The vision of the Apostolic Faith Church Memphis, Tennessee began in the heart of Bro. Solomon Akinduro. He had no friends nor relatives in the Memphis area but most of all, there was no Apostolic Faith Church close by where they could attend. Bro. Solomon said he only had business ties to the City of Memphis when the Lord began to speak to him concerning relocating. For several months, the Lord dealt with me about permanently moving both my family and business to Memphis. The Lord dealt compassionately with me initially, then God began to speak more vehemently through tests and trials, especially in matters concerning my life and my business. After many prayers and many consecrations, I yielded to the Lord’s command, discussed with my family, and prepared to move his business and family to Memphis, Tennessee to start the Apostolic Faith Church there as the Lord had directed him. Oh, the joy that flooded my soul and the peace in my heart about moving to Memphis. He realized it was the perfect will of God for my life. I asked the Lord why he wants me to relocate to Memphis when there is no Apostolic Faith Church there? The Lord said to me that was the reason He is sending me there to start the Church there. I asked the Lord how would that be possible since I have never pastored a Church before? The Lord said to me that “With God all things are possible.”

I consulted with my Pastor, and he gave me some words of advice. It was very hard to leave all our St. Louis Church families and friends, where I served as a Minister for 14 years and my family and I attended for 21 years. My Pastor spoke with the Superintendent General of our organization, and a meeting was set up to talked directly with the Superintendent General in St. Louis during our Church 100 years anniversary celebration and approval was given. On the fourth week in December 2012, the move from St. Louis, Missouri to Memphis, Tennessee was underway.

Bro. Solomon sold his custom-built home, packed his personal belongings, downsized his St. Louis business office, and began the journey to Memphis to start the mission the Lord has commissioned him to do. Upon their arrival in Memphis, they get right into action by inviting neighbors, strangers, and business associates to join their meetings. Many of the people who did attend had never heard of nor had any association with the Apostolic Faith Church until their encounter with Bro. Solomon and Sister Yemi. God who knows all and is rich in mercy, kept Bro. Solomon and his wife encouraged to move forward in establishing a church. After several meetings in their home, they felt it was best to hold their services in a public place that would be conducive for people to come. Thus, Brother Bob Downey advised we should investigate some hotels that might have a place that we can use for our Church services.

The first Sunday service was conducted at Bro. Solomon’s office at 5796 Shelby Oaks Drive, Memphis, Tennessee on Sunday, December 29, 2012, and was attended by some friends and family members from our St. Louis Church. Present at that first meeting were: (Ruth Winter and her family, Katlyn Waddel and Kemi Abe). The Lord continues to bless the work and I am very grateful to God that I was obedient to the heavenly instruction.

The first public meeting was held at the Holiday Inn Bartlett, Tennessee a suburb east of the City of Memphis. The conference room seated about 8 – 10 people but Bro. Solomon made sure meetings were carried out in the order and integrity of the Apostolic Faith church. The hotel conference room meetings did not prevent the blessings of the Lord from pouring out on the people that attended our meetings. Souls were being blessed and saved. Ms. Stella Littlejohn was the first to receive salvation experience in the Apostolic Faith Church, Memphis group. In June 2013, Sis. Deloris Oliver visited the meetings, and the Lord saved her soul, sanctified and filled her with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. Due to cost and availability, the Holiday Inn conference room was not favorable for our Wednesday Bible study meetings. As a result, church services were held in two different locations: The Holiday Inn for Sunday Services and Panera Bread restaurant in Cordova, TN, for Wednesday evening Bible Study. The members were very faithful in attending prayer meetings and Church services on a regular basis. Several months after Sis. Deloris started coming and tasted Jesus given Salvation, her daughter, Whitney Wilkins joined her mother to the Church, and she surrendered her life to Jesus on August 8, 2014 and began to regularly attend our services and prayer meetings. We appreciate those that have visited our Church from other branch churches to encourage them.

