FOUNDERS AND HISTORY
The Apostolic Faith Church of Giving Grace, Inc. Convention genesis started in 1974 as the vision of Mother Lillie Perry Williams. The vision was brought into reality in September, 1975 with the official formation, shortly after her passing, championed by her spiritual sons and daughters in the gospel. Mother Williams was saved in 1919 in Spring Hope, North Carolina under the leadership of Bishop C.R. Whitley. She was called into the ministry in 1925 and began her missionary journey in 1929 in Skippers, Virginia. She held her first service in the home of Brother and Sister Westley Howard.
During the early 1930's Mother Williams rented an old house called the Vick's house. Many souls came to the Lord during this revival time. With an increase in membership, Mother Williams along with her congregation, purchased the old Rising Sun school house in Ante, Virginia in 1946. On May 9, 1948, a group of saints and friends gathered at the Old Hall in Gumberry, North Carolina for a Mother's Day Service. The presence of God was in these humble beginnings and the power of the Holy Ghost convicted many souls unto repentance and later filled them with his spirit.
The late Bishop Rufus Easter became one of Mother Williams' converts. Bishop Easter came to one of Mother Williams' services to confront her for attracting many of his friends and fellow church members to her church and also to debate the authority of a woman to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After several visits and encounters with the Holy Ghost, Bishop Easter was converted and received the Holy Ghost. He began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout North Carolina, Virginia and other parts of the East Coast. Bishop Easter's quest was to save everybody in the world single handedly. He believed when he prayed you would never be the same again.
Mother Williams was the epitome of a "Woman of Vision." Mother Williams purchased many buildings for Church services throughout North Carolina and Virginia. She built her first church in 1950-51. New Jerusalem Holiness Church located on Highway 186 in Garysburg, North Carolina. The church was dedicated in 1952. Over the next twenty years Mother Williams and Bishop Rufus Easter began churches from Massachusetts to Georgia. In 1974, Mother Williams and Bishop Easter were collectively leading over twenty churches. They built churches and developed missionaries, ministers and elders to be good care takers of the new saints.
Mother Williams not only spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and taught the words of peace, she provided food for the poor, gave clothes to the needy, purchased automobiles for those with no transportation, provided houses and furniture for the homeless, put broken families back together, healed the sick and cast out devils by the power of the Holy Ghost. Mother Williams had a compassion and love for those in need. Moreover, many people were saved and miracles were manifested through the ministry of Mother Williams and Bishop Easter. Seeing the great spiritual and economic needs of many people, Mother Williams was moved by the spirit to purchase farms, stores, houses and hotels so that the saints could have employment and become self sufficient. She built a nursing home facility to care for the elderly with a focus on providing a "holy place" for the saints when they needed assisted living.
Mother Williams taught that we could rise above poverty, sin and hopelessness if we were obedient to God's commandments. From the early days of her salvation, Mother Williams continued to commit her life to the fullness of Christ and to live a life of holiness. Mother Williams was led by the Spirit of God to start a new convention to focus on a greater commitment and call to holiness and giving support to those in need. In 1974, Mother Williams, Bishop Easter and a number of their elders formed the Apostolic Faith Church of Giving Grace Convention, Inc. Nearly twenty churches formed the beginning of this convention that has now grown to approximately thirty churches.
After Mother Williams' death in September of 1975, Bishop Rufus Easter became the presiding bishop. The convention continued to grow during his leadership. Bishop Easter presided over the rebuilding of the convention core church, New Jerusalem Holiness Church after its destruction by fire. Upon the home going of Bishop Easter, Bishop Geanie Perry was selected the interim Bishop (1986) and later the presiding Bishop in July 1987. The convention has continued to flourish under the leadership of Bishop Geanie Perry and Bishop William Easter as additional churches have been added, souls have been lead to Christ, financial obligations of our early ministry retired and we have acquired and retired the debt of New Jerusalem Holiness Church and our General Assembly. Bishop William Easter retired as Vice Bishop in July 2005. Bishop Geanie Perry appointed Bishop Nathan Perry as Vice Bishop of AFCOGG in July, 2009.
While our early leaders have gone on to be with the Lord, our mission has not changed. We are still committed and charged to go teach all nations the things Jesus taught, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. As we go forward, we must preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, we must heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely we have received, freely we give. For by grace are we saved through faith: and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
As the Apostle Paul taught in II Corinthians 8 about the saints at Macedonia, Mother Williams taught that we have a great gospel in Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Apostolic Faith and urged us not to miss out on the grace of giving. This vision is summarized in the verses II Corinthians 8: 2,3, 5,7,8(New Living Translation) "Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity (giving to the poor saints of Jerusalem). For, I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of their own free will… Best of all, they went beyond our highest hopes, for their first actions was to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to us for whatever directions God might give them. Since you Corinthians excel in so many ways- you have so much faith, such gifted speakers, such knowledge, such enthusiasm, and such love for us - now I want you to excel also in this gracious ministry of giving. This is one way to prove your love is real." Hence, our name: The Apostolic Faith Church of Giving Grace, Inc.
