Hardship is common to mankind regardless of age, sex, creed, or color. Sarah and I are no exception. So, for seven years we faced all sort of problems. Death of love ones, severe illness, loss of jobs, and so forth. Were our problems the result of miss opportunities, poor planning or God way of preparing us for what lies ahead. We couldn’t say. Since we did not know the reasons behind our problems, we decided to take it to the Lord in prayer.

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So, we fasted and prayed occasionally trusting God for solutions. But our lives seemed to be on a roller coaster. Whenever there appear to be a breakthrough then we fall back into deeper problems that brought us setbacks. However, we did quit but took solace from the book of Job. As time went by, we took another 7-day fast and prayer in May of 2010 with the hope that God would remove or ease our problems. The Thursday of that week as we were ending, God, the Holy Spirit inspired my wife to pray a specific prayer: She asked God to use someone to help us understand His Will for allowing these problems on us.

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On the Sunday of our prayer week we decided to worship at Brookdale Christian Center, (BCC).  At BCC, my sister Catherine talked to me about applying for the open pastoral position. She told me that she was led by the Spirit to talk to me.  Later the same Sunday, Bro Carl, one of the board members spoke to me about the same open pastoral position and encouraged me to apply. He laid the framework of things I needed to do.

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Wow, isn’t this exciting my wife had just asked God on Thursday for someone to help us understand the nature of our problems, and here are two people on Sunday encouraging us not only to join the Assemblies of God Church, but apply for an open pastoral position. We embraced the idea about being a part of the Assemblies of God and considered our conversations with these two people as direct answer to my wife’s prayer. We made the application but were not selected as the pastor.  Notwithstanding, we were encouraged to seek ordination with the Assemblies of God, where there are always open doors of opportunities for pastors. We underwent the required training and I received my second ordination on April 7, 2011 to qualify us as Assemblies of God clergy.

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As time went by, I had the opportunity on August 17, 2012 to be in the company of Rev. George Bunnell, Sectional leader of the North Twin Cities Areas of the Minnesota District Council of the Assemblies of God. During this time, there was a conversation about planting additional four churches in the North Twin Cities Areas while he was its leader.  Similar conversation was held on September 6, 2012 this time involving three people--Rev. Roger Stacy, Rev. George Bunnell, and I.  From these two conversations, it became obvious that our seven years problems were God way of preparing us for a church plant with the Assemblies of God. Today, Pilgrim Christian Center is the direct result of that preparation and birthed through conversations.

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Indeed, our ways are not God’s ways, neither are His thoughts our thoughts. Someone once said, “God has a way of answering us that we can’t visualize. Yes! With God, there is no struggle that is too big; No question without answer, and no problem is too difficult to solve.” Though we are not problem free, but working for the Lord through the planting of Pilgrim is joy to us. 

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The organizational meeting of Pilgrim Christian Center was held on Sunday, March 17, 2013 at our former home—6315 Camden Avenue North, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 Apt 111 with 12 people in attendance. The mission statement was being developed as "Not only traveling, but transforming lives and serving humanity” based upon the following scriptures: Romans 12:1-2; Luke 4:18-19; 1 Chronicles 16:23-31 and James 2:14-16.  Praise His Holy name!

Legal documents were filed with the Minnesota Secretary State Office on May 29, 2013, and Pilgrim was granted certificate of incorporation. So, we declared May 29 of each year as Pilgrim's Anniversary date.

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Now as I close, Sarah and I wish to express thanks to Sis. Catherine Reeves, Bro. Carl St. John, Rev. George Bunnell, and Rev. Roger Stacy who God used through conservation to answer our prayers for the planting of Pilgrim. 

On March 30, 2014, the leadership team launched the ministry to the public with an elaborate program at Brookdale Christian Center 6030 Xerxes Avenue North, Brooklyn Center MN 55430. Since then, we have been committed to the mission of Pilgrim in the twin cities.

By the way the history of Pilgrim is still being written…