Our History
Our story
How God has led our church from a small basement congregation to where we are today.
From humble beginnings
Our church traces its beginning to March 3, 1959, when a small group of believers set out to build a Pentecostal congregation in Bonne Terre. A local family, John and Ora King, donated land so a basement could be built, and the congregation worshiped there until the first church building was completed on September 29, 1960.
Much of what follows was pieced together from decades of local newspaper archives. The earliest years were never written down, and those who lived them are no longer with us — so this page is our best effort to preserve the story for the generations to come.
A timeline
Moments that shaped us
A church is born
On March 3, 1959, the congregation began. John and Ora King donated land for a basement, which became the church's first home.
The first building
The church building was completed on September 29, 1960, on Jefferson Avenue. The original basement became the Sunday School department.
The earliest records
The oldest surviving records — service listings in The Daily Journal — show Rev. Bert W. McGavock as minister of the United Pentecostal Church of Bonne Terre.
Rev. V. R. Schellhardt
Rev. V. R. Schellhardt served as pastor through the mid-1960s before later moving on to minister in Vermont.
Rev. Ed Braswell arrives
In October 1967, Rev. Ed Braswell and his family came to Bonne Terre from Portageville. What began with a handful of people would grow into a thriving congregation over nearly four decades of his ministry.
A new church home
Having outgrown the Jefferson Avenue building, the congregation celebrated the opening of its new home at 602 Berry Road, facing Highway 67, on August 15–17, 1984 — the church's location to this day.
A new name
Around the move, the church's name evolved — from United Pentecostal Church, through First United Pentecostal and Lead Belt United Pentecostal, and by 1990 it had become Leadbelt Pentecostal Church.
Passing the mantle
After about 40 years of ministry, Rev. Braswell retired and Rev. J. Scott Meeks — who had served as co-pastor — became the church's fourth pastor. A new Family Life Center was built as the congregation continued to grow.
Rev. Trent Sheerin
In late October 2020, Rev. Trent Sheerin became the church's fifth pastor, following Rev. Meeks. He and his family continue to lead the congregation today.
A renewed home
The congregation completed a major renovation of the Berry Road facility in 2022 — refreshing the church home for a new season of ministry.
Through the years
A life of faith & fellowship
Revivals, dramas, festivals, and countless gatherings — glimpses of church life across the decades, as recorded in the local paper.
Thus far the LORD has helped us.
1 Samuel 7:12