-COMPILED BY BISHOP NATHAN A. PERRY, JANUARY 2009; REVISED MAY, 2010.
Nathan A. Perry is Chairman, Executive Board of Director of Apostolic Faith Church of Giving Grace
The late Bishop Rufus Easter became one of Mother Williams' converts. Bishop Easter came to one of Mother Williams' services to confront her for attracting many of his friends and fellow church members to her church and also to debate the authority of a woman to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After several visits and encounters with the Holy Ghost, Bishop Easter was converted and received the Holy Ghost. He began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout North Carolina, Virginia and other parts of the East Coast. Bishop Easter's quest was to save everybody in the world single handedly. He believed when he prayed you would never be the same again.
Mother Williams was the epitome of a "Woman of Vision." Mother Williams purchased many buildings for Church services throughout North Carolina and Virginia. She built her first church in 1950-51. New Jerusalem Holiness Church located on Highway 186 in Garysburg, North Carolina. The church was dedicated in 1952. Over the next twenty years Mother Williams and Bishop Rufus Easter began churches from Massachusetts to Georgia. In 1974, Mother Williams and Bishop Easter were collectively leading over twenty churches. They built churches and developed missionaries, ministers and elders to be good care takers of the new saints.
Mother Williams not only spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and taught the words of peace, she provided food for the poor, gave clothes to the needy, purchased automobiles for those with no transportation, provided houses and furniture for the homeless, put broken families back together, healed the sick and cast out devils by the power of the Holy Ghost. Mother Williams had a compassion and love for those in need. Moreover, many people were saved and miracles were manifested through the ministry of Mother Williams and Bishop Easter. Seeing the great spiritual and economic needs of many people, Mother Williams was moved by the spirit to purchase farms, stores, houses and hotels so that the saints could have employment and become self sufficient. She built a nursing home facility to care for the elderly with a focus on providing a "holy place" for the saints when they needed assisted living.
Mother Williams taught that we could rise above poverty, sin and hopelessness if we were obedient to God's commandments. From the early days of her salvation, Mother Williams continued to commit her life to the fullness of Christ and to live a life of holiness. Mother Williams was led by the Spirit of God to start a new convention to focus on a greater commitment and call to holiness and giving support to those in need. In 1974, Mother Williams, Bishop Easter and a number of their elders formed the Apostolic Faith Church of Giving Grace Convention, Inc. Nearly twenty churches formed the beginning of this convention that has now grown to approximately thirty churches.
After Mother Williams' death in September of 1975, Bishop Rufus Easter became the presiding bishop. The convention continued to grow during his leadership. Bishop Easter presided over the rebuilding of the convention core church, New Jerusalem Holiness Church after its destruction by fire. Upon the home going of Bishop Easter, Bishop Geanie Perry was selected the interim Bishop (1986) and later the presiding Bishop in July 1987. The convention has continued to flourish under the leadership of Bishop Geanie Perry and Bishop William Easter as additional churches have been added, souls have been lead to Christ, financial obligations of our early ministry retired and we have acquired and retired the debt of New Jerusalem Holiness Church and our General Assembly. Bishop William Easter retired as Vice Bishop in July 2005. Bishop Geanie Perry appointed Bishop Nathan Perry as Vice Bishop of AFCOGG in July, 2009.
While our early leaders have gone on to be with the Lord, our mission has not changed. We are still committed and charged to go teach all nations the things Jesus taught, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. As we go forward, we must preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, we must heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely we have received, freely we give. For by grace are we saved through faith: and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
As the Apostle Paul taught in II Corinthians 8 about the saints at Macedonia, Mother Williams taught that we have a great gospel in Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Apostolic Faith and urged us not to miss out on the grace of giving. This vision is summarized in the verses II Corinthians 8: 2,3, 5,7,8(New Living Translation) "Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity (giving to the poor saints of Jerusalem). For, I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of their own free will… Best of all, they went beyond our highest hopes, for their first actions was to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to us for whatever directions God might give them. Since you Corinthians excel in so many ways- you have so much faith, such gifted speakers, such knowledge, such enthusiasm, and such love for us - now I want you to excel also in this gracious ministry of giving. This is one way to prove your love is real." Hence, our name: The Apostolic Faith Church of Giving Grace, Inc.
-COMPILED BY BISHOP NATHAN A. PERRY, JANUARY 2009; REVISED MAY, 2010.
Nathan A. Perry is Chairman, Executive Board of Director of Apostolic Faith Church of Giving Grace