Our History
For many years prior to 1950, the church that is now True Grace Fellowship Church, Inc. operated as an independent church with no denominational affiliation. In 1949, Albert Glover donated property for the church to be moved from it’s previous location closer to Pond Creek, to where it is located today. In 1950, the church affiliated with the Assemblies of God under the name Union Valley Assembly of God.
In the early 1970s, Bessie Adams donated more property for the church to build a new sanctuary and fellowship hall, which was built in the mid-70s. The indebtedness for this building program was paid off within five years. Union Valley Assembly of God was first incorporated in 1982. In the mid-80s, the church bought a doublewide mobile home for a parsonage, which was used until it was sold in 1995.
Reverend Duke Barrow became the Pastor on July 4, 1993. The church changed its name from Union Valley Assembly of God to True Grace Fellowship Assembly of God, Inc., in 1995. That same year, the church remodeled the sanctuary and fellowship hall with labor done by the church membership. In 2000, the church purchased an additional 1.5 acres. The church owns a total of three acres.
In 2001, the church membership resolved to enter into a building program to build a new sanctuary, offices, and classrooms to accommodate the needs of the growing congregation. In November 2002, the church broke ground for a new sanctuary that seats 295. This building was dedicated on July 27, 2003. In Nov. 2007 the church membership voted to return the church to its original vision and unanimously voted to return to being an independent church. Therefore the name is True Grace Fellowship Church, Inc.
By the grace of God we are blessed and continue to grow. In 2016, we are striving to build a staff that shares the biblical vision of our Pastor. We are also venturing more into electronic and technical and multimedia ministry opportunities.
We invite and encourage you to join us at any of our regular or special services.
Senior Pastors
Andrew and Kayla Barrow
Andrew and Kayla have been married for a little over twelve years. Both of them have grown up in strong Pentecostal families and desire for their children to experience the same power that they did growing up.
Andrew graduated from Lee University in 2018 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Ministerial Leadership with a focus in Pastoral Ministry. In addition to pastoring, he also teaches second grade at Faith Christian Academy. In his spare time, he enjoys just spending time with his family and hitting up the local coffee shops.
Kayla holds a master’s degree from Pensacola Christian College in Educational Leadership. She currently teaches first grade at Faith Christian Academy. She loves educating the children in her class and making lasting impacts on their lives. When she is not at work and has spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, thrifting, and getting coffee with the pastor.
Our Beliefs
We Believe:
The Scriptures Inspired
The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
The One True God
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 43:10, 11; Matt. 28:19; Luke 3:22).
The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare: (a) His virgin birth (Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35). (b) His sinless life (Heb. 7:26, 1 Peter 2:22). (c) His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38). (d) His substitutionary work on the cross (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21). (e) His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Cor. 15:4). (f) His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11; 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:3).
The Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright; for God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred no only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:17; 3:6; Rom. 5:12-19).
The Salvation of Man
Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God. (a) Conditions to Salvation: Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph. 2:8; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7). (b) The Evidence of Salvation: The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24; Titus 2:12).
Ordinances of the Church
(a) Baptism in Water: The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Saviour and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47,48; Rom. 6:4). (b) Holy Communion: The Lord’s Supper consisting of the elements – bread and the fruit of the vine – is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Cor. 11;16); and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Cor. 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers “till He comes!”
The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; 1 Cor. 12:1-31). This experience is distinct form the and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Ghost comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Heb. 12:28), and intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work, (Acts 2:42), and a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost (Mark 16:20).
The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost
The baptism of believers in Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4). The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 12:4-10, 29), but different in purpose and use.
Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 Thes. 5:23; Heb. 13:12). The Scriptures teach a life of “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). By the power of the Holy Ghost we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:15, 16).
Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:1-11, 13; 8:1,2,14; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:12, 13; 1 Pet. 1:5).
The Church and Its Mission
The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer of the Spirit, is an integral part of True Grace Fellowship Church and the Church of the First-born, which are written in heaven (Eph. 1:22,23; 2:22; Heb. 12:23).
Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshiped by man, and to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, the priority reason-for-being of True Grace Fellowship Church is: (a) to be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:15, 16). (b) To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Cor. 12:13). (c) to be a channel of god’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Cor. 14:12).
True Grace Fellowship Church exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience: (a) Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with accompanying supernatural signs (Mark 16:15-20; Acts 4:29-31; Heb. 2:3, 4). (b) Adds a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God (1 Cor. 2:10-16; 1 Cor. 12, 13 and 14). (c) Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in New Testament times for the edifying of the body of Christ (Gal. 5:22-26; 1 Cor. 14:12; Eph. 4:11,12; 1 Cor. 12:28; Col. 1:29).
The Ministry
A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the Church in (1) Evangelization of the world (Mark 16:15-20), (2) Worship of God (John 4:23,24), (3) Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Eph. 4:11-16).
Divine Healing
Divine Healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers (Isa. 53:4,5; Matt. 8:16,17; James 5:14-16).
The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the church (1 Thess. 4:16,17; Rom. 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor. 15:51,52).
The Millennial Reign of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on the earth for one thousand years (Zech. 14:%; Matt. 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of nation Israel (Ezek. 37:21, 22; Zeph. 3:19, 20; Rom. 11:26, 27) and the establishment of universal peace (Isa. 11:6-9; Ps. 72:3-8; Micah 4:3,4).
The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matt. 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15, 21:8).
The New Heavens and the New Earth
“We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21,22).
