Church History

Beginnings:

Pastor Richard S. Davis began Pentecostal Assembly, Inc., in 1975, with meetings originally being held in a home. The church was incorporated in 1977, and as the assembly grew, meetings were held in a school auditorium located near our current church building.

First Building:

Further growth necessitated the need for a building of our own, and in 1975, storefront property was purchased and remodeled at 2106 Sullivant Avenue. Over the next 16 years, many improvements were made, and in the 1980’s, design began for a new sanctuary addition. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in September of 1989 and occupancy began in 1991. The sanctuary would seat 400 and the lower level included nine new classrooms.

Pastor Sciscoe:

Reverend William L. Sciscoe joined the church as Associate Pastor in August of 1991. He assumed the role of Senior Pastor in November of 1992.

Growth:

The church experienced steady growth in the 1990’s. Near the end of 2001, as attendance approached 300, plans were made to relocate to a new building site. Ten acres of land were purchased along Interstate 70 in west Columbus.

A Fire and a Temporary Home:

As plans were being finalized in December of 2001, a fire totally destroyed the church’s building at 2106 Sullivant Avenue. The building was declared a total loss, but no definite cause of the fire was ever determined. After the fire, the pastor of a nearby church offered the temporary use of a building located at 2622 Sullivant Avenue, as it had been sitting empty and unused. At the end of the following month, the church purchased this building.

Our New Building:

After many zoning and regulatory issues were overcome, groundbreaking for the new building was held in November of 2004, with construction being completed in August of 2005. The new building is a “gymnatorium,” which can double as a gymnasium and as a sanctuary for our worship services. It was designed to become our Family Life Center and will host our services until the main sanctuary building can be constructed.

Our New Name:

Our congregation has faced strong opposition, including water damage, a fire that destroyed our worship location, and major health issues that came to our Senior Pastors. Having overcome these obstacles, a new name seemed appropriate. By congregational vote, the church changed its name from Pentecostal Assembly, Inc. to The Church Triumphant of Columbus, Inc. Since that time, the church has continued to grow, developing new ministries along with continued improvement of the new location. Community outreach has been expanded and spiritual energy is increasing.

Our Worship:

Demonstrative worship has always been a part of life at The Church Triumphant. Worship through music and emphasis on a strong prayer life are catalysts that create an atmosphere full of the love of God.

Ministry Beyond Our City:

The church supports many missionaries throughout the world. We have also sent some of our own members to the foreign field, while several of our ministers travel worldwide for the purpose of evangelism. Our Pastor has always demonstrated a vision of worldwide evangelism.

Many individuals have been mentored by Pastor Sciscoe and gone on to serve as pastors and ministers in other locations. These include Scott and Wendy Venturini in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ric and Vicki Gonzalez in Chicago, Illinois, Carter and Joanna Moore as missionaries to Fiji, and Mark and Glenda Alphin, missionaries to Estonia and Finland. Jason Sciscoe speaks internationally as a frequently invited evangelist. After serving as Pastor’s Assistant, David Ayer has gone on to attend Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, Illinois. Thereafter, he plans to begin a new ministry in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington. Additionally, missionaries to Norway, Randy and Sherri Briggs, consider Brother Sciscoe their pastor.