apostolic faith church of god
DESCRIPTION
A history of the Apostolic Faith movement church, Apostolic Faith Church of God in Cleveland Ohio. This church was founded by Bishop Ray Oscar Cornell and his wife Ruth.TRANSCRIPT
Books by Dr. Bernie L. Wade
Does God Have a Name?
Baptism According to Matthew 28:19
The Next Wave – Restoration of the Charismata
I Was the Ugly Duckling
History of Apostolic Reformation
The Biblical Marriage Manual
How to Be a Christian Without Going to Church
IS CHRISTMASs CHRISTIAN?
The Israel of God - A Destiny Enjoyed
History of the Apostolic Faith Church of God
The Original Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
History of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ
Books by Other Authors
I AM – By Dr. John Roberts
CHURCH GOVERNMENT – By Dr. Barney Phillips
The Church – Dr. Robert Straube
Foundational Discipling Principles – Dr. Robert Straube
Foundational Discipling Principles
Dr. Robert Straube
Ephesians 4:11-14 "And He Himself gave some [to be]
apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some
pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the
work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till
we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ"
Foundational Discipling Principles is now on sale on
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Straube/dp/1615799354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273604574&sr=1-1
“Doctrine is truth lifted from Scripture and dedicated to purpose.”
Apostolic Faith Church of God
©2012
Dr. Bernie L. Wade
Published by Truth, Liberty and Freedom Press (T.L.F.P.).
PO. Box 72
Sulphur, KY 40070
Printed in the United States of America
Dedicated to Bishop Sanford L. and Georgia A. Wade (my Mother and Father),
Bishop George A. and Lois E. Wade (my Grandfather and Grandmother) and the
many saints of the Apostolic Faith Church of God then and now.
I owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to the path paved before us by those
who have already gone to their eternal home. Only eternity can know the
impact of their sacrifice.
Special thanks to my father who worked with me on the content of this book
both in pictures and text. Special thanks to Sister Frieda Thompson, Elder
Bernie Tucker and to others who contributed to this work.
Apostolic Faith Church of God 1956 Adult Sunday school. Front Row (L to R) Elder Jesse and Sister Miner, Volie and Bishop Milton Green. Bishop Ray and Sister Ruth Cornell. Sister Lois and Bishop George A. Wade, Sister and Bishop Author Leslie. Second row: Marge Anderson, not sure, Sister Joan Nemeth, Sister Thelma Murphy, Sister Lillian Pazdernick, Mother Pollack, Sister Householder, Sister Betty Cornell, Sister Ethel Olsen. Third row: Bro. Hallberg, Bishop Lecil Pollack, Delcie Pollack, Sister Mae Boyce, Sister Peggy Nemeth, not sure, Sister Yvonne Victor and son Ronnie, Sister Staten, Sister Tucker, Sister Ruth Shoppe. Fourth Row: Bishop David Cornell, Sister Coleman, Sister Peggy, not sure, Sister Bobby Cooper, Sister Jean McDaniel, Sister Mildred Bailey, Bro. Joe, Bro. Coleman. Back Row (L to R) Bernie Tucker, Bishop France Thompson, Bro. Bill Nemath, not sure, Bro. Amos McDaniel, Bro. Bill Carmichael, Bro. Don David, Bro. Harold Anderson.
APOSTOLIC FAITH CHURCH OF GOD
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of the
Apostolic Faith Church of God (AFCOG). The Church was
located at 2050 W. 55th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. My
family was intimately involved in this ministry. Church and
ministry were part of my life from the beginning and
AFCOG was our church home.
The pastor and founder of Apostolic Faith Church of God
was the late Bishop Ray Oscar along with his wife Sister
Ruth Cornell. It was here at AFCOG that I heard my first
gospel song, my first sermon, and the first time I saw
someone shout and dance in the Spirit. The first time I
heard someone speak with other tongues as the Spirit
gave utterance and a plethora of things that have impacted
my entire life. Here I first felt conviction, first prayed at an
altar and first realized my need for a savior. Here at AFCOG I sang my first song with
my Brother Brian. We sang a song written by Joe Hatfield, “Old Time Preacher Man”.
In my mind, I can still see the old church, hear the people and even smell the unique
smell that I associated with the basement. I think it was some kind of disinfectant! I
remember vividly the basement walls where my talented maternal Aunt, Jane Kisner,
painted the scene from Noah‟s ark in huge lifelike characters in a continual mural all
around the basement. Noah‟s ark was real to me and when I think of Noah‟s ark I think
of that mural. The stories of the old church and the people who fellowshipped there
would fill volumes. This is just one of those volumes.
Organized in the 1930‟s, this church by the time of my arrival was a sizeable
congregation and was the mother church for a number of other Cleveland Ohio area
congregations. I saw recently a Cleveland area
church claiming to be the mother church for all
Pentecostal churches in Cleveland. History revision
is alive and well, for not even Bishop Cornell could
claim his Apostolic Faith Church of God was the first
Pentecostal Church in Cleveland, but it certainly was
older than almost all the others. Even Brother
Hungerford‟s East Side Church (which Bishop
Cornell had been part of when first coming to
Cleveland) probably wasn‟t the „mother church‟. The
Apostolic Faith movement had begun at the turn of the
Century in Topeka, Kansas. It was from this Apostolic Faith group that our church
developed.
Azusa Street Mission
Bishop Ray O. Cornell and Bishop George A. Wade
The catalyst for the growth and expansion of what would later be called the Pentecostal
Movement came from the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles California. The
Pentecostal Movement in general and in particular Bishop William Seymour‟s group the
Apostolic Faith Church of God came out of Apostolic Faith movement championed by
Charles F. Parham. “The Apostolic Faith Churches of God traces its history to 1909
when William J. Seymour, under whose leadership the original Pentecostal revival in
Los Angeles, California, visited Washington, D.C. From the mission on Azusa Street in
Los Angeles which Seymour pastored, the Pentecostal Movement spread around the
United States. Accompanying Seymour on his visit was Charles H. Mason, founder of
the Church of God in Christ.”1
Bishop Cornell was part of that historic “Apostolic Faith” group.
