OUR STORY

First Pentecostal Church of Jackson was founded in 1953 by Reverend W.E. Gamblin. A group of people met weekly in a small church building just south of downtown Jackson. When the church was officially organized in 1955, a small building at 710 South President Street became the home of FPC. Through much sacrifice and effort, the congregation prospered, and in 1960, they moved into a new building at 1505 Robinson Street. In July of 1962, Brother Gamblin asked young evangelist Reverend Thomas L. Craft to allow his name to be presented to the congregation in Jackson for pastorship. Brother Gamblin was prepared to resign and Brother Craft consented. On July 29, 1962, Brother Thomas L. Craft was confirmed by the congregation as Pastor of First Pentecostal Church of Jackson, MS. In the next few years, great victories were won, and the congregation experienced much revival and growth.

By the late ‘60’s, the church at 1505 Robinson was overflowing! A building committee was formed, and groundbreaking for a new church was in the spring of 1969. After 18 months of construction, the new church at 3425 Robinson Street was completed. The congregation marched from the old church to the new church on the first Sunday of worship. Dedication of this new building was in November of 1970. In 1974, the Mississippi District UPCI offered Pentecostal Bible Institute to Brother Craft, and in 1975, the Charter of PBI was assumed by Pastor Craft and First Pentecostal Church with the name changed to Jackson College of Ministries. In 1979, a new campus was purchased at 1555 Beasley Rd. in North Jackson. Jackson College of Ministries is one of the greatest “Missions Projects” ever sponsored by First Pentecostal Church. Thousands of people, who are successfully involved in Christian ministry today, have received their training at JCM. Pastors, Evangelists, Ministers of Music, Missionaries, and Sunday School Educators by the thousands are grateful to Brother Craft, First Pentecostal Church, and Jackson College of Ministries.

First Pentecostal Church has been at the forefront of the current revival movement since 1955. Partners in Missions began here before it became a national program. Deeper Life Conferences were birthed here and have spun into many conferences around the world. More than 90 couples from FPC have gone forth under Brother Craft’s ministry to preach the Gospel around the world; hundreds more have spent time here at FPC and at JCM, receiving direction from the Lord.

In December of 2014, God saw fit to bring one of Jackson’s very own back home to pastor this great church! After youth pastoring, evangelizing, assisting, and over 20 years of pastoring in Starks, LA, Pastor and Sister Greg Frazier have come back to the First Pentecostal Church to lead us into the future. Brother and Sister Frazier were both raised on the pews of FPC and Brother Frazier is a graduate of Jackson College of Ministries. How poetic that life would lead them, their son Aaron, and their daughter Anna home, to honor our heritage and take up the torch of shepherding us into our prophetically prepared future!