The first Warsaw Assembly of God Church started in a home in 1939. Then a church building was constructed on the corner of Jackson and Main where services were held until 1977. The current church building is located at 703 Elm Drive and will be the location of an outdoor block party, open to the public, to celebrate the church’s 85th anniversary in Warsaw. It will take place on September 29.
“We will worship together in the church from 10:30 AM until noon with the congregation and some former pastors who have been invited,” said Pastor Chad Banfield. “Then we will shift and go outside for hamburgers and hotdogs, and things for kids to do. There will be a bounce house for little children and one for teens. A large tent will be set up to shield attendees from sun or rain, and there will be tables and chairs. The Church of the Nazarene will partner with us for this celebration.”
Pastor Banfield has been with Warsaw Assembly of God for eight and a half years and was a youth pastor at another church for nine and a half years. He says that he goes where God wants him. He has been looking at a list of former pastors at the church and there were many who only served for two years which he thought was not enough time to “get much done.” But he has observed that sometimes a small church like this one is often a stepping block to another church.
“When I first arrived at this church, there were no children,” said Pastor Banfield. “Now we have children plus about 27 teens in attendance and we have activities for everyone including a strong youth group. Seating is available for 150 in worship services. We are going to be working on family in coming months and years to help parishioners become stronger as family units and as marriage partners.”
When asked about dress codes or other requirements in the church, Pastor Banfield said that men and women should be modest, but shorts are okay, and if someone has a Budweiser hat on or tattoos, he is not going to complain. He just wants the love of Jesus to infiltrate whoever attends services and does not want to say anything that will cause a person to tune out Jesus. He said that more modest rules about what was worn in church were formerly part of the old holiness.
Pastor Banfield said that the church choses its pastor. There is a hierarchy of superintendents who are equivalent to bishops. These superintendents are pastors to the local pastors.
The National Office of the Assemblies of God is in Springfield. Ministers and leaders are trained in over 2,900 foreign Bible schools and extension programs.