He knew the history of the Apostolic Faith movement and the
subsequent Pentecostal Movement. The words Apostolic
Faith Church were older than Azusa Street as this was also
the name that Charles F. Parham called his church in 1901. In
naming the church Apostolic Faith Church of God, Bishop
Cornell and the saints of the church were giving honor to those
who had hazarded their lives, fortunes and sacred honor for
the gospel a generation before. They were making it clear that
they identified with a movement that sought to restore the
church to the original Apostles doctrine. There were many of
these Apostolic Faith Churches around the country that were
loosely connected with the original group in Los Angeles2,
which itself was a daughter work from the original Apostolic Faith group of Charles
Parham.
After his conversion in 1930, my paternal Grandfather (I call him Pappaw) the late
Bishop George A. Wade, Sr., would serve on the Elder Board of AFCOG and served as
the Assistant pastor for many years. From its early days Bishop Cornell realized to
pastor effectively he needed help and input. From this came the Board of Elders. To
this end, AFCOG was directed by this Board of Elders. Key men who were full of the
Holy Ghost much like the early church in the Book of Acts. My father, Bishop Sanford L.
Wade also served on the Board of Elders. Others who served on the Elder Board
included: Pastor France Thompson, Elder Bernie Tucker, Elder Lecil Pollack, Elder
1 Black Pentecostals. http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/ear_01/ear_01_00080.html
2 Black Pentecostals. Among the people affected by their new teachings of Pentecostalism was Charles
W. Lowe of Handsom, Virginia, who in turn founded the Apostolic Faith Church of God, which was loosely affiliated with Seymour's organization in Los Angeles.
Bishop G. B. Rowe
Pogue, Sr., Elder Harold Anderson, Pastor Milton Green, Pastor David Cornell and
more.
The beginning for what would become Apostolic Faith
Church of God (AFCOG) in Cleveland, Ohio was in
the early 1930‟s when Bishop Ray Cornell, his wife
Ruth and their family, moved from Mishawaka
Indiana to work in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cornell‟s
were from Greater Midway Gospel Tabernacle (later
Apostolic Temple) in Mishawaka, Indiana where the
late Bishop Glen Beecher (G. B.) Rowe3 was pastor.
Bishop G. B. Rowe was a contemporary of the
leaders of the early Pentecostal movement and a
fixture in the original Pentecostal Assemblies of the
World (PAW) at the time of other legendary figures
such as Bishop G. T. Haywood. From this original PAW came such groups as the
PAJC, UPC, Reorganized PAW (the PAW as it is today), ALJC, ACOJC, ICOF and
many others.
The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) began in 1906 and
took a prominent position due to a doctrinal separation from
Pentecostal conflicts in the years 1913-1919, and matured as a
collection of ministers regardless of race, creed or color.
Unfortunately, first by the departure of white brethren over
racism (circa 1924) and then later (after a merger and
subsequent reorganization) the PAW migrated from being
multicultural to being segregated into primarily a black Pentecostal
denomination.
In the days of Bishops Rowe and Haywood the PAW was totally
integrated. Bishop G. B. Rowe was selected as one of the five
original Bishops of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW).4 Bishop G. B.
Rowe (Bishop Cornell‟s pastor) was another of these original five. It was from this
historic church and family in the Pentecostal movement that Bishop Cornell and his
family migrated to Cleveland. Bishop Ray Oscar Cornell, this son in the gospel to
Bishop G. B. Rowe had come to Cleveland for a purpose. There they would continue
the legacy.
3 http://apostolictemplechurch.com/content/view/43/113/ In the year of 1918, the late Bishop G.B.
Rowe and his wife founded the Midway Gospel Tabernacle, now known as the Apostolic Temple Church, Inc. 4 Apostolic Archives. Bishop Glen Beacher Rowe. http://www.apostolicarchives.com/whoswho_r.html
Bishop G. T. Haywood
Bishop and Sister Cornell in 1957 at the 25th
Anniversary of AFCOG
In the 1930‟s, the Cornell‟s came to Cleveland. Bishop Cornell worked for the
Westinghouse Corporation. There the Cornell‟s attended Brother Hungerford‟s church
which was on the East Side of Cleveland. Brother Hungerford was a dedicated man of
God, had vision and felt a burden for the entire Cleveland area. Of particular note to
him was the West Side of Cleveland. He realized that there were many souls on the
West Side of the city that were not being reached and to get them to come to his
assembly on the east side was a difficult task at best especially in the financially
troubled times of the Great Depression. He encouraged Brother Cornell to take his
family and start a work on the West Side to meet that need. That work began in a
storefront building near or at the corner of 58th and Madison, in the shadow of a large
Catholic church, St. Stephens. The first service was held on January 1, 1932. The
church remained at that location until 1936.5
In typical Pentecostal fashion,
powerful services were held in that
church storefront and the work of
God began to grow. People were
being born of the water and of the
Spirit. The depression Era was
fertile ground to sow hope, healing
and help. The Word of God
offered all of that and more.
Cleveland was a booming city
where there was work and many
were coming from surrounding states
(primarily, Kentucky, Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Tennessee) looking for employment.
The Pentecostal Church, AFCOG on the West Side of the city was not well received by
all. Some of the predominately Catholic population of that community didn‟t appreciate
this Christian sect, these Pentecostal who were making so much noise (both literally
and figuratively) in their neighborhood. One of my favorite stories from the old church
showed the demonstration and power of the Holy Ghost. Of course I am too young to
have been there but I remember hearing my grandfather and my father recount how one
night while Bishop Cornell was preaching, some men, a small mob, came into the
church and physically drug Bishop Cornell from the pulpit and into the street. They
were quite unhappy with the presence of the Pentecostal Church and this preaching
and they were making it publicly known. Once they had finished dragging Bishop
Cornell to the street they, and more of their mob, proceeded to pummel him with bricks.
