First Pentecostal Church - Forest

First Pentecostal Church of Forest, Mississippi, was founded in August 1959. That summer, the late James LaPrarie resigned his church in Loeb, Texas, and came to Forest. He introduced the Acts 2:38 new birth doctrine, along with the oneness message, from a tent at the corners of Highway 35 and Highway 80. After establishing a church from that tent revival, the acreage where the tent was originally erected was purchased by Bro. LaPrarie and became the first property and permanent witness of truth for the city.

Even through the early lean years as a small congregation, the church was stabilized by great ministers and faithful members. Sis. Arthula Crout (93) is the last remaining charter member of the first and original church group in Forest. Sis. Crout and her extended family make up a large portion of the local church today. Her sacrifice and faithfulness for all the decades of service was honored at the church’s 60th anniversary service in 2019. Her nephew, and former pastor in Forest, J.E. Burgess, from Carthage, Mississippi, was the invited guest speaker. Sis. Betty Hughes came into the church at Forest shortly after Sis. Crout (1962), and she too remains a faithful member of the church.

Through the years after Bro. LaPrarie left, several ministers would come and go, leaving a definite and lasting impact upon the church. Men like, T.M. “Mack” Roberts, J.E. Burgess, Arlie Fulton, Rick Marcelli, S.E. Pylant, J.D. Holland, along with several other great men of God.

The greatest numerical growth and revival season for the church initially occurred during the pastorate of S.E. Pylant. Historical records reflect that the church grew in attendance of over 140 members during the early 70s. Bro. Pylant was instrumental in building the original building on Old Highway 80 where the church would worship for over 20 years prior to the new facility being erected in 1995.

The man that arguably left the singularly largest, and most significant impact upon both the church, and area, was the late Rev. Richard Forsythe. His tenure was the longest of all ministers to date. Bro. Forsythe pastored two different times in Forest. He initially pastored almost six years during the mid to late 1960s and returned for 24 more years from 1980–2004. The status of the church, and the current spiritual direction of the Forest church, can be greatly attributed to the long, steadfast, and stalwart leadership of Bro. Forsythe. Under Bro. Forsythe‘s 30-year leadership, the church grew numerically and spiritually. The Elder guided the church to purchase property (3 acres) at the corners of Highway 35 and Highway 21 in Forest, where the church is located today. He ultimately orchestrated the sale of the former facility on Old Highway 80 east of town and subsequently built a beautiful 10,000 square foot facility in 1995, in a prime area of Forest. Known for his Apostolic Bible doctrinal teaching, he was respected by both his peers and contemporaries. His Bible teaching, along with the sacrifice and efforts of the land purchase, and the new building project as a whole, is the crowning hallmark, and lasting memorial, of both Bro. and Sis. Forsythe’s many years of dedication to the church. In 1997, the entire debt of this project was erased, just two years after its completion. Most of the current members today, prayed through during his ministry and their leadership. Bro. Forsythe died in April 2014, at the age of 85. The church is honored to have Sis. Forsythe as a current member of the Forest church today. The Forsythes’ tenure is owed a great measure of appreciation for their lasting and ongoing influence upon the work of a God in Forest today.

Since May 2004, Rev. Bill Pitman has pastored the church. The church purchased 110 acres across the highway from their current facility, and 1.3 acres behind the church. At the time of this writing, the church is purchasing 2 additional acres next door to the church. Also, a 40-acre campground with a completed state of the art “barn” type venue for camp meeting services is being acquired six miles east of the church on Highway 80. This facility will serve as a local retreat for youth and church functions. By God’s divine mercy and marvelous grace, the church in Forest is continuing to grow and prosper. We are thankful for every anointed minister, and every godly saint that has paved a wonderful path for us to enjoy in Forest today. To God be all glory.

The church was established in a tent revival on the doctrinal tenets of Acts 2:38. Repentance, speaking in tongues, and Jesus’ name baptism. This doctrinal truth, along with the holiness message, and evangelism of the lost, is still the bedrock doctrines contended for today.