Feature Church: Tacoma, Washington

A group of Christian people in Tacoma, Washington, held a business meeting in September, 1952, to discuss the possibility of merging with the Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, Oregon. Their numbers had dwindled through the years, and their congregation had very few young people. The Reverend R. R. Crawford, General Overseer of the Apostolic Faith organization, was present at that meeting and outlined for the group the provisions that would make such a merger possible. The Tacoma group would turn over their property and other physical assets to the organization. In turn, the Apostolic Faith headquarters agreed to become responsible for the costs of operating the Tacoma church, provide a pastor, and pay any outstanding church debts. The Tacoma group decided to accept the offer and become a part of the Apostolic Faith work.

The Reverend Lowell C. Montgomery, and his wife, Glovenia, moved to Tacoma to be the new pastor. With his infectious enthusiasm and positive message of God's redeeming love for mankind, the congregation began to grow. The Sunday school attendance soon filled the church to capacity, and a Sunday afternoon session was instituted to accommodate the overflow.

During the Reverend Reuel Green's pastorate (1961-1965), a search began for a larger church building. The property at 1313 South J Street became too small, considering the growing congregation and the large Sunday school. A Jewish synagogue at 1002 North 4 th Street was for sale, and after negotiation, the Jewish congregation traded buildings with the Tacoma Apostolic Faith Church, plus a specific amount of money. The former owners reserved the right for three years to take the beautiful commemorative stained glass windows from the building, if they could be used in their new edifice under construction. The time frame passed, however, without any request for the windows—much to the delight of the Tacoma congregation.

The Apostolic Faith took ownership of the North 4 th and J Streets location on May 25, 1964, and immediately started remodeling the building. The basement was divided into separate areas for prayer, music, and Sunday school rooms. A tower was added to the entrance of the church to accommodate an elevator, and a steeple was placed on top. A second floor was added to the rear of the church, providing additional restrooms. The remodeling required considerable work, but all was finished and the church was ready for dedication on February 28, 1965. Reverend Crawford brought a team of Gospel workers from the Portland headquarters, and a number of people came from other Apostolic Faith branch churches for the occasion. It was a happy day, and the building has served its purpose very well through the years.

In 1973, the church bought the house and lot across the alley from the church. The house was torn down and the lot leveled and paved for additional parking. This has proved to be a real asset, as parking on the street around the church is quite limited.

The present pastor in Tacoma is the Reverend Mark Worthington. Along with his wife, Rosemary, Reverend Worthington extends an invitation to all to pay them a visit. Their Sunday schedule of meetings is Sunday school at 9:15 a.m., devotional service at 11:00 a.m., and an evangelistic service at 6:00 p.m. The weeknight service is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome, and no collections are ever taken. Directions to the church are located here.