Faith Center Church

HISTORY:
While traveling in Papua New Guinea in the 1960’s, a vision to start a short-term missionary training school was birthed in the heart of A. S. Worley. In 1971 he and his wife, Loraine, purchased a tract of farm land on Highway 28 West in Walhalla, SC and moved into one of the old houses.

A Charter for Faith Training Center was approved on September 29, 1971. A Board of Trustees was formed and had its first meeting on October 5, 1971. On February 14, 1972 the first class of Faith Training Center was started in the front room of the house. Since that time hundreds of students have attended the school, and most have gone into missions or other ministry work after graduation.

When God gave A. S. the vision of the school, He also gave him one of a church. In the early days, there was no effort made to start the church, but as people were reached through a Bible study, it was apparent a church was needed for them, as well as for students attending the school. Faith Training Center Church began having services on September 21, 1975. Sunday services were started in the barn. Eventually, a multi-use facility was built on the property, with the church sanctuary on an upper level, and student housing and classrooms on the lower. The new church building opened in 1979, and the old barn was converted into the dining hall.

Several years later it was decided to rename the church to Faith Center Church. The church was incorporated with the State of South Carolina in 1994, although it had been functioning as a church for many years. Also, a Christian school for grades K-4 through 12 was begun in 1982, and a building was erected to house the school. It was called Faith Christian School, and later renamed Faith Center Academy. The school functioned with this name until 2011 at which time the name was changed back to Faith Christian School.

For several years Faith Center Church’s covering was Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers out of Dallas, TX, founded by Gordon Lindsay. Now the church is a member of Evangel Fellowship International, headquartered in Conway, SC, and is covered under this organization with 501(c)(3) status.

In January of 2011, Faith Center Church joined together with CRC Churches International out of Australia. The Board of Trustees is now made up of representatives from both the United States and Australia.

The three-fold vision of A. S. and Loraine Worley continues now to operate as Faith Center Church, Faith Training Center and Faith Christian School, with both schools functioning under the authority of the Church.