Discovery Church - Gulfport

Before 1950, Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ ministers held revivals in Gulfport. In 1950, Brother Troy Evans preached a several weeks long revival. In 1951, Reverend Gene Hankins conducted several weeks of a tent revival, during which time a tropical storm hit Gulfport blowing the tent down. Brother Kendall Hankins tells his father and his uncle the story with what little he could do as a youngster battling the storm to keep the tent from totally being destroyed. With a handful of saints, Brother Hankins rented a small house on the west side of Gulfport for services. This same year Brother Hankins invited Brother Remus and Sister Lula Mae Singletary to conduct revival services, following which he asked them to take the pastorate of the small congregation.

In 1954, the infant church had to move due to neighbors' complaints about the noisy worship emanating from the little building. So, the small group purchased property at 2601 17th Avenue, and the Singletarys erected a block building with a basement, funded with church bonds. The First Pentecostal Church was incorporated on July 2, 1957. In 1959, the Molsbee family arrived in Gulfport, and the assembly completed the building's upper level.

Brother and Sister Singletary resigned as pastors in 1965. Brother R.G. Jackson pastored the church from 1965 to 1971.

In October 1971, the assembly elected Brother R.G. Molsbee pastor. The initial indebtedness for church bonds was paid off in 1972. In 1973, the heavily damaged block building was demolished with much of the material salvaged for the new construction.

The church opened a Christian school, New Life Christian Academy, which operated for 11 years. During this time, a Family Life Center was constructed, including a full commercial kitchen and a two-bedroom evangelist quarters.

In 1987, the church purchased a two-bedroom house and additional property on 18th Avenue for a former minister/wife home for 28 years of service. Before stepping down as pastor in 2015, Brother Molsbee saw the 1-million-dollar property debt-free.

The congregation elected Bro Carey Parker pastor in 2015. Brother Parker filled the pulpit for 18 months before receiving a promotion, which required that he relocate to Texas.

Brother Molsbee reassumed the pastorate until February 10, 2019, when Brother and Sister Darron Murphy were elected pastors. With the approval of Pastor Murphy, the church assigned Dr. Molsbee the title and office of Bishop.