On October 9, 1955, under the direction of Rev. C.H. Weeks, a small assembly was formed, and the First Pentecostal Church of Sulphur sprang to life! Over sixty-three years later, the church in Sulphur continues to flourish upon the strong foundation of truth which has been established by faithful pastors and saints through the years.
Less than a year after the church’s inception, the Lord sent Rev. and Mrs. Bill Cranford to pastor the congregation. The Cranfords labored diligently and established a fine monument to the Apostolic truth. During that time, Bro. Cranford oversaw the construction of the original sanctuary.
After twelve years of leading the church and with his health in decline, Pastor Cranford passed leadership of the church to Rev. C.R. Free, who pastored the church for about eight years. Through the years, other pastors added their unique ministries to the building of the church. These men included Revs. Carl Ballestero (7 years), Rev. Don Meade (4 years), Rev. Jonathan Alvear (23 years), and Rev. David Boyd (19 months).
On November 17, 2012, Rev. Harlan Morgan, along with his wife, Sharla, and their children, Caleb and Alaina, became the pastoral family of First Pentecostal Church of Sulphur. With the church now in its seventh decade, Pastor Morgan is the seventh pastor and currently in his seventh year.
The Morgans are natives of Southwest Louisiana, with Pastor Morgan spending much of his life in or near DeQuincy and Sharla Morgan being brought up in Moss Bluff. Their children, Caleb and Alaina, have also been brought up in the area for most of their lives. During their early ministry, the Morgans served as Assistant Pastor and Director of Youth at First United Pentecostal Church of DeQuincy for over five years, and their nearly five-year evangelistic ministry also based out of the DeQuincy area. Being right at home in Southwest Louisiana and privileged to pastor a thriving, growing, wonderful church, the Morgans unwaveringly believe they are engaged in their life’s work and expect to spend the rest of their active ministry in Sulphur.
Throughout the years, improvements have been made to the church structure. Additions to the original building have included foyer, restrooms, offices, fellowship hall, evangelist quarters, and kitchen. These facilities have also been remodeled and updated through the years. Additionally, adjacent properties have been purchased, expanding the church property to over three acres!
In 2014, due to growth and cramped quarters, the church family rallied behind Pastor Morgan’s vision, and a nearly 4,000 square foot Sunday School building and west side parking lot was constructed. The new building consists of four large classrooms, two restrooms, a kitchenette, and a large multi-purpose room. Due to the faithful contributions and hard work of the church family and the miraculous blessings of God, the mortgage on the building was paid off in just over four years! To God be all the glory!
As the church continues to grow and prosper under God’s blessings, plans are currently being prayerfully considered for the construction of a new sanctuary and office complex. The new sanctuary will be situated west of the Sunday School Building.
In addition to its regularly scheduled services, which are held each Sunday at 10 a.m. and 6 a.m. and each Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., many other opportunities to gather and worship are offered. Several revivals are held each year, and the pulpit is filled by various guest ministers throughout the year. Family Prayer Meetings, Youth Service, Family Life Class, and New Life Class are also held regularly. A Bible Conference, “Feed My Sheep – Strengthen Thy Brethren,” has also been hosted by the church. Blessed by talented musicians and singers, each service is enhanced by excellent music giving praise to God with various soloists, trios, youth and adult ensembles, and a choir.
An active Sunday School department teaches children from Toddler to Youth, and dedicated bus ministry teams run vans each week in Sulphur to pick up children for Sunday School. Additionally, about once a month, an exciting Kidz’ Power Zone event is held!
First Pentecostal Church of Sulphur holds two major fundraisers each year. These include a Chocolate Valentine Extravaganza, which is held a few days leading up to Valentine’s Day in a big tent next to Ruiz’ BBQ on Ruth Street in Sulphur. The other event, added in 2018, is Brother Bubba’s Back Porch Christmas and will be held November 22-23, 2019 at the West Cal Event Center in Sulphur.
For several years, the youth department of the church has traveled to Heritage Youth Conference in Colorado Springs, Colo. The church is also involved in P.R.A.Y. CAMP each summer. Various fundraisers are held to assist the youth in taking these trips.
Over the past six years, the church has experienced significant growth as new families and individuals have found their home at First Pentecostal Church of Sulphur, coming out of the world of sin and finding deliverance in a church where truth is still proclaimed and God is still worshipped!
While the welfare and direction of a church often rises and falls upon its leadership, there is much to be said about the faithfulness of the saints of God throughout the years. Several charter members remain faithfully engaged in the work of God, working hand in hand with new saints God has added to the church over the past few years. First Pentecostal Church of Sulphur is greatly blessed with a healthy and happy church family!
Built upon a foundation of Truth many years ago and having remained faithful to that foundation through the years, First Pentecostal Church of Sulphur unashamedly embraces is slogan – “Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience!”
