OUR CHURCH HISTORY
As Abraham, the father of faith, constructed an altar and worshiped God wherever he went, Bro. Varughese Varughese Mathai (Podiachayan), a newcomer who landed on the soil of the United States, began a small Malayalee Pentecosotal worship service at his small apartment at 3900 Chestnut Street , Philadelphia on the 2nd of November 1975. At which time, including his family, only eight members were present. God blessed his initiative and within a few months many people joined this fellowship.
Because of the lack of space to accommodate the growing congregation, they rented a ballroom in the same building and worshiped there from the third week of October 1976. Bro. Mathai who became a licensed minister of the Church of God conducted services.
Rev. Baby Daniel, who was the pastor of a local church in Bombay, India, came to Philadelphia in 1976. While he was in India, he served as the secretary of the Church of God in the Northern Region of India for seven years. Pastor Baby Daniel took charge of this church from December 26, 1976.
As the membership grew, with the approval and support of the then State Overseer Rev. Earl. P. King, and the District Overseer Rev. Robert M. Warner, the 15-member group decided to have their congregation affiliated to the Church of God, Cleveland, TN. On May 15, 1977, the church was known as the "39th Street Church of God" in the Metro District of Philadelphia. When the church obtained its own property on Roosevelt Boulevard in North Philadelphia, it was renamed Eben-ezer Church of God.
By the grace of God, we purchased a new facility in Northeast Philadelphia located on Welsh Road in November 1997. The facility is equipped with an auditorium, a chapel, prayer hall, numerous classrooms, library, office rooms etc. Presently, about 75 families have membership to the church. Our church is blessed to have Rev. Baby Daniel serving as the senior pastor, Rev. Mathew Denny George serving as youth pastor. Rev. C.C. Abraham, Rev. K.G Philip, Rev. George Mathai, Rev. Sunny Baby are also doing various ministries in the church.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
It was 1886, in a crude meeting house on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, where the Church of God traces its roots. There, a group of eight sincere Christians had a deep desire for a closer relationship and life with Christ. Realizing the futility of reforming their own churches, they established a new church whose objective would be to restore sound scriptural doctrines of the Bible, encourage deeper consecration and promote evangelism and Christian service.
Twenty-one years after the formation of the Christian Union that evening at the Barney Creek Meeting House, the growing movement would establish themselves permanently as the Church of God .
From this seemingly insignificant origin has grown one of the most influential worldwide Pentecostal denominations. For nearly 120 years the Church of God has been a distinctive movement focused upon communicating the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Presently, the Church of God has a world-wide membership of over 7 million with a presence in nearly 160 countries. Leaders of the Church of God are recognized as some of the most respected Pentecostal leaders of today.
The call of the Church of God today beckons back to those early days at Barney Creek . Church of God congregations around the globe are experiencing the fire of the Holy Spirit today more than ever. Reports of revivals where hundreds are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit are frequent and on-going. The call of the Church of God is for world evangelization. It is a call to discipleship and prayer. It is a call of commitment. It is a call for the Church of God to be a channel for Pentecostal revival well into the new millennium.
For further information on the history of the Church God, recommended reading the book Like A Mighty Army, by Dr. Charles W. Conn, available through Pathway Press. Visit their web site at www.pathwaypress.org or view our Resource Center .
For more information on the origin of Church of God, vision and its world wide ministries, please visit www.churchofgod.ccA BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH FOUNDER (Pastor Varghese K. Mathai)
Varghese Kallamparampil Mathai (Podiyachayan) was born to the late Mrs. & Pastor PIamthottathil Geevarghese Mathai their youngest son, at Omalloor, Kerala , India . After completing his high school education and technical training he attended the Christian Medical Collage at Ludhiana, Punjab, from 1965. The Lord used him in Punjab as he was able to start a Christian fellowship which grew to become the present church at Ludhiana. Rev. Mathai came to Philadelphia in 1974 and the same year started a Pentecostal fellowship which is now the "Eben-ezer Church of God, Philadelphia.” Along with his secular job, he served as the Assistant Pastor of the Church and continued to be very zealous in the Lord's service. He was a great source of inspiration, encouragement, and assistance to everyone who had occasion to associate with him. Mathai entered his eternal rest with the Lord he loved and served on Friday, April 24, 1992. He is survived by his wife, Ponnamma Varghese. and daughters Binu, Suja, and Joyce Varghese. He was the brother of Samuel. K. Mathai, George K. Mathai, Baby K. Mathai, Thankamma Samuel and Late John K. Mathai.