OUR HISTORY



Our History

       In 1916, A. Earl Walker and Alma R Sanders met in Empire, Alabama. They were married and both saved and filled with the Holy Ghost the same year. They met Elder George W. Keith and started prayed meetings in their home. Elder Keith was warned to either stop preaching Holiness or get out of town. Boldly, he kept preaching the truth until the police took him out of town and told him not to come back. But he, willing suffer for the gospel, came back and continued to have services. After about a week, he was put in jail. When they released him, again, they took him out of town and told him never to return.
      In spite of the persecution and knowing to possible consequences Brother and Sister Walker were determined to continue the services until the police forece them to go or until God led them to go. There were approximately ten saints that were willing to suffer for the gospel together with them. It seemed that the greater the presecution, the greater the determination.
      In 1917, work became slow and saints began to move in search of employment. Brother and Sister Walker moved to McRoberts, Kentucky. Sister Walker was called to the ministry and began preaching the gospel. Again, they began having services in their home. Eventually the home was too small to accommodate the people. The Conolidation Coal Company gave them a house to hold services. Remodeling gave the space needed for the congregation. With the guidance of the Lord, they began a Bible study to learn how to live in order to please God and gain eternal life.
They began to search for an orginization that embraced the truth of the gospel as God had revealed unto them. Unable to find such an orginization, they decided to organize and incorparate the Church of God of America, with headerquarters in Pikeville, Kentucky. For that organization, Elder Keith, Elder Walker, Sister Walker, Mother Brown, Elder Rollins, Elder Rice, Elder Sim Johnson amd Sister Virginia John son met in Stanford, KY and wrote the Articles of Incorporation. A lawyer in Pikeville submitted this document to Frankfory, KY and a charter was granted in 1919. Elder Keith was elected Bishop of the organization.
       After some years of service together and continuous study of the Bible, they found that the Apostles baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Having a sincere desire to do the whole will of God, some of the saints accepted this Bible truth and after a period of fasting and and much prayer, they were baptized according to the Apostles doctrine.
      Church of God of America held one of their annual meetings in Campbellsvile, KY. During this meeting saints who accepted the Apostles doctrine were personally rejected by the Church of God of   America for their belief in the baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus.
      Again, after diligently searching and finding no organization with all the doctrinal truth that God, had revealed to them. God led them to organize the Church of God Militant Pillar and Ground of the Truth. The Church of God Militant Pillar and Ground of the Truth was organized and granted a charter in the state of Kentucky February 18, 1922. The name was taken from I Timothy 3:15, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." God revealed to the founders that it was necessary (compulsory) to be militant against all sin and evil to truly be ...the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."Bishop George W. Keith was elected Bishop.