Who We Are

In the late spring of the year A.D. 30, fifty days after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, on the Day of Pentecost, while the disciples were in the upper room praying and worshipping God, "suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it is sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. "

During the last twenty-one days of the 19th century, a band of earnest, hungry-hearted ministers and Christian workers in Bethel College, Topeka, Kansas, called a fast, praying earnestly for a great outpouring of the Holy Ghost, which, to their joyful surprise, came upon them in the early hours of the morning on January 1, 1901. The people were heard speaking  in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance, just as it had happened on the day of Pentecost in the year A.D. 30. A great revival immediately broke forth, which soon reached to the state of Texas, and west to Los Angeles, where in 1906 it centered in an old building on Azusa Street. Ministers and evangelists gathered in Los Angeles from every section of the United States and Canada, and missionaries returned from the foreign fields to learn more about this new experience. Many who came were soon filled with the Holy Ghost. From here it spread throughout the earth, into the spiritual darkness of India, Africa, China, and the isles of the sea, thus fulfilling the great commission of the Lord: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

The number of those who believed the full Pentecostal message grew rapidly, and soon it was realized that in order to properly reach the world with this great gospel message,"how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Corinthians 15:3-4) and that God "now commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30) "and be baptized...in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ...receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38), it was necessary to have a proper basis of cooperation and fellowship.

During the early half of this century, various groups were organized. Among them two of the major bodies known as The Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ, Inc., and The Pentecostal Church Inc., became so closely associated in doctrine and fellowship that in 1944 steps were taken to unite the two bodies into one organization known as the United Pentecostal Church. The purpose of this united body was to preach the gospel of Christ Jesus; to publish and distribute religious literature; to establish new churches; to send forth missionaries; to perform any other duties connected with religious work, and to help in any way possible to meet the needs of local churches.

The District was originally organized with its first conference meeting in Nampa, Idaho, in 1931 and included the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The states of Montana and Wyoming were added in 1944 and the Province of British Columbia in 1946. The official name, "Northwestern District of the United Pentecostal Church", was adopted in the merger conference in 1945 and the District was officially incorporated in the State of Oregon in 1947. The Washington-B.C. District was organized at Puyallup, Washington on December 16, 1964. It consisted of the State of Washington and the Province of British Columbia, Canada. The official name, "Washington-B.C. District of the United Pentecostal Church of the United Pentecostal Church" was adopted. The District was incorporated for the State of Washington on September 16, 1965 at Puyallup, Washington.

Then in December of 1969 British Columbia, Canada became a separate District, and the Washington District United Pentecostal Church was changed to emcompass the state of Washington only.