Lives changed in a pioneer church

Shafter's churches have long histories as cornerstones of the community. One of them is the Home Fellowship Church. One of its members wrote this chronicle of the church, the first in a series.

What is now Home Fellowship Church began in a building on Highway 43 in Shafter in 1966. Pastor Ernie Byron Graeber and wife, Grace, pioneered and founded Full Gospel Tabernacle. Later Pastor Graeber bought the Boy Scout building in Shafter that would become the church, Shield of Faith. He pastored from 1966-83.

Pastor Graeber was licensed under the CEA organization that Pastor O.C. Harms began in 1934 in a church in Long Beach called Colonial Tabernacle. The organization was originally called California Evangelistic Association but later, as churches expanded outside California, it was changed to Christian Evangelistic Assemblies. The organization came from a Four Square background and Pastor Graeber brought that fire with him. He was a fire and brimstone preacher and the power of God would fall in that place.

People filled that little church, and it was a busy church. They had services every Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m. and Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. The church also had services every Wednesday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. Sometimes the services would last until 11 or 12 at night, because people were worshiping, standing in prayer lines that wrapped around the church or just praying at the altars. The power of God was so mighty in that little church that chains were broken and people were healed, saved and delivered. You could see people weeping, shouting praise and dancing with joy.

Many quartets, singing groups and traveling evangelists came from all over the United States, and sometimes revivals would last three to four weeks. The church had two 10-passenger vans during that time to pick up widows, children and families that had no way to get to church. These people were hungry for God, and God didn't disappoint. There was a drunk man that came into church that was sobered up by the power of the Holy Spirit. There was a Jericho March where people around town who didn't attend church said they saw an angel leading the way. Many people were touched by the power of God.

Pastor Graeber didn't compromise. You were either all in or out, and he tried to make sure his congregation was honoring God in all areas of their life. He was a hard preacher and wanted his congregation to tow the line.

When Pastor Graeber got ready to retire, he called the CEA to see if they wanted the church building for the organization, which they did. However, because Pastor Graeber had owned the building, he wanted to have pastors from the organization come and try out for the church, which was not as prevalent to do in those days. The CEA leaders would pray lots to see what pastors to put in the churches.

Pastors Tom and Margaret Baker, from Apache Junction, Ariz., who had pioneered a church there, put their name in for it. The Bakers came on a hot summer day in July of 1983 on a Saturday and stayed the night with the Graebers. The following Sunday morning and Sunday night Pastor Tom preached. Later that night, Pastor Graeber told them he wanted them to take over the church.

The Bakers were trained under the founder of the CEA organization, Pastor O.C Harms. Pastor Tom Baker's first encounter with Pastor Harms would be as a very sick 13-year-old. Tom had cancer and wasn't expected to live. However, his grandpa wouldn't give up hope. He had faith to believe, and he attended Colonial Tabernacle Church under Pastor Harms at that time, and he took Pastor Tom to church there at Colonial Tabernacle as well as all over the Los Angeles area seeking the healing power of God. That's where Pastor Baker met Pastor Harms and felt the healing power of God begin to take effect after he was baptized at Colonial Tabernacle Church.

A few years later he would meet and fall in love with the love of his life, Margaret. Margaret was not allowed to date, but she could go to church. So the couple went to every church service and revival they could find in Covina to be with each other. It was in the Assembly of God Church in Covina where Tom and Margaret gave their hearts to the Lord.

They married and decided to go to Bible school together. At the time, Tom's cousin was going to Bible school under Pastor Harms, and the Lord led him to reach out to Tom and Margaret to talk to the pastor. In 1956, they decided to go to Long Beach to train for the ministry at Colonial Tabernacle, and in 1958 Pastor Harms sent them out into ministry after being trained for 2½ years.

The Bakers headed north to a place where they felt the Lord leading them.

They filled in at a church in South Bend, Wash., while they waited for the Lord to open a door to the church He would have them pastor. The Lord would lead them to pioneer a church in Apache Junction, where they would pastor until they accepted the pastorship in 1983 at the Shield of Faith Church. After the Bakers took over the church they had the name changed to Shafter Christian Assemblies, where they pastored from 1983-1989.

Tom and Margaret Baker were pioneers. They founded and pioneered several churches during their ministry. Their ministry was that of love. You could feel the love of God when you entered the church. They loved and accepted people right where they were and allowed the Lord to change the hearts of the people. They taught people the word of God and how to reverence it and allow it to have the final authority in the believer's life.

