Echoes Of The Past...

The first service was held in 1937 on a Wednesday evening in the home of Versie and Lula Hornbeak.  At that inaugural service, many souls received the Holy Ghost.    Elder Roach, a minister from New Jersey, taught the Apostolic Pentecostal doctrine of water baptism in the name of Jesus. It was at this service that Lula I. Hornbeak realized her call to the Pastorate.

In the spring of 1938, the church moved to 248 N. Mill Street and remained there until the converted house was no longer sufficient for the growing membership.  On May 11, 1952, the groundbreaking ceremony was held at 864 Splitlog Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.  The new church, which seated approximately 300, was dedicated in May, 1955.

In 1976, Pastor Hornbeak selected Elder Marvin E. Donaldson to be Co-Pastor of the growing church.  Then, after 41 years of faithful service in God's vineyard, in June of 1978, God called Pastor Hornbeak to rest and reward.  The following month, Elder Donaldson was chosen as the pastor of the church.  On November 5, 1978, Elder Donaldson was officially installed as pastor of what was then called, The Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ.

Voices Of The Future...

On February 1, 1982, the church was incorporated in the State of Kansas and began to operate administratively.  Slowly and surely the church added a number of things...people, programs and classes, such as the new members Spiritual Growth & Development class.  A bus was added to help transport the growing membership.  In June of 1984, God continued to shower His grace, mercy and divine favor on Greater Pentecostal Temple as Elder Donaldson was elevated to District Elder in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. (PAW). 

Proverbs 29:18 declares that "where there is no vision, the people perish." District Elder Donaldson, a man with a vision, realized the need for a larger building. On the second Sunday in May, 1983, the church held the groundbreaking ceremony at the church's current location and began to build. Working together, the members raised the money for the first phase of construction. GPT's growing trend continued and by 1993 it was time to begin the second phase of construction, resulting in the completion of the building in its current state. Today, the sanctuary will seat 1,800 people. In 1999, GPT began working on the new Children's Church, located in the lower level of the building, designed to give spiritual guidance and teaching to young people ages 3 to 10. Church expansion continued in 2001 with the development of the nursery, designed for children 2-year-olds and younger.

Today, Greater Pentecostal Temple is "Taking the City!" through revitalizing the neighborhood impacting the entire community.