When it was over Bishop Cornell was either dead or near dead. In either case, the
5 http://raycornell.wordpress.com/history-of-the-pastor-and-church/
Apostolic Faith Church of God Convention
saints of the Church gathered around their pastor, began to pray and in a little while
Bishop Cornell not only got up but he returned to the pulpit and finished his message.
THE SHOW
It was in the old building at 58th and Madison in an
almost forgotten part of the city of Cleveland that
our connection with this destiny began. My
grandfather had moved from the Knoxville
Tennessee area to Cleveland looking for work.
The Great Depression was in full swing and jobs
were scarce. Our family on Pappaw‟s side had
been Baptists as long as anyone could remember.
Since the Civil War had divided Baptist believers
based on the North and South struggle Papaw
had been raised Southern Baptist. As a child
growing up he had not just gone to church but had
been impacted by the message of Christ.
Unfortunately, he had long before lost his way and living for God and church were near
the last things on his mind. In the struggle for self Pap paw had become like so many of
the masses; just another man working in the factories trying to make a living for his
family the best he knew how.
Pappaw‟s Baptist family was devout in their Christian faith and was fixtures in their East
Tennessee (Blaine) community. My great grandfather was a college educated man and
Papaw remembered him as a man of prayer. Papaw said his father would go down by
the woodshed and pray. There Papaw would later realize that what he had observed of
his father‟s prayer sessions was that his father often spoke in other tongues as the Spirit
gave utterance. This was something most people didn‟t know much about and
you certainly didn‟t talk about in the Southern Baptist tradition, especially in the early
1900‟s. Although in many ways you still don‟t talk about speaking in tongues if you are
a Southern Baptist.
Pappaw in the late 1920‟s had come to Cleveland in search of employment to provide
for his small family. What he found would be so much more! Pappaw said that the
“Picture Show” as he called it, which was the movies, cost a dime. Even a dime was
often a lot in the 1920‟s so one didn‟t waste the opportunity. One night when scheduled
to go with some friends to the Picture Show, the friends suggested they go down and
(L to R) Elder Jesse Minor, Sister Esther Hallberg, Sister Ethel Olsen, Sister Bessie Carter, Sister Mae Boyce, Carol Green (Farber) and others at AFCOG
see the „Holy Rollers‟ instead. Holy Rollers was a slang term that has often been
associated with religious groups or movements that are very demonstrative6. Thus, the
Pentecostals had acquired the title. So, Pap paw and his friends agreed to go down to
the little Pentecostal storefront pastored by Bishop Ray Cornell primarily to watch and
make fun of the people as a form of entertainment. They were enamored with how
people there would jump and shout in demonstrative worship. The Pentecostal people
would clap and raise their hands and sometimes (if there was room) run the isles of the
building. My Great Aunt Nora, Mammaw‟s sister had received the Holy Ghost at
AFCOG and often invited my grandparents to church, but that didn‟t prompt them to
action.
Pappaw would later recount, “The show at the Pentecostal church was better than the
picture show, and it was free!”
So Pappaw kept going back for the „free show‟ at the Pentecostal Church. Soon, he
became aware that there was a hunger in his soul that was not being filled by his
employment, family or friends. This hunger had first manifested in his life as a child in
the Baptist church back home in Tennessee.
As a child, my grandfather had felt conviction and
realized his need for Salvation. He would go to the old
„mourner‟s bench‟ at his Baptist church and cry and
weep. When he went to the preacher at the Baptist
church and asked to be baptized they told him they
would baptize him in the spring of the year. In that
old Baptist church they didn‟t have a baptistery so
they relied on the river to do baptisms. Which was
fine except Pap paw fell under conviction in the
winter and they needed to wait for the river to thaw so
they could do baptisms. Waiting till spring for baptism
for a boy seemed like a long time especially when your father had just died and mother
was not well. By spring, that initial conviction was gone. However, Pappaw was
baptized anyway.
Later he would recall the event and respond with this, “I just went down (to baptism) a
dry devil and came up a wet one”.
Now, Pappaw, after so long a time had found his way back to church. Certainly not for
the right reasons, but none the less, he was back. The old church building had posts in
it as part of the structure. As Pappaw would feel the conviction coming from the Holy
Ghost on the man of God he would position himself so that he had one of those posts
6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roller
A Mourners Bench like the one Pappaw used
between him and the speaker. It didn‟t help. At first Pappaw got mad at the preacher.
How dare he say those things!
He went home one night and said to my grandmother, “Mama (he always called her
Mama) do we have a bible around here? “
I often think of this when reaching out to the lost. Do they even have a copy of the word
of God? How can they read the Word if they don‟t have a bible? As it turned out they
did have a Bible. My grandmother‟s sister, Nora, had given my grandmother a bible.
Thank God for Great Aunt Nora! Papaw had taken time on his latest visit to the
Pentecostals to write down the Scriptures that the preacher had read. So, he looked
them up and read them for himself.
I remember Pappaw saying, “Well, I found out that the preacher was telling the truth. It
was right there in the bible. I was mad at the preacher but I might as well get mad at
God.”
AFCOG announced a revival service would begin and Pappaw made sure he was there
every night to hear the minister, one Brother William Thomas (W. T.)
Witherspoon. Brother W. T. Witherspoon pastored Apostolic
Gospel Church in Columbus, Ohio later served as Chairman of
the PAJC and Asst. General Superintendent of the United
Pentecostal Church (UPC). Bishop Cornell also served with the
PAJC as a District Elder from Cleveland Ohio7.
When Pappaw heard people speaking with tongues as the Spirit
gave utterance he realized, “that was what my daddy had; this Holy
Ghost”. He remembered his father would speak in tongues
down by the old wood shed during his prayer time!” By the end
of the Witherspoon revival Pappaw was captivated and under
heavy conviction. He wanted whatever these people had that
made them so happy and filled them with such love. Happiness in the great depression
was in short supply and Pappaw knew that what these people had was genuine. It was
usual for the Pentecostals of this era to talk about the happiness and great love that
people had one for another.
