Hour of Power Full Gospel Tabernacle Inc.

The Hour of Power Full Gospel Tabernacle, Inc. (HOPFGT) was founded in 1976 by 5 women seeking freedom in ministry, 2 of which had been denied the right to obey the call of God to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ because of their gender. These women were: Rev. Martha J. Sanders, Rev. Sallie M. Saunders, Evangelist Nathalie Lampkins, Rev. Lillian Crooks, and Evangelist Shirley Williams. Rev. Sanders, now Bishop, is the Pastor of Hour of Power and Rev. Saunders, now Bishop, is the Co-Pastor. They continue to minister to the total person in the area of soul, body, mind and spirit.

As women began participating in ministry, many traditional churches rejected women pastors and did not welcome them in fellowship. HOPFGT was introduced to the community by the late Rev. Anderson Tatum of the Valley Baptist Church in Farrell, Pennsylvania. He gave the ladies permission to introduce the ministry from his church, even though he himself faced opposition because of this decision. The organization’s major goals were and still are: to minister to the total person by acquainting the public with past, present, and ongoing needs and contributions of society. The church leaders opted to obey God rather than man by preaching the whole counsel of God.

From 1976 to 2007, the church motto was “We Dare to be Different!” Church leaders proclaimed that this statement adequately depicted the resolve to carry out the vision that the Lord had given them. In 1976, women preachers and pastors were virtually unknown. As women pastors, the Lord had imbued them with the courage “To Be Different” in ministry.

The 1st church edifice, located on the corner of Beechwood Avenue & Idaho Street in Farrell, was purchased in 1980 for $13,000.00.

In 2006 Pastor Charles Johnson of the Cedar Avenue Church of God in Farrell, Pennsylvania, preached a message to the HOP congregants during celebrations of the church’s 30th anniversary. Pastor Johnson pointed out that the church WAS making a difference in the community. Bishop Sanders, Bishop Saunders, Chief Elder Lee, and other prayer partners came together, and after much prayer and fasting, the mission statement was revised to “To make a difference, We Dare to be Different!”

In 2008 the church moved into its current location on Fruit Avenue in Farrell. The congregants purchased the edifice from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Erie for $40,000 cash!

In September of 2013, Ms. Barbara Cross and Mrs. Junie Collins-Williams, survivors of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama in September of 1963, was hosted by the church as guest speakers on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the event.

In 2015, the three leaders and the church prayer partners came together once again to revise the mission statement, because during that year, and sometime before the beginning of the year, the church leaders felt that congregation members were, and are, in the midst of experiencing those events that the church had and continues to have the courage to believe for-physical healing, debt forgiveness, new jobs, promotions on jobs, new cars, and repaired and restored relationships. The current motto for the HOPFGT is “Experiencing the Difference!”

The church watch word for the year 2015 is “Standing With Expectancy!” with supporting scriptures from Psalms 62:5 and Ephesians 6:12 & 13