About the year of 1940 Elder Luther White was baptized in Jesus' name and received the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues. Formerly, Elder White was an Ordained Minister and Pastor in the Methodist Church. The Lord directed Elder White to name the new Springfield Church, "New Hope Pentecostal Church". For several years services were held in a small storefront at Congress and Dwight Streets.

Elder Allen who was already a member of the Pentecostal Church of Christ Inc., joined forces with the P.A. of W. and came into the Conn. State Council. He was made a District Elder in the P. A. of W., this took place about May 1950. As District Elder Allen's responsibilities increased, he and the saints in Springfield sought, through prayer, a full-time Pastor. District Elder Allen requested the help of Elder Samuel D. Reed, his wife Rosa Reed and their family.

From a newly rented storefront on Dwight St., under the pastorate of Elder Reed regular Sunday School and church services began in September 1953. In 1955, the church moved to 89 Oak Street and began to purchase the property. The church remained there for several years until the year 1964. Also in 1964, the New Hope Pentecostal Church was Incorporatedand the church moved from Oak Street to its' present location at 364 Central Street.

The church was in transition, it had changed location and soon there would be a change in leadership. Pastor Reed had become very ill and could no longer head the church. The then Elder Marion Ezekiel Shaw, who had come to New Hope as an assistant to Pastor Reed would take over the pastorate of the church in the next 18 months.

Bishop Marion E. Shaw served as pastor of the church faithfully and diligently for more than 40 years. Due to failing health he decided in January 2007 that he would retire from his position as pastor but not as Diocesan Bishop of the 20th Episcopal District. But one of his final decisions as Pastor was still to be made, who would be the next pastor of this beloved congregation?
"And I will give you pastors according to mine own heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." Jeremiah 3:15 KJV

After much prayer, fasting and listening to the voice of God; Bishop Shaw revealed to the congregation that Elder Bruce Kevin Shaw (son of Bishop M.E. Shaw) would now lead Gods' people. On Saturday, June 23, 2007 Elder Bruce K. Shaw was installed as Pastor of New Hope Pentecostal Church, Inc. of the P.A. of W where he guides and directs Gods' people until this day.

What We Believe

The Bible is the inspired Word of God.

God

There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). Father: God is a Spirit (John 4:24). Son: Jesus is the Son of God according to the flesh (Romans 1:3) and the very God Himself according to the Spirit (Matthew 1:23). Holy Ghost: The Holy Ghost is not a third person in the Godhead, but rather the Spirit of God (the Creator), the Spirit of the resurrected Christ. The Holy Ghost comes to dwell in the hearts and lives of everyone who believes and obeys the gospel, as the comforter, Sustainer, and keeper (John 14:16-26; Romans 8:9-11).

Sin is the transgression of the law, or commandments of God (I John 3:4). The wages of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14) to all those who refuse to accept salvation as set forth in the Word of God. Salvation consists of deliverance from all sin and unrighteousness through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Water Baptism Water baptism is an essential part of New Testament salvation and not merely a symbolic ritual. It is part of entering into the kingdom of God (God's church, the bride of Christ), and therefore, it is not merely a part of local church membership. (See John 3:5; Galatians 3:27).

Tongues Speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance is the manifestation God has given as the definite, indisputable, supernatural witness or sign of the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6).

Holiness After we are saved from sin, we are commanded, "Go, and sin no more" (John 8:11). We are commanded to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12) and warned that without holiness no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We must present ourselves as holy unto God (Romans 12:1), cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (II Corinthians 7:1), and separate ourselves from all worldliness (James 4:4). Divine Healing Divine healing was purchased for us by the blood of Jesus Christ, especially by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; I Peter 2:24).

Second Coming of Christ Jesus Christ is coming back to earth in bodily form, just as He went away (Acts 1:11). He will catch away a holy people (His bride, His church) who have accepted redemption through His blood, by birth of water and of the Spirit, and who are found faithful when He comes. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). There will be a resurrection of all the dead, both just and unjust. The eternal destiny of every soul shall be determined by a just God who knows the secrets of everyone's heart. "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. . . .Then shall he also say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:32-34, 41, 46).