About Us

At irregular intervals during the intervening centuries great revivals have occurred in various sections of
the world. These revivals were the results of the divine energy as was experienced on the day of
Pentecost.

It was during this time of revivals of repentance, regeneration and holiness of heart and life, that swept
through the South and West, that the United Holy Church was born. There was no desire on the part of the
founding fathers to establish another denomination, but they were pushed out of organized churches
because of their experience of holiness and their testimony of the spirit filled life. It because necessary
for these persons who held testimony of being saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost, to
establish contact with each other for mutual edification and comfort. As a result, many independent
churches were established, and associations formed, where people could feel free to seek God, not only to
be genuinely saved, but also to be definitely sanctified.

On the first Sunday in May 1886, at the village town of Method, N.C., a suburb of the Capital City, Raleigh,
NC, met a company of men in the persons of Brother L.M. Mason, G.A. Mials, Isaac Cheshier and H. C.
Snipes, all of Raleigh. This meeting being conducted by the Rev. Cheshier was the first of its kind in the
State and of the Southern United States. This meeting gave birth to what is known as the United Holy
Church of America. On October 13, 1884, in the City of Durham, NC the first Convocation was organized.
Those Mason, of Method, NC. On the 15th day of October, 1900, a convention was called by the Rev. C. C.
Craig to meet at Durham to prepare a discipline for the Government of the Churches. Those present at
the meeting were H.C. Pettiford, H.C. Snipes, L.M. Mason, G.W. Roberts, Mrs. Emma E. Craig and Mrs. L.J.
Roberts.

The Southern District (Parent Body) of the Untied Holy Church of America came into being in the years of
1894 in the City of Durham, NC which later became the official headquarters of the Church. This, the
largest of all the districts was organized by Elders C.C. Craig, L.M. Mason, George W. Roberts, H.C. Snipes
and H.C. Pettiford, Mother E.E. Craig and L. J. Roberts. Elder L.M. Mason was chosen as its first president.
The work of the Church has steadily grown since that time into a great organization.

In the year 1920 in the month of June in the City of Philadelphia, PA, Bishop H. L. Fisher and Bishop G.J.
Branch with other general officers met at a call-meeting of the independent groups of Holy Churches in
this city and nearby towns, and after meditation and prayer proceeded to organize the churches into a
District known as the Northern District Convocation of the United Holy Church of America, Inc. Bishop G.
J. Branch of Goldsboro, NC was chosen as the president of the District embracing the following states:
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia, which has grown
into a great district. Following this in 1924, in the City of Columbus, OH, in the Gospel Tabernacle Church
pastored by Elder John E. Harris, the Northwestern District was organized into a convocation district by
Bishop G.J. Branch, Bishop H.L. Fisher and Bishop J.D. Diggs with other general officers of the Church.
Bishop J.D. Diggs of Winston-Salem, NC was chosen its first president, other presidents were Bishop H.H.
Hairston and Bishop S.G. McCoy. The states forming the district were: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, West
Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Eastern IL.

Other convocational districts have been organized, viz: The New England District, embracing all the states
in New England, by Bishop G.J. Branch: headquarters; Boston, MA. The Western Central Western District
with headquarters in Chicago, IL and Milwaukee WS was organized by Bishop J.W. Houston, Elder O.E.
Evans, Mother Addie Houston and Mother Evans.

The Western and Pacific Coast District, headquarters, San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA Bishop H.L.
Fisher, organizer: embracing far Western and Pacific Coast states. The West Virginia convocation district
by Bishop J.D. Diggs, organizer: headquarters, Bluefield, West Virginia. The Florida Convocational District
by the Bishop G.J. Branch, organizer, Rev. Mrs. Marie Weaver founder of Churches there. Eustis, FL,
headquarters. The Bermuda Convocational District , covering the entire islands, by Bishop H.L. Fisher,
Elder Thos. N. Trott, C.H. Casey, Patrick Mills and Miss Majoria Trott, organizers. Hamilton is the center
and headquarters.

The Barbados, B.W. I. was made up of a group of churches founded and organized by Evangelist Rosa B.
Hawkins of San Francisco, CA, with Bridgetown being the center. The Hawkins group or churches lost
fellowship with the UHC but were replaced by some twelve churches founded and organized by the work
of Bishop H.T. Gentles and wife Rev. Gentles.

Trinidad and Tobago B.W. I. was for a time under the Superintendency of Bishop Boswell Marvelle. After
the death of Bishop Marvelle, the Superintendency was placed in the hands of Rev. Isaac Jack and an
Administrative Board. England (Great Britain) formerly under the jurisdiction of Bishop Golden. In 1980
at the General Convocation Bishop S. Grant, a former assistant to Bishop Golden arranged with Bishop J.T.
Bowen and the Convocation for full confirmation and acceptance into the United Holy church of America,
Inc. The follow-up of that arrangement was the convening of the Annual Convocation in London in 1981.

