship hall now.

1990 
Rev. Bingham asked Rev. Danny & Judy (Bingham) St.Clair and their family to come home to Anderson in November of 1990.  They became a part of the pastoral staff, as Assistant Pastor and Minister of Music for the next four years.  Serving in both the pulpit ministry and the music ministry, the St.Clairs were a great help to First Pentecostal Church.

1994
After pastoring FPC for 26 years, Rev. Bingham passed the torch to his son-in-law and daughter, Rev. Danny & Judy St.Clair, in 1994. They were installed as pastor unanimously in January 1994.

1995 
After many months of hard work and labor, the vision that was birthed for a fellowship hall came to pass.  The current facility was complete! Since then, modifications have been made to the inner structure. Our facility houses several people for different events and is also being used as a gymnasium.  The upstairs was converted into a multi-purpose room, which later became the Youth Chapel.

2000 
This proved to be a very special year in the lives of our pastoral staff. Rev. RB Bingham was ordained as Bishop of the First Pentecostal Church. At the same time, his grandson, son of Pastor St.Clair, Rev. Luke St.Clair was also ordained and installed as Youth Pastor of FPC.  This made three generations of ministry dedicating themselves to the Kingdom of God, and to FPC. 

2001 
Youth Pastor Luke St.Clair married his wife, TJ (McCausland) St.Clair, in December of 2001.  Together, they began serving in the capacity of the Youth Ministry and the Music Ministry of FPC.

2006 
Simon King began serving as Youth Pastor in March of 2006. The former Youth Pastor, Luke St.Clair, who served in that role for 6 years, now serves as Associate Pastor of The Pentecostals of Anderson.

& beyond...  
First Pentecostal Church has had many active ministries over the years.  As time has proven, there has been consistent growth in the church. This has allowed us to wade out into the deep and reach souls through the different ministries available to us.  Whether it has been the Children’s Ministry or the Outreach Ministry, God has continually blessed and multiplied the efforts of the church family of FPC. Together, we have been making a difference in our city and in our families!

God gave Pastor St.Clair and his wife the desire to see growth in the First Pentecostal Church.  They began to seek the will of God and His direction for the church.  Plans were researched for a new building.  After much prayer and fasting, the Lord has been leading FPC in the direction of “growth” for the past few years. Finding God’s perfect will  for First Pentecostal Church is our soul desire. With God, all things are possible!