Our History

Our History

Christian Apostolic Church has been in existence for 100 years and celebrates its centennial this year, in 2014.  The Church originated from the Assemblies of God on Walnut Street in Newark, Ohio.

In January 1911, the Oneness Pentecostal message was preached in a gospel mission at 113 E Main Street by L. V. Roberts, the brother-in-law of Bro. James A. Frush.  His wife was among the first to receive the Holy Ghost, later followed by himself.  A little while later, he became a minister and started preaching the same Oneness message.

The year of 1913, found the mission without a pastor, as Bro. Roberts moved to Indianapolis.  The saints carried the burden for the mission under the leadership of Bro. Bert Kissel.

In April of 1915, Bro. J. A. Frush felt a burden for the group and became their pastor.   Pastor and Sis. Frush were the parents of two daughters, Sis. Pearl McCreary and Sis. Thelma Bratton. Bro. James McCreary of our assembly is the grandson of Pastor and Sis. Frush.  

In the spring of 1916, the property on E Main Street was sold and a commercial building was to be constructed on its site.  This small band of saints began to donate money for a church building of their own.  Bro. J. W. Frush, father of the pastor, donated a lot to the church on N 23rd Street, free of charge.  This lot is the present location of the parking lot across the street from the sanctuary.  ?After the sale of the E Main Street property, services were held twice a week.  Sunday morning services were helf in the home of Sis. Susan Carrico, while Sunday evening services were held in the home of the pastor, Rev. J. A. Frush.  Many times during the week, Sis. Frush would have the ladies in her home for Bible study. Later, Sis. Frush was ordained a minister and was a great help in the work of the Lord in Newark.

On July 4, 1916, ground was broken for the construction of a new church building.  The land was a strawberry patch, so in the morning the strawberries were picked and in the afternoon, they gladly broke ground for the church.  The men worked faithfully and diligently on the construction of the church, with Bro. S. P. Roberts as the head carpenter.  Assisting Bro. Roberts were Bro. G. S. Davenport of the local church, and Bro. Eli Sutton of Pickway, Ohio.  With everyone working together the church was completed and ready for its first service.  The dedication of the church was September 3, 1916 with approximately 100 people in attendance.  The Fight is on O' Christian soldiers, opened the first service in the new building.  At that time Christian Apostolic was chosen to be the name of the church.  

A young boy, Stanley Hamby, was baptized and received the Holy Ghost in that first service.  From that time on, he was widely used of God becoming an assistant to Pastor Frush, while he was still a teenager.  He left Newark in 1928 and started many churches that are still in existence today.  

The Pentecostal Outlook was a monthly publication with Pastor Frush as the editor in chief.  He worked hard for the church and withheld much opposition.  All the while he was accused of preaching heresy, his vision outweighed the obstacles and God continue to bless his efforts.

Pastor Frush also felt a burden for Utica and on July 12 through August 16, 1936, a tent was pitched in that village.  Many heard the gospel preached but there was no great breakthrough.  Pastor Frush remained faithful until his death in 1944.

In the year of 1939, Bro. C. L. Yoders, of the local assembly, felt his call to open a Oneness work in Utica.  Many souls receive the baptism and a church was established in that village.  

Following the death of Pastor Frush, Bro. John O'Reilly became pastor of the church.  He had been an elder in the church and assisted Pastor Frush.  In 1947, he resigned as pastor and Bro. S. R. Hanby came to the church as a temporary pastor.  

In the summer of 1947, Pastor Hanby approached Bro. H. E. Dyer about accepting the pastorate in Newark.  He had been pastoring a church in Hartford City, Indiana for 10 years.  With much prayer, he felt it was the Lord's will for him to come to Newark.  He resigned his pastorate in Hartford City and moved his family to Newark, Ohio on October 3, 1947.

Tent revivals have held a vital and integral part in the history of the church.  One of the first meetings was held at 5th and Wilson streets, where a temporary tabernacle was constructed.  In the late 1940s, J. C. Cole conducted revival meetings in a tent at Marne.  Several people were saved there and are still in the church today.  Also in the mid-1950s, Bro. T. J. Miller preached a tent meeting on W Main and 27th Street.

Under the pastorate of Rev. Dyer, revival continued and the church grew.  The church building became too small for the amount of members, and in 1957, with $15,000 in the building fund, construction of a new church was started.  Bro. James McCreary, an architect by traade, drew the plans for the building.  The men of the Church labored on the building, giving of their time and their skills, looking forward to a new and larger place to worship.  When completed, the building was appraised at $125,000.  On September 3, 1958, the building was dedicated.  On September 5, 1966, the mortgage for the church was burned and the church celebrated 50 years of having their own building.  Several ministers took part in the service including Rev. Fred Kinsey from Toledo, Rev. H. I Goodin from Morgantown West Virginia, Rev. J. C. Cole from Parkersburg West Virginia, Rev. R. G. Cook from Lancaster Ohio, and Rev. Stanley Hanby from New York.  

By this time the congregation had almost tripled.  Pastor Dyer, having a burden and vision for souls, began planning ahead to fulfill his vision of a larger building filled with new born-again Christians, so he immediately began a building fund program.  In October of 1970, he passed away in the living room of the parsonage.  

Following the death of Pastor Dyer, Bro. R. A. Newstrand became the new pastor of Christian Apostolic Church. Pastor Newstrand first became involved with the church in May of 1958, when he married Rev. Dyer's eldest daughter, Lois Ann. In the fall of 1958, he became assistant pastor. In 1959, the Newstrands moved to St. Paul, Minnesota and later pastored churches in Indiana and Tennessee before returning to Newark in 1968.  At that time, he became a full-time associate pastor with Rev. Dyer.

In early 1975, the church began construction on a new building.  With the expert help of Bro. Bowe of St. Paul, Minnesota, Pastor Newstrand and the men of the church worked diligently on the new building.  When completed, there was a total of 22,000 square feet of floor space and a seating capacity of nearly 1,000.  On November 17, 1976, the new building was dedicated.