The History of
First Assembly of God
The Hollywood First Assembly of God church had it's beginning in the year 1925 in a tent located at 19th Avenue and Tyler Street. Following the tent meetings, services were held in a store front building on Dixie Highway and Fillmore Street. Twenty-six wooden benches where purchased from Hippodrome Theatre after a hurricane in 1926.
The small group of believers outgrew the building and bought the property of Grant Street and N. 24th Avenue and built a wooden tabernacle. The building had no windows, only screens and sawdust floors.
In August of 1927 even though the wooden tabernacle had not been completed yet services were held in it. Between the years of 1925 and 1933 there were no pastors. Services were held by visiting evangelists.
The first meeting as an organized church was held December 22nd, 1929. At that time the existing temporary board decided to call their gruop of believers together and adopt a declaration of faith and present it to the people. The vote was unanimous. The church was called "Hollywood Gospel Tabernacle".
In February 1932 "Hollywood Gospel Tabernacle" became a member of the Assemblies of God and was registered with the General Council, and became "First Pentecostal Church".
On May 2nd 1933 Reverend Mary E. Johnson from Oklahoma was called to pastor the church. In 1936 wooden shutters were placed over the screened windows and the sawdust floor was replaced with a concrete floor.
In 1937 the members had a vision for a new building. The Bible says: "Where there is no vision, the people perish". (Proverbs 29:18) This was during the depression years. Even the thought of building a church during those years was proof of existing great faith.
The ground breaking for the new church was in 1947. In 1984 the "First Pentecostal Church" was incorporated with the South Florida General Council of the Assembles of God, and recieved a new name "Hollywood First Assembly of God".
Even though the interior of the church building had not been completed, the old pews and hand made pulpit were moved in and were used for the next five years. In April 1956 they held their first service in the unfinished church building.
On Easter Sunday April 6th 1958 the new church building was dedicated to the Lord. The District Superintendent Reverend Howard S. bush delivered the dedicatory sermon.
The congregation was small and it took a few years to complete the interior but slowly it was done. In 1963 they put in hte asphalt tile floor, bought thier new pews and the Christ Ambassadors bought the pulpit. In 1965 carpet was installed in thesanctuary and in 1982 they were greatly blessed with central air conditioning and heating.
On Sunday May 1st 1983 Reverend Johnson celebrated her 50th Pastoral Anniversary in Hollywood First Assembly of God, due to her failing health, on febuary 13th 1983 she requested the reverend Norman McCutchen minister in the church as co-pastor.
On August 25th 1984 Reverend Mary E. Johnson read her resignation also effective September 2nd 1984. On March 17th 1985 Reverend johnson went home to be with the Lord. She served as pastor from May 1933 to September 2nd 1984.
On September 16th 1984 the first candidate was sent: Reverend Richard Impellizzeri from Copiaque, New York. reverend Richard Impellizzeri was elected unanimously by the membership. Reverend Impellizzeri was the new pastor of First Assembly of God on Sunday October 14th 1984.
When Reverend Impellizzeri arrived, the members decided to call this era in the church, " The new beginning". After 12 years of excellent service Reverend Richard Impellizzeri gave his resignation, his last month was Febuary 1996.
The church board formed a pulpit committee, and after much work recommended Dr. Ernest Henson as Pastor. The church vote unanimoously for Dr. hanson and on May 16th 1996 he was the new pastor of First Assembly of God. Dr henson resigned in 1998.
The church board formed a pulpit committee, and asked Reverend Antonio Zotti, Pastor of the Italian Assembly of God and reverend Carlos Torres to intreim pastors until a new pastor was elected. Two months later after much prayer and seeking God the pulpit committee recommended Reverend Antonio Zotti as Pastor.Finally after all the recommendations from the district office where met, both churches were ready for the vote night. On Tuesday june 9th 1998 Reverned Maria Khaleel presbyter of section 16 came to First Assembly of God for a general meeting with First Assembly and then with the Italian Assembly. The final result was a unanimous vote from both churches, and on that day Reverend Antonio Zotti became the Senior Pastor. The Italian Assembly of God became First Assembly of God.
After 10 years of excellent service Reverend Antonio Zotti retired, his last month of service was December 2007. On December 23rd 2007 the church voted to elect Elder Lawrence Lacy as the new Pastor. Elder Lacy was voted in by a landslide margin and was appointed Pastor of First Assembly of God.
May God continue to use First Assembly of God as it reaches out to the community in Hollywood, in Broward County, in Florida, In the USA and around the world.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!
