Pastor Jentezen Franklin now Senior Pastor in California
 

News from Free Chapel and Pastor Jentezen Franklin in Gainesville, GA.

Pastor Franklin announced that he was assuming the pastorate of a church (Jamboree Worship Center Church of God) in Irvine, California and was going to pastor both churches. He said several staff members from FREE CHAPEL - Gainesville will move to California and take care of the church and do the Sunday morning services. JF will preach at in Gainesville at 9 & 11 AM and leave on his jet at 3:00 PM and have Sunday night Service at 6:00 PM at the new FREE CHAPLE OC (Orange County) and possibly Tuesday nights and back to Gainesville for Wednesday night service.

He said he is not in anyway going to move to CA - but he feels this is his destiny and he will fulfil it!

He said - All the bills are paid here and this is NO CHALLENGE at all for us so - I need a challenge. He said - I am CRAZY and I need a Challenge and this is it. He will be on TBN this Tuesday night and make the national announcement then.

He is also adding 2000 new seats to the 3700 seat sanctuary and new offices and a 500 seat Youth auditorium at a cost of $30 million.

The people gladly recieved his word.

I have heard so much about him but never seen him. I understand he has a TV program and I would assume it is on TBN. Can you tell me when it airs? It is just him speaking or do they show music also? What is their music like?

on TBN - 9 AM Sunday morning and 9 PM Monday nights - EST

He has ties to Brownsville AOG, doesn't he?

He is Church of God...I don't think he's tied to Brownsville at all.

Free Chapel
 

JF was raised COG and his father was COG - His whole family was COG and he was the TOP COG evangelist when he took this small Congregational Holiness Church in Gainesville, GA after the death of their pastor. He surrendered his COG licence and is credentiled with the CH. Free Chapel is an over 50 year old CH Congregaton - it is NOT COG and is NOT independent.

The Church - Free Chapel Worship Center is IN a small pentecostal denomination - The Congregational Holiness Church. FCWC was founded as a CH church and will always be a CH church. http://www.chchurch.com/

This is from the Free Chapel web site:

This is a brief history of Free Chapel Worship Center.

our history

1953 J.C. (Jake) Norris began a new work in the Lord. In early July he and 10 - 15 other believers rented space in a skating rink on Atlanta Highway in Gainesville, Georgia. The church remained at this location for approximately two years.

1955 With a membership of approximately 35, a decision was made to build a church building. With mostly volunteers, comprised of members and non-members, a building was erected on Keith Circle in Gainesville. The church remained at this location for approximately 15 years.

During this period, there were several pastors: Louis Bragg, Walter Smith, Ben Tapp, and Blanche Lancaster, who served in the interim until Roy Wellborn was chosen as pastor.

1970 On Mother's Day, the first service was held in a new facility built on Brown's Bridge Road in Gainesville. The church grew to a membership of approximately 250 and remained in this location for approximately 20 years.

1989 Jentezen Franklin was selected senior pastor to succeed Pastor Wellborn.

1992 The church moved to McEver Road in Gainesville. Here the congregation has grown from 300 to over 5,000.

1996 Property was purchased across McEver Road for expansion.

1999 154 acres was purchased on McEver road for expansion.

2002 Ground Breaking Ceremony at the new property.

2004 (September) - Moved in to new worship facility debt free - 3700 seats.

I recently saw him teaching on TBN and he was using a tape measure and talking about putting limits on God. I started laughing b/c he must have bought some BOTT DVDs and saw Jeff Arnold's message from several years ago! BTW I like JF---he seems to be the real deal. If you close your eyes and listen to him speak he sounds just like AM.

I personally am not excited about his preaching... That is just my personal thought.

He is a lot of hype...

I've never heard him.

That JA mesage was good. I have it at home.