Pappaw followed the revival services across town to the next place Brother W. T.
Witherspoon was preaching. In those days the churches worked together rather than
fighting for the pre-eminence. It didn‟t‟ seem to matter what fellowship card you had or
organization you belonged to as long as you believed in Jesus! No one thought
anything of folks going to another church to hear the preaching, worship or enjoy the
7 The Pentecostal Outlook. Volume 7. No. 12. December 1938. Pg. 4.
Sister and Pastor W. T. Witherspoon
presence of the Lord. And thank God they didn‟t, because there in that next revival
service, George A. Wade, my grandfather gave his life to Jesus Christ and was baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of his sins. In exchange, the Lord
graciously filled him with His Holy Spirit and the destiny of our family was forever
altered.
Bishop Cornell was a good bible teacher, patient and nurturing. These are certainly
qualities of a fine pastor. Once Pappaw was filled the Holy Ghost (we used the King
James Bible and always referred to the Holy Spirit as the Holy Ghost), he never looked
back. There was no in and out for him. There were certainly ups and downs and trials
and tests but Pap paw was sold out for Jesus! Like the lyrics of the song, “I HAVE
DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS, NO TURNING BACK, NO TURNING BACK!”
“In 1935, the church was incorporated and named
The Apostolic Faith Church of God. Then we
purchased an old foundry and factory building which
was in a very dilapidated condition at 2050 West 55th
Street and started working. All of the labor of repairing
and remodeling was done by the brethren of the
church. Our pastor laid bricks, did carpenter work and
acted as overseer of the work, toiling every evening
after he finished his day‟s work at the Westinghouse
Mfg. Co. and all day on Saturdays from 7 A.M. until 11
P.M. Many of the brethren in the church labored
faithfully with Elder Cornell in this huge new task
which took nearly a year as a new floor had to be laid, new roof put on, living quarters
built, and many loads of dirt hauled away. The total cost of the property and repairing
amounted to $11,470.00.”8 We moved into our new place of worship on April 8, 1936.
Meanwhile my Grandmother, Lois Wade, who I called Mammaw, was having none of it.
She was quite content to let Papaw go out with the Holy Rollers but she didn‟t need any
of that religion stuff. Mammaw had seen her fair share of hypocrites growing up and
she didn‟t have room in her life for any more. Her people were from Missouri and they
don‟t call it the “Show Me” State for nothing. She enjoyed going to the picture show and
that was where she would go when Papaw went to church. This was an escape for her.
One night Papaw went to church and Mammaw went to the movies as usual. During
the movie there was a scene of a house burning.
Mammaw later recounted, “I heard a voice as clear as day say, „Your house if on fire!”
Mammaw ran from the movie theater, down the street and all the way home. When she
8 http://raycornell.wordpress.com/history-of-the-pastor-and-church/
Bishop G. A. Wade and Brother Freddy
burst through the door of the house her oldest son, George, said, “Mom, you look like
you have seen a ghost!”
Apostolic Faith Church of God Convention May 1944 – three day meeting to celebrate paying off the church mortgage. Pappaw is on the left hand side
holding my Dad.
We know now what she didn‟t know then. The Holy Spirit was talking to her and yes,
her house was certainly on fire. She was going to have an encounter with a ghost, the
Holy Ghost! There was a fire ragging in her that if the course was unaltered she would
end in the Lake of Fire. Papaw had long quit asking her to join him to go to church.
One night right after the theater incident, when Papaw was getting ready he noticed
Mammaw getting ready also.
Pappaw said to her, “Where are you going?”
Mammaw replied, “To Church with you.”
And that was that. Later Mammaw also received the glorious baptism of the Holy Ghost
with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. She was also buried in baptism in the
glorious name of Jesus Christ to rise and walk in newness of life. Praise the name of
Jesus! Mammaw sold out to Jesus! She never looked back. She would become a
fixture in that church and later others. She was a Godly woman who was an example of
the believer. She would live to be over 100 years old. Her life was a testament of a
Godly woman, a Christian lady and a leader, committed to Jesus Christ every day of her
life.
When she was late in life she needed full time nursing help. These nurses generally
would come every day for a week or so, but near the end of her life we noticed that they
were changing nurses every day. Mammaw was witnessing to these ladies about Jesus
and they were under conviction. Right up to the end Mammaw was conducting own
Revival. At her 99th Birthday Party I asked her, “Mammaw, what do you learn in 100
years of living?” She said, “Oh, Honey, you learn to be sweet and humble.” So I am
trying to become sweet and humble, it is taking some effort.
Mammaw joined right into the work of AFCOG. Whatever Bishop Cornell needed done
my grandparents were right there working with him and Sister Cornell. Mammaw
starting helping in the kitchen and soon they were looking to her as head cook.
Someone had to take the lead for the huge conventions that the church had and
Mammaw was willing to help.
This first building was rented as the fledgling church could not afford to purchase a
place of worship. By 1935 the church had gotten a reputation for being quite noisy.
According to the owners, people in the neighborhood, primarily those who were
members of the Catholic Church were unhappy about the noise. Thus, after three
years, the owners refused to continue renting the building to the Church and asked
them to vacate.
Bishop Cornell told them AFCOG would find a new place. He also told them that after
the church vacated they would never see another use for the site. Sometime after the
church moved out the building burned to the ground and for some seven decades the
site was an empty lot. The power of the Prophet leading God‟s people had certainly
come to Cleveland.
In 1935 the Lord blessed the AFCOG with a new building. Well, to be honest a very old
building. It had been an old foundry. It was beside a brewery. If you have never been
in a foundry just know this, they are extremely dirty. How the men of the church ever
remodeled such a nasty old building into a place of worship is a testimony and my
Pappaw was one of those who labored to bring life to the old building. God honored the
labor.
They needed to acquire permits to remodel the old foundry building. Getting these
permits from the city to remodel the building proved to be elusive. After several
attempts to get the City of Cleveland to issue permits to Bishop Cornell was walking
through the City Hall building when a man said, “Hey, who are you?”
