Church History

ppc_400First United Pentecostal Church

In 1974, founding Pastor T. R. Sylvester pioneered the first Home Missions church in St. Bernard, Louisiana. Under the supervision of the Louisiana District of the United Pentecostal Church, Pastor T. R. Sylvester rented a small building located at 1421 Bayou Road and began spreading the gospel.

The initial church building was very small (approximately 13 x 38), but the desire and determination of Pastor Sylvester to work for God was great. With much prayer and fasting the small building was being filled with the presence of God and people who were hungry for Him. This combination of prayer and fasting proved powerful; people began receiving the Holy Spirit and were baptized in Jesus name. In addition, many children and young people began attending Sunday school regularly and participating in church trips. It wasn’t very long until the congregation quickly outgrew its first church building.

In 1976, God blessed the growing congregation of the First United Pentecostal Church with a new church building and location. Pastor Sylvester rented a church located at 2304 Farmsite Road in Violet, Louisiana (formally Poydras, Louisiana) and continued the work of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. The new building provided the necessary space needed for the growing congregation, Sunday school classrooms, a kitchen, and evangelist quarters.

Poydras Pentecostal Church

pew_320During this time, the church congregation began to join in the work of the ministry by working as Sunday school teachers, bus drivers, outreach workers, home Bible study teachers, musicians, singers, ushers, and participating in many other ministries. By 1977, the congregation was flourishing and God enabled them to purchase the building which they called the Poydras Pentecostal Church. In 1980, the church purchased the adjacent property and utilized it as an expanded parking lot.

Over the next twenty-eight years, Pastor Sylvester and the Poydras Pentecostal Church continued to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in St. Bernard Parish. Hundreds of lives have been changed by the anointed preaching, teaching and ministries of the church. Many of the members from the initial congregation established in 1974 were still actively working in the church when Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina’s flood waters destroyed most of St. Bernard Parish and the home of the Poydras Pentecostal Church on Farmsite Road. The church building sustained about five feet of water which destroyed all of the church contents, furniture and church van.

Lighthouse Pentecostal Church

In October of 2005, Pastor T. R. Sylvester turned the rebuilding duties over to his associate pastor, Rev. Daniel P. Stroebel. Founding Pastor Sylvester has assumed the office of bishop and has appointed Rev. Stroebel as pastor of the Poydras Pentecostal Church. On June 15, 2006, with the help of the United Pentecostal Church International and friends of the Poydras Pentecostal Church, new property has been purchased for the future home of the church. Our new property is located at 7724 E. St. Bernard Highway in Violet, Louisiana.

Construction of our house of worship will begin in May 2007 and is expected to be completed in May 2008. Once completed, the Poydras Pentecostal Church will become the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church. Our new church is located on five acres of property and has a facility with approximately 11,500 sq. ft. of space.

For more than twenty-eight years the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church has spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and served the people of St. Bernard Parish. We look forward to rebuilding our new home and once again serving the people of this community. We know that God is on our side and will help us rebuild. We believe that God will bless us in our rebuilding process and the people of St. Bernard Parish.