The church continued in the Lord with God infinite love and wisdom, his mercy and his grace encouraged them through sermons, Sunday School lessons, songs, prayer services and prayers of the saints. People of God from around the world were praying for the Memphis Church. The late Bro. Albert Abe visited from Nigeria on a few occasions to encourage the group and spoke often with his longtime brother in the Lord, Bro. Solomon asking about the affairs of the new coverts. The group was truly encouraged to keep forging ahead with the Lord knowing that in due season they would have a permanent place of worship.

In December 2013, the group moved Sunday services from the Holiday Inn due to renovation of the facility to Wingate Hotel on North Germantown Parkway but continued Bible Study meetings at Panera Bread. After the Wingate Hotel was sold, the new management asked us to move out of the hotel. Not knowing where to go, we continued to prayer and very confident that the Lord will provide us a place before the following Sunday. In answer to prayer, the Lord provided us another place before the next Sunday service. After one Sunday service at the new place, we were told not to come back again because the lady that gave us the place was very new and does not understand the management policy to not allow any religious organization to use their conference rooms for religious purpose. So, we left the place hauling around our Church bag where our service materials and digital music equipment are kept without knowing where we are going to hold our next Church service the following Sunday. As usual, we prayed and the Lord directed Brother Solomon to Baymont Hotel at 6020 Shelby Oaks Drive, where Bro. Solomon had previously gone to look for a place to hold a Church service on Sunday but was told they weren’t renting their conference room. However, in obedience to God, he went back there as the Lord has directed him few months later. Amazingly, this time they rented the conference room to us for our Church services every Sunday morning and supply us coffee and pastry every Sunday until the day we moved to our own permanent place of worship at 8326 Macon Road, Cordova, Tennessee, which was dedicated for service on December 12, 2019.

Although the work was tedious but was an honor and a privilege to be part of the work of the Lord to proclaim the gospel message. The Lord is blessing the work here by adding to our numbers and souls getting saved. The group had visitors from other Apostolic Faith Churches far and near including Nigeria, Chicago, Arkansas, Portland, and St. Louis. This was truly encouraging to us all.

In February 28, 2019, the Lord provided us our own Church building even though we are very few, yet God proved to us again that He is the master planner of our Church in Memphis. Bro. Solomon found a house for sale that could be converted into business offices and a church sanctuary. The location of the building was an answer to Bro. Solomon’s fervent prayer for the church to be located at an intersection where our Church can be seen from all directions. With much prayer and tireless work, the building was renovated and completed on November 30, 2019, with the help of Bro. Mayokun Akinrotimi a longtime faithful friend of Bro. Solomon from Nigeria to visit him at this time. Immediately after his arrival, he stepped in and joined Brother Solomon to complete the construction of the church without any further delay. They worked tirelessly day and night moving furniture from the old office to the new location. Chairs were ordered for the sanctuary, walls painted, pulpit and altar benches were made by Bro. Mark McCarville of the Arkansas church, and church dedication services were being planned.

Finally, the church and office building were ready for occupation and the Church was dedicated on December 12, 2019. Joy filled the hearts of the people and fellowship in the new building was a tremendous blessing to all. The dedication was blessed as many people came to witness this grand opening of our Church in Memphis for the glory of God.
Our profound appreciation goes to Brother Mark Worthington, my Pastor in St. Louis who has been my prayer partner and friend since he arrived in St. Louis with his wife, Sister Rosemary Worthington for their prayers and support as well. When I told him where the Lord is leading, prayed with me and gave us some Hymn books and a digital musical instrument that we are still using today.

We will ever be grateful to Bro. Darrel Lee and Bro. Bob Downey for their prayers and support for the work in Memphis. We are very grateful to Brother Bob Downey, who has sent Brother Joshua Idowu, our St. Louis Church pastor as the officiating Minister for the dedication service. Our heart will always be thankful to the delegations from our Oceanside Church, New York; Atlanta, Georgia; St. Louis, Missouri; and other places for their dedication to participate and witness the opening of Apostolic Faith Church in Memphis, Tennessee. We also thank everyone for their financial support and prayers.

Finally, we are very grateful to Brother Mayokun Akinrotimi and his wife for their dedication to the work of the Lord by rolling up their sleeves and get down to work upon their arrival in the United States until the project was completed. The Lord has been graciously blessing us immensely since the opening of our Church in Memphis, Tennessee.