Bishop Cornell said, “I am a preacher. I am down here in yet another attempt to get
building permits to remodel an old factory building we bought. We want to remodel it for
a church.”
The man said, “Come with me. Bishop Cornell followed him. Turned out he was State
of Ohio building inspector. Bishop Cornell went with him to his office where he issued
Bishop Cornell State permits to remodel 2050 W. 55th Street, Cleveland, Ohio. God had
uniquely intervened to help the congregation of Apostolic Faith Church of God.
Pappaw used to recount this story to us. It was some three years since he had been
born again of the water and of the Spirit and he was committed to reading his bible and
studying to show himself approved (something he would do till the day he went to be
with Jesus). Papaw approached Bishop Cornell to ask him a question.
Pappaw, “Bishop Cornell, did you know that Jesus Christ is the mighty God?”
Bishop Cornell (Somewhat surprised and delighted), “Yes, Brother Wade, I did. That is
what I have been trying for three years to get you to understand.”
Front Row (L to R) Sister and Brother Coleman, Bishop Patterson, Sister and Bishop Cornell. 2nd
Row (L to R) unknown, Mammaw, Sister Staten behind her, Sister Householder, Sisters Marge Anderson, Ruth Shoppe and Sister Smith (Smity). Unknown, Mother Nemath and Sister Gene and Brother Amos McDaniel (Mammaw’s brother-in-law). Back Row (R to L)
Pappaw, Bishop Pogue, Elder Leonard Kohler, Brother Al Sacid, and Elder Harold Anderson.
Pappaw often recounted those early year by talking about sitting in bible class with men
such as Bishop G. T. Haywood, Bishop G. B. Rowe, Bishop Hancock, Brother Coot and
other legendary preachers of that era.
He would ask my father, “Do you remember when we sat in bible class with Bishop G.
T. Haywood teaching?
Dad would say, “No Dad, I don‟t remember those days.
Bishop Haywood died before I was born” (Bishop G. T.
Haywood died April 12, 1931).
Pappaw would say, “Oh, yes I forgot”.
But Pappaw remembered those old Elders from the
days before the white brethren pulled out of their
fellowship with the black brethren. Some say it was
that early division that caused Bishop Haywood to
die. They say he died of a broken heart. Those
were formative years in Pappaw‟s life. They
made such an impact on him that he wanted to
share those Bible truths with others. At AFCOG
they continued fellowshipping black brethren as
always.
This is a note from the 1940‟s, “In May, we held a three-day convention and dedicated it
unto the Lord. On December 23, 1944, the mortgage on the church was paid in full
without any outside help except the free-will offerings of our congregation. In the
summer of 1947 the entire church was redecorated, one new furnace installed, the
other two furnaces repaired, and an asphalt driveway put in at a cost of $3,100.00. We
borrowed $1,600.00 and paid the balance in cash. A special two week meeting was
held at that time and the church was rededicated.”9
I once asked my father, “What is different about the church today verses back then?”
Dad said, “Back then they lots of people came to church who had not been born of the
water and of the Spirit. There was no attempt to preach clothes line messages or to
preach so hard you would run them off. The people came and the saints had church,
prayer, and invited the Spirit of the Lord. When the conviction would fall that would
cause the unsaved to change their ways.
9 http://raycornell.wordpress.com/history-of-the-pastor-and-church/
Today, we run them off if they don‟t line up to our „Standards‟ right away and that is
usually all we see of them. So the difference is that back then about half of the people
were not spirit filled but came anyway. Today, we have decided we only want the half
that is Spirit filled. Back then we had opportunity every service for someone to get
saved because there were already sinners present.”
Bishop and Sister Cornell lived a good
life. They were modest in the way they
conducted themselves. He taught his
people this simple way to pattern your
life,
“Don’t be anywhere; don’t be
doing anything or saying anything
that you wouldn’t want to be when
the Lord returns.”
When Bishop Cornell had revival
services they were seldom short.
The old timers tell of a time when
they went 19 weeks in revival
without a night off! God can do
marvelous things if we let him. In 1943 Bro. Romine and his family from Indianapolis
came to Apostolic Faith Church of God. They held over a month of revival during which,
“one was baptized and four received the Holy Ghost.”10
One unique weekly event was Bishop Cornell held Saturday night bible study at his
home. Here usually young ministers and those interested in learning more than the
average about the word of God would gather for instruction.
10
Pastor Ray Cornell. Pentecostal Outlook. Volume 12. No. 6. June 1943. Page 9.
Bishop Cornell, Dad, Glen McDaniel, Denny McDaniel with Sunday School Teacher Al Sacid
SISTER LOIS WADE
I remember Mammaw so fondly. She prayed
whenever she needed and wherever. Most
often she was in the kitchen. Back in the
1930‟s when she had come to the Lord she
had come from rough country people and
from a worldly life. She would be working in
the church kitchen and something happen.
She would just say, “S_ _T”.
One of the other cooks said, “SISTER
WADE!”
Mammaw, “What?”
Other cook, “You shouldn‟t speak like that
now that you are saved.”
Who knew? Mammaw didn‟t know that is was not something she should say but she
was learning. I doubt anyone reading this ever knew the story. I questioned the
wisdom of printing it because my Mammaw was held in such high esteem. However, I
want people to know that people come to God with lots of baggage. They are far from
perfect and our job is not to perfect them in our flesh or have them adhere to a long list
of rules and regulations but rather to let the Spirit of the Lord guide them in all truth
while we are there as help and encouragement to them in their walk with God.
Years later in an early pastorate I had someone come
tell me that a new convert was still smoking. I had
seen other ministers who would have made a major
issue of such. I remembered Mammaw‟s example. I
knew that the new convert would be just fine. We
prayed with her, encouraged her to continue her
Christian journey. I knew that like my Mammaw, she
was learning.
