Saturday afternoon, August 14th, a Pentecostal voice in the purest sense of the word, was installed to lead the congregation of the historic First Pentecostal Church of Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., located at 436 South 7th Avenue in Mount Vernon.
Joined by the church’s Pastor Emeritus Bishop Fairest Norman, Pastor Alfonso Ramsey was installed to lead the Westchester congregation, with his wife, family and its many extended members seated. It was Pastor Emeritus Bishop Fairest Norman who proudly passed the spiritual baton and installed Pastor Ramsey.
Saturday’s ceremony sparked attendance by religious Bishops, Elders, Pastors, Ministers, Deacons, their wives, and the Judiciary. The visiting clergy hailed from Connecticut, North Carolina, Philadelphia, and New York. The outpouring of love and support was evident. Congregants, clergy, and supporters filled the pews at this historic church.
Founded in 1962 and named as it is today, the progenitors of now Pastor Emeritus Bishop Fairest Norman and his wife, and others, supported the divine unction of the founding Pastor Elder Isaac Rowson to establish the new church at its current site. Rowson retired, after over a decade of preaching, and then-Elder Fairest Norman was appointed pastor in 1974. Ever humble, in 2005, Pastor Norman was consecrated as Bishop of the church and served faithfully for 46 years.
The image of Saturday’s consecrated instruments, a symbol of all that must be abandoned to follow Jesus Christ, was awesome.
No doubt, Pastor Ramsey will stay true to the deep-rooted Apostolic doctrine and Christian truth as he leads the First Pentecostal Church congregation. During the service, as he reflected upon his new pastoral responsibility, Pastor Ramsey stated, “This is not a task that I take lightly.”
“The elevation of Pastor Ramsey is exactly the kind of continued wise action needed to add to the various Christian denominations in the beautiful City of Mount Vernon,” said a member of the Church.
Like everything else – – as we all deal with competing interests and continue to move forward, it is important that such a historic Church remain a religious symbol, in Mount Vernon, pastored by its newly installed servant and leader Pastor Alfonso Ramsey. Congratulations Mount Vernon!
Black Westchester
Black Westchester - News With The Black Point Of View is an online news magazine for people of color for Westchester and the Tri- State area of New York at every economic level. Our mission is to promote the concept of “community” through media.
