The Jurisdictional Seal

 

The Pennsylvania Keystone Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction evolved from the Keystone District of the Pennsylvania Western Jurisdiction 1st, under the late Bishop G.E. Vaughn in 1985.

In December 1953, Bishop George A. Williams came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He preached his first sermon in 1954 under the late Bishop Bruce Madison Oakley; and was ordained to the Gospel Ministry in September 1958 by the late Bishop Ozro Thurston Jones, Sr.

Bishop George A. Williams was appointed the District Superintendent of the Keystone District in April of 1973, as a Superintendent in Philadelphia, an eastern Pennsylvania city. He helped to purchase church buildings for Pastor’s starting new ministries. There was the geographical constraints of location that caused the Eastern based district not to be centralized with the Western Pennsylvania Headquarters Jurisdiction. Bishop Williams became the Administrative Assistant to Bishop Vaughn in August of 1978. As the district continued to grow and more churches were being added in the east, Bishop Williams made application to the late Presiding Bishop J. O. Patterson, Sr. to be certified as a jurisdiction.

In 1985 Bishop Williams was appointed to the office of Bishop by the late Presiding Bishop J.O. Patterson and the General Board of the Church of God in Christ in Memphis Tennessee. The Jurisdiction is headquartered at the Rehoboth Temple Church of God in Christ, 1210 West Wyoming Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. Since being at this location, by the divine will of God, Bishop Williams is now Prelate of the Keystone Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania Church of God in Christ. In 1987 an additional 50 x 70 feet was added to the existing building. On Sunday, July 10, 1988, our former presiding Bishop Chandler D. Owens dedicated the new facilities to the Lord. In July 2003, an additional 7 X 35 feet was added at the church to provide a three-story elevator with indoor-outdoor ramp access to assist the senior saints and handicap to have greater access to the entire church facilities, along with a new stairwell.

Mother Marlene D. Talley

Bishop Williams selected the late Mother Marlene D. Talley to be the Supervisor of Women’s Department for the Jurisdiction. Mother Talley was at that time a National Evangelist. She was selected to be a member of the Advisory Board by our previous General Supervisor of Women, Mother Emma Crouch. She was also a member of the Executive Board of our General Supervisor of Women, Mother Willie Mae Rivers until she received her heavenly reward on March 29, 2015. Her presence and impact will always remain with us.