Mammaw loved to cook and people loved her
cooking! She would often be in the kitchen praying
and speaking in tongues. She told me that sometimes they had as good a service in
the kitchen of the church (which was downstairs) as they were having upstairs. Now,
that was saying something!
Pappaw, Brian, Mammaw, Bernie and Mom Thanksgiving 1969 some of Mammaw’s
cooking on the table.
The Cooks (L to R) Sister Snyder, Sister Staten, Mammaw, Sister Pazdernick, Sister Marge Anderson, Brother Herman Snyder, Sister Vollie Green and Sister
Kessel circa 1960
Mammaw had six children and was a home maker. Additionally, she
worked as caretaker for the Church. She and her family took care of
the church facilities. Whenever we had conventions, special services
or any event where food was involved, Mammaw was the Head Cook.
Lots of work, but Mammaw was up to the task, alongside her were
many wonderful saints of God helping to carry the load. Some of
those who helped in with the kitchen duties include Sister Margie and
Brother Harold Anderson, Mother Nemeth, Sister Lilian Pazdernick,
Brother Bernie Tucker, Bishop George Wade, Sister Smith, Sister
Bobbie Cooper, Sister Esther Hallberg (Drotleff), Sister Carol Green,
Sister Ruth Shopp who usually helped with coffee and many others
whose names I do not have.
Mammaw talked of them and their time together in the kitchen most fondly. The people
of AFCOG were more than other church members, more than friends, they were her
family. Many times people have said to me, “I remember the wonderful meals the ladies
at Bishop Cornell‟s would serve.”
Fellowship Hall at Apostolic Faith Church of God circa 1930. Pappaw is standing on the right against the wall
When Mammaw was in her 70‟s; at a Thanksgiving get together with the whole Wade
family. Mammaw started praying in her home kitchen and then speaking in tongues and
then shouting right into the dining room and through the living room and back into the
other door of the kitchen. It was a big loop and all the time she had her eyes closed and
had a spoon and mixing bowl in her hands (probably dough for her wonderful cat head
Mammaw at 100
biscuits). Those who were cold in Christ became nervous. The rest of us rejoiced right
along with her. Thank God for saints who are sold out to Jesus and don‟t see Church
as just something to do.
On July 14, Mammaw reached her 100th birthday. At her home that month I asked her,
“Mammaw, what do you learn in 100 years?”
“Oh honey, that is easy, you learn to be sweet and humble.”
So, a life well lived teaches a lesson that it may take a lifetime to master. BE SWEET
AND HUMBLE.
In October of 2010, Mammaw went home to be with Jesus. I was privileged to have a
part in her Home Going Service along with her pastor Bishop Billy McCool and Pastor
Mark McCool. I spoke of “Mammaw‟s Kitchen Ministry” and talked about her work as
compared to another servant who waited on tables, Apostle Stephen. In our ministry
many of the people we have had opportunity to reach were first impacted by someone
in our kitchen.
What powerful services they had in the old
church. What music we had! I still can
remember the musicians getting ready for
church service. We had wonderful Holy
Ghost filled musicians and they were very
talented. You might hear every
instrument from a 10 string guitar to the
spoons. Those were wonderful days
when the whole congregation came to
worship rather than to be entertained.
My Dad fondly recalled a time when a
preacher, Elder Plain (of American
Indian descent from Canada) came to
minister.
He said to Bishop Cornell, “Bishop you
have these people so primed to worship God that it doesn‟t even matter what I say.
They will simply worship”.
Bishop Cornell said, “You really think so?”
Elder Plain, “Yes. I could say „cabbage and onions‟ and they would worship.”
Bishop Cornell, “Give it a try”.
Children’s Sunday School (L to R) Adults, Bishop and Sister Cornell. Back Row (L to R) Sister Margie Anderson, Mammaw,
Elder France Thompson, Elder Milton Green, Elder George Wade
The next thing, Elder Plain grabbed the microphone and started yelling, “CABBAGE
AND ONIONS, CABBAGE AND ONIONS over and over again. You know what? The
people just started shouting and praising the Lord!
Fellowship in those years was readily
available and these are some of those in
the AFCOG fellowship circle: Brother White
(Akron), Brother Maley (Canton), Bishop
King (Chagrin Falls), Pastor Shriver later
Kearney (Elyria), Brother William Pogue,
Elder John Steila (Slavic Village), Bishop C.
B. Gillespie (Fairmont/Morgantown, WV),
Bishop Lee (Newark), Pastor Simmons
(Terra Haute, IN), Sister Betty Quakenbush
(Martinsville, IN), Brother Leslie
(Wadsworth) and more.
Besides church and fellowship meetings the
next thing on the list for most church folks is fellowship at a good restaurant. For
AFCOG, one of the favorites was a Chinese restaurant on the east side of Cleveland.
Pappaw‟s favorite dish was Subgum. My father usually ordered Green Pepper Steak.
Dad took Mom there on a date and encouraged her not to order American food. Mom
ordered a New York Strip. It was not well prepared, so she helped Dad with his
delicious Green Pepper Steak.
Around 1956, Bishop Cornell and then Elder Sanford Wade built a
beautiful waterfall behind the baptistery at the church. It was made
from stones from all over the country. Bishop Cornell gathered
these on ministry trips and brought them home. I remember one
night a Navy man came to service and received the Holy Ghost. He
wanted to be baptized and when he got ready to get in the
baptistery, he realized he had left his wallet in his pocket. Bishop
Cornell said, “That is all right I want to get all of you baptized!”
Pappaw was a hard worker. As a young man he worked at
Standard Knitting in Knoxville, Tennessee. That is where he met
Mammaw. When he first arrived in Cleveland Ohio he worked for the same company.
During the Great Depression he worked for the WPA (Works Progress Administration)
working on repairing roads.
Later, when he returned from Tennessee he went to work for the Waldock Meat
Company headquartered in Sandusky Ohio. Pappaw would get up very early in the
My Pappaw, Bishop George A. Wade cutting Bishop Ray Cornell’s hair.
morning to make the more than two hour drive to work in Sandusky. Dad recalls
Pappaw up early in the morning praying in the bathroom before he went to work.
