McCOOK FIRST ASSEMBLY

Our Church History:

 

 

The year was 1922. Spiritual decadence in the churches of the City brought together a group of spiritually hungry women to pray and ask of God that He would visit them with revival.  They met every Tuesday afternoon to study their Bibles and pray.

Faithfully for 2 years they met.  During this time the Lord began to answer prayer by bringing to them an awareness of the ministry of a number of evangelists of those times. 

At first the little prayer band was afraid of what they were hearing of the phenomena of the Speaking in tongues, but with hearing the reports of what was happening, they decided it could not all be bad, and decided to investigate.  Several of the ladies who husbands were railroaders, were able to ride on passes to check out these revival meetings around the country and they came back sharing their testimonies with the prayer group.

By 1924 a number of these ladies were filled with the Spirit and went to camp meeting in Beaver City, Nebraska.  It was at this meeting they met Evangelist Charles Harris, who was starting a work in Guide Rock, Nebraska.  They asked him to McCook for a series of meetings.

Early in October 1924 he to preach in the only available building the women could obtain - the little Community Building at 1200 block of East B Street in McCook.  Immediately the fruit from 2 years of prayer became apparent, as from the first week, people began to be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.  Crowds grew, until hundreds were flocking to this little church which could not begin to contain them.

Resistance broke out immediately among the pastors of the city and the thing that aroused the opposition was that people were "slain by the Spirit" and were speaking in other languages.  Local pastors began to warn against participation or even attending these "fanatical" happenings.  But the more they warned their congregations, the more the crowds grew, until finally - even though winter - the crowds began so large they overflowed onto the sidewalks and into the street.  People brought stepladders to look through the windows which were left open so they could hear the Word and see the move of God.

Persecution grew.  After a few weeks it was decided to establish a congregation to meet regularly for the more than 150 people who had been newly saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.  A Sunday School was needed as well, because many of these people had no church ties.  By this time worshippers agreed to invite Evangelist Charles Harris to become their Pastor and he came.

Persecution did not abate and early in the new year of 1925 the newly formed church found a chain and padlock on the door of the building they had been using.  They met on a local construction site that night by lamplight to discuss what steps to take to secure a place of worship of their own.

Within the week, the present site at 807 East C had been purchased from the Kelley Realty Company, and plans set in motion to erect a temporary board tabernacle and rough pine benches.  The first services in their own location were held on February 27, 1925 and to this crude tabernacle people came from miles around to worship and receive. 

As the group worshipped in this tabernacle they proceeded with plans for a permanent building on the lot next door east, the basement was excavated.  Great urgency was added to the necessity to move into larger, warmer quarters with the promise of the eminent British Evangelist Smith Wigglesworth to come to McCook with his traveling team in November 1926.  Such privilege brought visiting worshippers of God from surrounding states, and outlying areas of Nebraska; and with Rev. G.W. Clopine, Superintendent of the Nebraska District Council Assemblies of God in attendance. The McCook church made their decision to have him set the church in order and affiliation with the General Council of Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri.

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