Liberia, West Africa was under the Direction of Bishop McCarthy Hayes and wife Mrs. Hayes. The General
Church representative is Bishop Norris Dickerson. The church in Alaska came to organizational status
through the efforts of Rev. Ferry Lee Murphy Allen, formerly of Curry, NC and her husband Mr. Allen
within their home on June 11, 1968. The Greater Love United Holy Church made its first representative
report of the members at the 1980 Quadrennial session at the Royal Villa Hotel in Raleigh, NC.

Haiti and Jamaica, Bishop Covington, Representative for Jamaica, Bishop A. W. Lawson, Representative to
Haiti until his death, then was followed by Bishop Jesse Jones and Bishop Elroy Lewis.

On December 10, 1969 at Fisher Memorial United Holy church, Durham, NC the Western North Carolina
Districts was organized by Bishop A.W. Lawson, Strobhar and other general officers. Bishop A.W. Lawson
was appointed the first president and Bishop N.M. Midgette, vice president. The current General President
of the United Holy Church of America, Inc. is Bishop Elijah Williams. The Convocational Headquarters
building is located in Greensboro, NC.

While it embraces people of all nationalities, the United Holy Church of
   America has the unique honor and distinction of being the oldest Black
                Pentecostal Church in the United States of America.

3rd General President
Bishop H.L. Fisher
1916-1947

4th General President
Bishop G.J. Branch
1947-1949

5th General President
Bishop H.H. Harriston
1949-1963

6th General President
Bishop W.N. Strobhar
1963-1980

7th General President
Bishop Joseph T. Bowens
1980-1992

9th General President
Bishop Odell McCollum
1996-2005

8th General President
Bishop Thomas E. Talley
1992-1996

10th General President
Bishop Elijah Williams
2005-present

History of the The United Holy Church of America

Lest We Forget

Northern District

Virginia District

Presidents

Vice Presidents

C.J. Branch

Jessie Spivey

J.T. Bowens

J.M. McLaurin

E.B. Lyons

H.L Fisher

Kenneth Robinson

G. McCrae

J.T. Bowens

J.M. McLaurin

E.B. Lyons

H. Pierce

St. E. Pugh

S.G McCoy

Hildred Perry

A. Augson, Sr.

T.E Talley

M. Cox

Kenneth Robinson

W.W. Houston

T.E Talley

Western North Carolina District

Northwestern District

Presidents

Vice Presidents

Elroy Lewis

E. Williams

J. Jones

A.W. Lawson

N.H. Midgette

J.W. Teamer

E. Lewis

Presidents

Vice Presidents

J.D. Diggs

H.H. Hairston

S.G McCoy

H.O. Latta

O. McCollum

D. Borden

James Koonce

James C. Fisher

S.G McCoy

T.E Talley

O. McCollum

D. Borden

Abram Pippens

Southern District

Central Western District

Presidents

Vice Presidents

Presidents

Vice Presidents

C.M. Mason

W.N. Strobhar

J.A. Forbes

J.W. Jackson

W. Clements

W.H. Fulford

H.L Fisher

J.A. Forbes

H.W. Fields

Ralph Love

P.M. Marable

W.C. Carlton

G.J. Branch

J.W. Jackson

J.A. Forbes

H.W. Fields

J.T. Bowens

H.G McCoy

S.D. Clemons

J.W. Houston

W.N. Strobhar

B. Bradford

Charles Jordan

John Pullie

B. Bradford

Isaiah Elam

Western District

New England District

Presidents

Vice Presidents

Presidents

Vice Presidents

H.L Fisher

W. Clements

J.A. Forbes

G. Thornton

M.D. Borden

I. Evans

J.M. Covington

John Wright

J.M. Sneed

Barbados District

Presidents

H.T. Gentiles

L.T. Golden

J. Gentiles

Florida-Georgia District

Presidents

E. Clark

Elijah Williams

J.C. Bellamy

Ghana West Africa District

Presidents

Vice Presidents

D. Ball

Burmuda District

Presidents

England District

Presidents

H.L Fisher

W.N. Strobhar

Norris N. Dickerson

R. Furbert

C. Armstrong

S. Grant

For the vision is yet for an appointed
time but at the end it shall speak, and
not lie:though it tarry, wait for it;
because it will surely come, it will not
tarry.

Habakkuk 2:3

The United Holy Church is an outgrowth of the great revival that began with the early outpouring of the
Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, when the 120 were filled with the Holy Ghost. The church is built upon
the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ, Himself, being the chief cornerstone. (Eph. 2:20).

O. McCollum

D. Ball