Pappaw was a barber. I don‟t think that he went to formal barber school, but he cut hair
for many of the men in the church. Pappaw was always busy.
He would often retort, “There is no rest for the wicked and the righteous don‟t need it!”
At some point during this time my grandfather purchased a reel to reel tape recorder
and recorded some of the old church services. Most of these have been lost through
time but as a young man I remember listening to the events of those old meetings and
am very thankful that Pap paw spent the time and effort to record these events. My
grandparents had six children and all of them were at one time involved at AFCOG.
Two of them would become ministers.
On April 8th, 1962, my father Sanford L. Wade, and my
Mother the former Georgia Ann Gillespie, were married at
Apostolic Faith Church of God. Bishop Ray O. Cornell
officiated. There were hundreds in attendance for the
wedding. This wedding date marked the 26th Anniversary
of the new building (It was the 30th Year for the Church).
On that same date April 8th in1936 the congregation had
first moved into this building and held the first service. For
Mom and Dad‟s it was the beginning of a 50 year journey
together. They would go on to raise five children, see their
8 grandchildren, and the first three great grandchildren,
establish churches in several places, release two natural
sons into the ministry, mentor and train a significant number
of others many of whom would become musicians, recording
artists, song writers, writers, leaders and ministers in various ministries and assemblies
around the world.
Silly things happened at AFCOG also. One time a preacher came and preached
about “Moreover the Dog”.
He said, “Moreover, is the only dog named in the bible.”
Of course this man was simply illiterate. We used to get great laughs out of that
misnomer. He had taken the text about the story of Lazarus where it says, “Moreover
the dogs came and licked the sores of Lazarus.” Today, we wouldn‟t let a preacher that
ignorant in our pulpits. But, guess what? The altars filled up that night with people
crying out to God and some got the Holy Ghost! I need to remember that lessen.
Bishop Sanford Lee Wade and Georgia Ann Gillespie on their wedding day,
April 8th
, 1962
Sometimes I forget the power is NOT in me but in the Word of God! God‟s Word is
capable no matter how ignorant the preacher!
My maternal Aunt, Fern Kessel or Sister Kessel as she was called at church, was
actively involved with children. Aunt Fern
had been unable to have natural children
due to some natural problem that caused
her to miscarry several times. But her
love for children was undeniable and she
spent her life working with children and
for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Only
heaven had record of the many lives that
she touched. I was blessed to be at her
Home Going and had the privilege of
giving a few remarks.
At AFCOG, she did many things but my
fondest memory of her is her leading the children‟s band or “The Little Band “as they
called it. I don‟t know who originally started it; the Little Band had been part of AFCOG
for a long time. My Dad told me he played in The Little Band as a child so it must have
gone back to near the beginning of the church. Sister Kessel also worked with children
in other capacities such as plays, Sunday School and more.
At the time of my childhood Sister Fern Kessel was the leader of The Little Band. The
Little Band was made up of small children probably 3-7 year olds. Each would come
with their child size tambourine, or pair of sticks, triangle, drum, or some similar simple
instrument and she would lead us as we sang children‟s songs and played instruments.
Of course, I have taken literary license with the word „played‟! Sister Fern Kessel had
the patience of Job!
This early experience with „music‟ (we children thought it
was music) gave me a lifelong love for music and for the
people of God. In the years to come I would be blessed
lead my own children‟s choir, and adult choirs, sing in a
quartet, duet and solo. I tried a hand at the bass guitar, the
piano and organ but never really accomplished much with
them. But the tambourine which I began beating in Aunt
Fern‟s children‟s band, that is an instrument with which I
have learned to keep rhythm.
My parents certainly tried to help me with playing a musical
instrument. They bought me a guitar when I was a young
Christmas Pageant at AFCOG. Brian and I were two of the three Kings. Dad wrote several plays for AFCOG
AFCOG young people’s group
child to encourage me to be a musician. Dad reminds me that I would lay the guitar on
the floor, then stand on it and sing. Well something was working anyway! My singing is
not going to earn me any awards but it certainly is better than my musical talent.
AFCOG was a praying church. Bishop Cornell put great faith in prayer. When the
pastor of one of the daughter works was discovered in sexual sin, and the people didn‟t
know how to bring it to light. Bishop Cornell advised them to pray. When after a couple
of weeks nothing had changed, Bishop Cornell advised them to be patient and pray. In
the end, the Adulterous pastor stood up one service and resigned. No fight, no
confusion – Prayer had won the day.
Bishop Cornell had a wealth of experience.
He had been around people enough to
know their ways. In those days they
would often go to people homes that had
called for prayer and pray for them.
Some of us still go to people‟s homes for
prayer. Bishop Cornell always instructed
the ministers, “Never go to a home
alone”. One evening the phone rang at
Pappaw and Mammaw‟s house. It was
Bishop Cornell. He wanted Pappaw to
accompany him to go pray for a lady who
had called for prayer. When they arrived
at the ladies home, she was nude. She began to cuss and swore at Bishop Cornell,
because she had expected him to come alone.
Pappaw would often talk about the prayer services in those early days. He said the
people would be at the altar 5 or more rows deep, crying out to God! Powerful prayer
meetings begat power churches. There were praying ladies who heard from God.
Sometimes they would stand in the service and ask Bishop Cornell if they could speak.
This would usually start like, “Bishop Cornell I was praying the other day and the Lord
showed me…”
If you were sinning the Lord just show it to one of these praying ladies in the church.
They could start speaking and people would get up and run to the altar. These ladies
prayed and God spoke to them. Every body of believers needs intercessors like those.
One day, Pappaw observed something quite strange. He saw a man from the church
standing at the corner of West 25th and Clark. The man was someone Pappaw knew
well. He realized that this man was smoking. This was a serious concern but Pappaw
was uncertain what to do, so he prayed about it. Some time passed and one night in
Bishop Cornell, Bishop King, Pastor ? and Elder Milton Green
church service one of the praying sisters stood and asked Brother Cornell for
permission to speak.