When Pastor Tom ministered the word as he preached on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings his love and compassion for people would draw them to Jesus. He had an altar call every service, and people would come up for prayer and to pray through whatever was going on in their lives and give it to Jesus which he encouraged his congregation to do.

Pastor Margaret taught Sunday school and Wednesday night Bible study, and she taught the truth. Many people were set free by the truth of the gospel that she taught. They had a powerful deliverance ministry that helped many people get out of bondage. People would come into church with addictions and problems whether it was drugs, alcohol or anger, and they would pray and seek the Lord and allow God to direct and lead them how to pray and seek deliverance for them.

Lives were changed and transformed under their ministry by the Word of Truth and Power of the Holy Spirit. People were saved, healed, delivered and transformed. Under their ministry they also counseled people and they also mentored people In becoming teachers and ministers of the gospel. They allowed the Lord to lead, guide and direct their ministry, and because of it lives were forever changed.

In 1989, with a call from the Lord to leave Shafter Christian Assemblies, the Bakers would head to Washington, where they would pioneer a church up there for the next several years.

During this time, Pastor Tommy and Linda Creech would become the new pastors of the Shafter Christian Assemblies Church. They pastored the church from 1989-1999. The Creechs had great organizational skills, and as soon as they arrived they began to use their expertise to continue to move the church forward. They believed in church membership and the importance of supporting their local pastor and church.

Along with serving his congregation, Pastor Creech also served our country as an officer In the U.S. Air Force and fought for our country in the Vietnam War.

Sister Creech was a great musician. She played the piano and organ and was a complement to Pastor Creech. They (1989-1999) served in the church until Pastor Creech passed away in 1999.

In 1997, Tom and Margaret Baker had already moved back to Shafter and by permission of the CEA organization pioneered a church there in a storefront on James Street called Home Fellowship Church. There would now be two churches in Shafter under the same organization to serve the community.

After Pastor Tommy Creech passed away in 1999, it was decided that the Bakers would combine the two churches and join their congregations together making just one church changing the name to Home Fellowship. The Bakers would pastor here again for the next 13 years, until 2012 making a total of 22 years they pastored in this church building on 520 California Ave. During this time, the organization would undergo another name change, from Christian Evangelistic Assemblies to Grace International, reflecting the rapidly growing global family of churches and ministries.

With a call from the Lord to leave again in 2012, the Bakers would eventually head up north again to pastor their last church, in Doty, Wash., from 2015 until 2023, before they would retire.

Pastors Jose and Beverly Perello, missionaries from Honduras, would leave the church they were pastoring as well as the churches Pastor Jose was overseeing with a call from the Lord to come to Shafter to pastor Home Fellowship Church. In January 2013, Pastor Beverly was first to take on the pastorship, while Pastor Jose stayed behind another 6 months to make the necessary arrangements to assure a smooth transition there.

Pastor Jose and Beverly Perello are missionaries at heart and their ministry reaches far beyond the church walls of Home Fellowship Church. Pastor Beverly interprets Pastor Jose's dynamic preaching with her sweet southern charm. They work in unity preaching God's word, and it flows. As pastors they show their love for family and community through fellowship as they lead with love and encouragment.

Their ministry is that of grace. They love and accept people right where they are, and you feel welcomed and accepted when you come in.

Pastor Jose has a father's heart and the gift of intercessory, which he uses to pray faithfully for his congregation daily. At times after service, he will call his congregation up to the front of the church and will pray for each one individually. The Lord speaks to him and through Him. He is a humble, kind and gentle pastor shepherding over the flock under the care of the Great Shepherd.

Pastor Beverly is a studied teacher and has wisdom that she imparts on the congregation through her teaching, preaching and counseling. They have served faithfully at Home Fellowship Church for 11 years, and they continue to serve as pastors at Home fellowship Church today.

Today Home Fellowship Church is a small bilingual nondenominational church. We have Sunday school at 10 a.m., with church service starting at 11:15 a.m. We have a ladies bible study on Tuesday mornings at 11 a.m. and prayer meetings on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome here. By the grace of God for 58 years, Home Fellowship Church has stood as a lighthouse in our community. A beacon of light in the darkness illuminating the way to our Lord and Savior. By God's grace may we continue to serve our Lord as we serve our congregation and the community of Shafter.