History of Kinport Assembly of God

In January, 1930, an elderly, unsaved woman, Edna Berringer, felt that she received a word from the Lord to pray for a place to have Sunday school for the children of the Kinport area, which at this time had no facilities for church services.  Mrs. Berringer felt that the Lord had impressed her to share this burden with Charles Nelson, who at the time felt he was in a back-slidden condition.  When Mr. Nelson received this word, he felt a heavy conviction came over him and he and his wife renewed their commitments to Christ.  Charles, who had been a lay minister from the United Methodist church, then made arrangements for interested persons to meet for church services in a building owned by the Evangelical Church (now the Kinport Assembly of God fellowship hall).  Consequently, services were held on a regular basis.  Around May of this same year, a revival began to progress and lasted for approximately seven weeks.  One of the original church members, who had moved to New Kensington, then returned on a visit to the church in Kinport, telling of the wonderful news of being baptized in the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. 

Charles Nelson then began holding meetings with those who were interested in the Pentecostal message in “The Grove”.  The Grove was the name given to the meeting place located behind the Boring homestead on the opposite side of the road from the Evangelical Church building.  The Grove consisted of rough benches and lanterns hung in trees for lighting.  When word of these meetings reached the Evangelical Church, a special board meeting was conducted. This in short culminated in the board advising that persons attending The Grove meetings either stop or leave the church.  Charles Nelson then left the church with a group of people and began holding all church services in The Grove.  In November of 1930, as weather began to get cold for outside meetings, church services were moved to the Shankle home.  In spring, one of the board members, Brother Passmore, went to be with the Lord and local attorneys then came to Erma Passmore, requesting payment of the unpaid loan given for the church building.  She was the only property owner involved in this procedure.  Sister Passmore decided to sign her farm over to the bank, so that there would still be a place of worship.  After this, the Evangelical Church and The Grove Church exchanged buildings with each other.  Although always affiliated with the Assemblies of God, it was not until the early 1950’s that Brother Nelson became a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God.  Succeeding Charles Nelson was A.R. Kennedy, Brother Huntley, Zene Fleming, Ken Brown, M. Stanley Willis, Gerald Meadows and Robert L. Kurka Jr.  In the summer of 1976, the present church building was constructed on a piece of ground donated by Jiggs Boring.  Then, around the early 1980’s, the church purchased the rest of the ground from Mr. Boring.   The mortgage for this building has been paid in full.   

The final phase of the new Ministry Center, with dimensions of 75’ x 125’ and a lobby area including kitchen of 40’ x 40’, was completed October, 2006.  With the new center, the Board of Directors propose to continue to minister to the community by providing outreach programs that will promote better health and wellness, adult education and programs designed specifically for children.  Other children and youth oriented programs are in the development stages.