Fulton, MS
Clifton L. and Dorothy Baine married on May 31, 1952. As newly Weds, friends invited them to visit a revival on August 6, 1952. Dorothy received the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost, and Clifton wasn’t going to let Dorothy outdo him, so the following night, he received the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost, and they have been faithful servants of God ever since.
In 1976, God led them to the small town of Fulton. Mississippi to begin a church for His Glory. Because they followed God’s guidance, The First United Pentecostal Church was established in an old white house right straight across the street from where the church is now. God blessed the church, and in 1978 or 1979, the church purchased a home that they use for a sanctuary. The church soon outgrew the Sanctuary, and God made it to where we could build a larger place of worship. The first Sanctuary is now our Fellowship Hall.
In 2003 Brother Billy and Sister Vicki Burleson were voted in as Pastor, and Brother Baine being the founding Pastor, became the Senior Pastor. Brother Burleson said, “If you have a problem, call me. If you want to take someone out to eat, take Brother Baine.”
Brother Baine will always be special to all of us. We give generous appreciation to the church saints, family, and friends who volunteered their time to build our Sanctuary. Our church has a genuine love and dedication to the city of Fulton and the people that live in Itawamba County. They trust revival will continue in their church.
In the 1930s, several preachers who traveled around Georgetown conducting revivals and often after a week or two of meeting in brush arbors or tents, would move on to another location. Ministers like Johnny Magee, Buford Miller, Dennis J. Lack, and A. D. Varnado were known to preach around Georgetown. The first pastor documented was Robert Crocker, who pastored in Georgetown in 1939-1940. He pastored a church in the country for one year. The Story of William Robert Crocker, by Pearlean Dueitt Crocker, 34
Church Records of the 1940s were unavailable until Matilda Barnett pastored a little wooden church in the country in the early 1950s.
In 1954 Dennis J. Lack became pastor of the little wooden church in the country but desired to move the church to the Town of Georgetown. He and the small group of believers purchased land in Georgetown and built a church using concrete blocks. He resigned after eleven years in 1965.
In 1965 Clifton McManus became the next pastor and, during his tenure, bricked the church and built education space and resigned in 1973. Harvey King served from 1973-1977. Arthur Wilson served 1977- 1983. Felix Arnold served 1983-1999, Al Motes served 1999-2001, Ernest Twiner served 2001-2004, Kenneth Wilson serves 2004-2006, and Elliot Rutland served 2006- April 7, 2015.
The current pastor John Boyd was elected 4/14/2015. The church continues to preach the Gospel and continues to reach new converts. They are in a building program to replace the existing church with a new facility