Pastor Appreciation ~ Grandpa and Grandma McElhaney

I decided to finish my Pastor Appreciation Week with a post about Grandpa and Grandma McElhaney. When they received the revelation of this marvelous truth, they embraced it and passed it on. They left a great heritage to many generations.

In the fall of 1933 Grandpa and Grandma first came into contact with the Apostolic message. Grandpa was the first to be baptized in Jesus' name, while Grandma resisted. Finally, one cold night, the winter of 1935, she jumped up at the end of the service and said she wanted to be baptized. There was two feet of snow on the ground. It was so cold and ice in the tank had to be broken to baptize her. She had brought no change of clothing and had to walk almost two miles home in her wet clothes. By the time she got home her clothing was frozen on her. Shortly after that she received the Holy Ghost and the following summer, Grandpa received the Holy Ghost at home.

Grandpa founded a church in New Castle, Indiana in 1936 and pastored from 1936-1950. There is still a Jesus name church in that city today! Pictured below is the congregation in about 1945. Grandpa had a weekly radio broadcast and held street meetings on Saturday nights.


Both of Les' grandparents were licensed Pentecostal ministers before the formation of the United Pentecostal Church International in 1945. The organization was created by the merger of the Pentecostal Church Incorporated and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. Grandma Marie belonged to one of the organizations and Grandpa Earl belonged to the other!

Grandpa died in 1989, the same year Les and I met, so I was not privileged to know him. I met Grandma Marie on a couple of occasions and although her body was failing, her mind was still sharp and she loved being surrounded by her family. At her funeral, her grandson Allen told quite a story. Grandma was part of the church when Allen became the pastor in Panama City, FL. From that time forward, she always addressed him as Bro. Crabtree, showing respect to his role as her pastor.

Grandpa and Grandma moved to Panama City, Florida in 1950. They returned to Indiana for about a year in 1953, then pastored in Florida until his retirement in 1972. A large, loud, loving extended family gathers in Florida each Thanksgiving. Descendants of Earl and Marie McElhaney, many involved in the ministry and still loving the truth that these two embraced so long ago.