She said, “The Lord showed me Brother (name withheld) standing at the corner of West
25th and Clark and he was smoking.” At this moment this brother stood and yelled,
“That is a lie”.
Pappaw, who was the assistant pastor then stood and told how he had not heard from
the Lord on this matter but had actually seen the event. He told how he had been
praying for the Lord to help with the situation. At this the brother went to the altar. God
had revealed the secret things in open.
Sister Frieda Thompson told me that the church in those days was very evangelistic.
She had come to Cleveland from Lancaster Ohio where the late Elder S. R. Hanby had
pastored for so many years before turning the church there into the capable hands of
Elder R. G. Cook. In those days the Cleveland church was active in street meetings.
They would just go to an area and have church on the street. People who may never
have come to the church were impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this manner.
Dad sat on the Elder Board for a number of years. Bishop Cornell had the foresight to
know that you could not run a church on your own. This is a lesson that many either
forgot, ignore or just never learn. The Elder Board was approved men, full of the Holy
Ghost who worked closely with Bishop Cornell. One day when the Elder Board was
meeting they discussed a preacher who had demanded a guarantee of a certain sum
before he would come hold revival. Dad, who was the youngest of the Elders,
recommended they tell him not to come, and they did. The Church was well able to
meet the sum and the sum was much less than what they would have normally paid, but
that wasn‟t the point. They wanted people who were committed to Jesus, not worried
about money.
In 1971, God called our beloved Bishop Ray Oscar Cornell home. I will never forget the
funeral service. The cars following the hearse stretched for as far as the eye could see.
Bishop Cornell had left no one in charge of the church in spite of a number of attempts
by his family and others. It had been no secret that Bishop Cornell was getting up in
years and someone needed to lead the church. Bishop Cornell had been in bad health
for some time and suffered through some strokes. At one time, my grandfather came
back from his retirement in Tennessee in a failed effort by the Cornell children to get
Bishop Cornell to turn over the Church to someone younger and in better health.
Unfortunately, that just didn‟t happen.
While he was living, Bishop Cornell had made some
decisions about the church leadership that did not go
well and after his passing there was much
disagreement on the Elder Board, different ones
were certain that they should be the pastor. When
the dust had settled Bishop Milton Green, who had
been the Assistant Pastor, became Pastor.
Unfortunately for AFCOG this prompted an exodus
by some of the leadership and members; leaving
the church with a smaller congregation in an inner
city area that was itself being decimated because of
„White Flight‟.11
With the Church building having been taken by the
State for the new I-90 project, the congregations
relocated to a much smaller, but very nice facility
on Maple Avenue off West 25th Street. The Church
desperately needed an influx of Fresh Oil and New Wine but it
never came. Bishop Milton Green would pastor AFCOG until he passed away a few
years later. Then, Bishop David Cornell, the son of the late Bishop Ray O. Cornell
would pastor the AFCOG. These were difficult years for the Church. Gone were the
heydays of the 1940‟s and 50‟s when people were streaming into the West Side of
Cleveland to work in booming businesses. The environment in the 1970‟s and 80‟s was
the exact opposite. Companies were moving out of the city or closing. The once
vibrant steel industry was dying and the people who worked in many those places were
moving out of the city. Bishop David Cornell pastored until they was finally closed the
doors of AFCOG in Cleveland forever.
Thankfully, the life work of Bishop Cornell has continued in the lives of his Spiritual
sons. Bishop Cornell was himself a spiritual son of the late Bishop G. B. Rowe and he
was blessed to have a number of spiritual sons among them Bishop George A. Wade,
Bishop Sanford L. Wade, Bishop Milton Green, Bishop David Cornell, Pastor France
Thompson, Pastor Frieda Thompson, Pastor John Pogue, Pastor David Pogue, Bishop
William Pogue. I know there are dozens more that came from these ministers but I
don‟t have all their names.
Today, Apostolic Faith Church of God is gone. The building and property on West 25th
Street was taken by the State of Ohio to build I-90. Where the Church building was is
now community baseball fields, but the truths that we learned there and the impact on
our lives will live forever.
11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight
Pastor James Shriver, Bishop Ray Cornell, Bishop Carl Angle and Bishop George A. Wade
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Bernie Wade has dedicated his entire life to working in ministry.
As a child he helped his parents pioneer a number of church
plants. As a young man he served as an evangelist, assistant
pastor, pastor and more. Today, he fills his busy schedule writing,
teaching, preaching and traveling around the world ministering the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
He is a focused on the restoration or reformation of the Church to
the tenets that were taught by the New Testament Church and the
original Apostles of Jesus Christ. Toward this end most of his
writing focuses on those essential biblical doctrines. He is committed to teaching and
focusing other church leaders to return to our Biblical foundation.
He serves as President to the global ministry of International Circle of Faith (ICOF).
ICOF is a global network of ministers, churches, ministries and more. ICOF‟s global
network has more than 40,000 ministers and some 20 million adherents, with
representation in nearly every country in the world. For more information visit:
http://www.icof.net International Circle of Faith Colleges Seminaries and Universities
(ICOF CSU) is a global network of Christian schools of higher learning and represents
ICOF‟s leaders collective commitment to quality Christian education.
Dr. Bernie Wade sees the current spiritual climate as another great
wave of the Holy Spirit similar to the wave of the Spirit that swept
the world after the Wales and Azusa Street revivals a century ago.
With this wave of the Holy Spirit in mind, Dr. Wade is instructing
leaders to position themselves and their followers to get ready for
The Next Wave. In this light a magazine was launched
appropriately called, “The Next Wave”. To learn more about The
Next Wave Magazine visit:
http://www.icof.net/index.php/thenextwave Welcome to The Next
Wave!
Bishop Daniel Joseph, Bishop Joseph Rankin and Bishop Wade with many
other ministers at an ICOF Leadership Summit in
Ghana West Africa.