The Apostolic Faith Church is a worldwide Christian organization, with headquarters in Portland, Oregon. As a Trinitarian and fundamental church, our doctrinal beliefs are the basic Bible truths, including the definite experiences of salvation, sanctification, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Since its founding in 1906, our organization has grown and established branch churches across the United States and around the world. All of our congregations enjoy a warm and traditional environment, where we endeavor to preach the Word of God in its fullness and integrity. We currently have more than fifty locations in the United States, and our international outreach extends to most continents, including more than six hundred congregations in Nigeria alone.
A primary means of evangelism in the Apostolic Faith Church is the printing and distribution of Christian literature. We publish a quarterly magazine entitled The Apostolic Faith which is designed to encourage spiritual growth in believers. We also print numerous pamphlets and small booklets meant to lead people to the Lord, and most of them are available in our Library. A unique feature of this ministry is that most of our publications are printed and mailed throughout the world free of charge. In over ninety years of literature ministry, God has provided financially for this outreach through tithes and offerings, though collections are never taken in our services
Our local church history begins in 1911 when the Apostolic Faith gospel was brought to Arkansas by Rev. James Damron and his wife Rev. Edna Damron who opened a small mission church in Batesville. They did evangelistic work there until they were called in the fall of 1912 to Kansas City, Missouri to pastor an Apostolic Faith work in that area.
During the years that followed Rev. Damron as well as other ministers and gospel workers made frequent trips to various areas of Arkansas spreading the gospel and holding revival meetings. Through these meetings several came to know Jesus as their personal Savior, but there was no local Apostolic Faith church for them to attend.
In 1956 the Kaylor family, from Van Buren, and the Puckett family, from Waldron, both attended the annual Apostolic Faith Camp Meeting Convention in Portland, Oregon. It was at that Camp Meeting that they met and became acquainted. After returning home they continued to stay in contact and a desire for a local Apostolic Faith Church began to build.
After much prayer and work the dream of having a church became a reality with the purchase of a small building on Johnson Street in Fort Smith, Arkansas. After remodeling, the first service was held on January 26th, 1964.
Through the years that little church that started with just five members continued to grow. Several people moved into the area from other Apostolic Faith Churches as well as many from the Fort Smith area who came and were saved.
By the late 1990’s the little church on Johnson Street had become too small and we began looking for a new church site. Through a series of miracles our current location at 108 S. 8th Street in Van Buren was purchased and remodeled to become the beautiful house of worship we have today.