Wellsville Full Gospel Church

April 4, 2003, we celebrated The Retirement of the Mortgage! A special service to thank God for His faithfulness was held at on Friday, April 4, with Paul Johansson, President of Elim Bible Institute, as speaker. He encouraged the congregation to ask God to reveal the unseen, citing 2 Corinthians 4:18:
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." The eternal weight of glory that God desires to impart in our area demands this shift on vision from the daily, mundane, and seen activities among men to the powerful, unseen hand of God moving in the eternal.

At this event, we take time to ponder the unusual calling of a church that began as a mission and continues serving God in this ministry of binding up the brokenhearted and setting captives free: In the fall of 1950, Edwin and Onalee Van Druff, both graduates of Elim Bible Institute, began mid-week prayer meetings in a home on Niles Hill. The meetings were moved to a renovated apartment over a garage with Sunday Services, Sunday School, and a mid-week service on Wednesday.

A Brief History

by Velma Clark

In the fall of 1950, Edwin and Onalee Van Druff, both graduates of Elim Bible Institute, began mid-week prayer meetings in a home on Niles Hill. The meetings were moved to a renovated apartment over a garage with Sunday Services, Sunday School, and a mid-week service on Wednesday. This facility was used for a year. In 1951, the church, now known as The Full Gospel Mission, purchased a building from The People's Church on Chamberlain Street in the village of Wellsville. This facility is presently owned by the local Presbyterian congregation.

"Eddie" Van Druff worked in the oil fields and, according to Onalee, "loved his job." He told his wife that if God was calling him to pastor the church full time, He'd have to make him "hate his job." Within weeks of that conversation, Eddie's long-time supervisor was reassigned and his replacement soon made life miserable for Edwin. He told his wife, "I never thought I'd hate my job!" She reminded him of their prior conversation and how they had prayed for the Lord to show them His will. 

In September, 1965, the church and parsonage facility at 55 Chamberlain Street, owned by the Calvary Baptist Church, was purchased. The building was dedicated on October 17, 1965, and the church was then called the Full Gospel Church. The flood of 1972, related to Hurricane Agnes, caused extensive damage to the basement and the sanctuary. In September, 1974, Pastor Edwin Van Druff retired. Rev. David Larkin assumed the pastoral duties from September 1974 to September 1975. Rev. Walton Patchett served as pastor from December 1975 until October 1977, and Rev. Anthony Stock arrived in March, 1978.

On February 8, 1981, following a lengthy building project, the enlarged and remodeled building was dedicated. In February of 1984 the church became Daystar Full Gospel Church and in May 1985 purchased 16 acres on Hanover Hill for the purpose of constructing a new facility. Ground was broken in July 1985. In March 1987 Pastor Stock left and Pastor Mason Sorensen assumed the pastorate in June of that year.

In August 1987, the facility on Chamberlain Street was sold to Wellsville Christian School. The church continued to meet on Chamberlain Street, renting a portion of the facility for offices, nursery, sanctuary, ad Sunday School rooms. 1988 saw the name changed to Wellsville Full Gospel Church in February, and permission granted from the local building authority on December 31 to begin using the new structure on Hanover Hill. The first worship service was held on January 1, 1989.