OUR HISTORY

Lighthouse Assembly of God was established in 1954 then known as “Havelock Assembly of God” by Irwin Robert Jensen and his wife Glenrose Marie Land Jensen.

Irwin and Glenrose were married on May 27, 1941. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Navy sent Irwin to Pearl Harbor to assist in the clean up after the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. It was while he was there in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii that Irwin had an experience, which would change the direction of his life forever. He met Jesus. After Irwin’s discharge from the Navy in 1945, he and Glenrose moved to Harvey, Illinois. There they attended a local Assemblies of God Church. During their time in Harvey, both Irwin and Glenrose felt a call to the mission field. They went to the Central Bible Institute. Upon graduation Irwin and Glenrose embarked on a mission work along the coast of North Carolina. In 1954 the Jensen’s came to Havelock to establish a church. During the next 36 years they raised three lovely daughters and poured their lives into ministry to the people of Cherry Point and Havelock, North Carolina. The ministry they established touched the lives of thousands who passed through the doors of Havelock Assembly. Irwin was called home to be with our Lord January 29, 1990; Glenrose Marie Land Jensen, was welcomed into the arms of her Savior on June 15, 2006. Their dedication to Christ and the church will live on.

Just prior to Pastor Jensen’s homecoming the mantle was passed to a young minister and his wife, “Reverend William Dale McGinty and Ina Mae Willeford McGinty” who both came to Jesus at this local fellowship in the mid 1970s during a tour at Cherry Point as a Marine air traffic controller. The church he would one day lead was then known as Havelock Assembly of God. He felt the call to the ministry, went on to South Eastern Bible College and eventually traveled between East Texas and North Carolina before he was called back here late 1989. In an effort to bring a since of newness and vitality to this local fellowship Pastor Bill and Ina changed the name to “Lighthouse Assembly of God” in the mid 1990’s. Pastor Bill went to be with the Lord February 21, 2005 during his years as pastor of this local fellowship, he earned a reputation as a hard worker, both in the spiritual and physical sense.

Like a modern day Elijah and Elisha the mantle was passed on to “Reverend Kenneth and Faye McCoy”. Faye and I have been a part of this fellowship since January 1990 when we were stationed aboard Cherry Point. We were fortunate to get government quarters upon our arrival at the base and when it came choosing a local fellowship to attend it was easy since Lighthouse was right outside of the gate. When we arrived at our first service we felt this was the place the Lord wanted us to be. Lighthouse is one of those places where you can experience God’s presence. After a few months I deployed along with most of the men of the church to the Persian Gulf for Desert Storm during that time I began my ministry studies through Berean College and Global University, of the Assemblies of God. We received orders to Parris Island for a tour of duty from 1992 – 1994. Upon our return to Lighthouse in 1994 we fit right in as if we never left.  Becoming credentialed with the Assemblies of God in 1998 Faye and I felt our place was to remain at Lighthouse and support the mission at hand little did we know this would be the place we would receive our first appointment to pastor. It’s with great humility and awe that we co-labor in this local assembly. Lighthouse is a church where the lost are being saved, believers are being baptized in the Holy Spirit, missions, evangelism, and compassion are priorities, and discipleship and worship are our way of life.

May God Richly Bless You,

Kenneth J. McCoy