July 3, 2002
History of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship
by Bishop Michael Kelsey

The birth of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International is in essence the story of a tremendous move of God beginning in the last decade of the twentieth century. Since 1994, when over forty thousand people attended the first Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International Conference in the Louisiana Superdome, the spiritual religious freedom that makes the Full Gospel unique has impacted Christian men and women all across the world. Captured by the phrase, the "Right to Choose”, that freedom is based on the belief that the Gospel of Jesus Christ must be promoted by recognizing the free expression of the gifts of the Spirit as a viable part of the Body of Christ. The Fellowship is convinced that the choice to exercise these spiritual gifts is imperative for the local New Testament Church to fully function as the dynamic organism God has intended.
The Holy Spirit first impressed the vision for the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship upon the heart of its founder, International Presiding Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr., in 1992. At that time, Bishop Morton was experiencing the liberating power of the Holy Spirit at work in the transition of his own Baptist church congregation, Greater St. Stephens Baptist Church. The Lord made clear that he intended to use Bishop Morton to bridge the gap between Baptist and Pentecostal traditions not simply on a local level, but nationwide. Just as the Lord planted the seed that would grow to become the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International within Bishop Morton, he orchestrated the Presiding Bishop’s connection with national and international leaders with the same heart and mind. Along with Bishop Morton, twelve men: Bishop Odis Floyd, Bishop Larry D. Trotter, Bishop Carlos L. Malone, Bishop J. D. Wiley, Bishop K. D. Johnson, Bishop Larry Leonard, Bishop Kenneth Robinson, Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, Bishop Fred Caldwell, Bishop Robert Blake, Bishop Eddie Long, and Bishop A. R. Williams, would become the Founding Fathers of the movement.
With the theme, “A New Structure on an Old Foundation,” the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship held its first Council meeting in 1993. Regional bishops, state overseers, and district overseers were appointed to help nurture Full Gospel churches at both state and local levels. By the thousands, pastors and congregations embraced this God-ordained movement.
The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship builds upon the traditional Baptist Church as its foundation. The Baptist heritage is embraced yet balanced with more charismatic influences. It is the desire of those who have been drawn to this movement to experience every Biblical command and inheritance promised in the Word of God. Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International is one of the first Christian Fellowships with such an inclusive nature. It encompasses the scope of the Pentecostal movement for its spirituality, the Baptist Church for its structure, and the Word Church for its emphasis on the Word of God.
The multi-cultural and multi-denominational Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International is structured with an Episcopal Hierarchy. The “Tiers of Leadership” include the Bishop’s Council, the College of Bishops, General, State and District Overseers, Elders Council, and Senior Pastors. As a truly international movement, hundreds of Full Gospel Baptist Churches exist in Africa, Asia, The Bahamas, Germany, India, and North America.
The Fellowship’s rapid growth has surpassed even Bishop Morton’s greatest expectations. Its formation out of a spiritual rather than carnal need has been blessed manifold times. In July 1994, over 25,000 delegates attended the first conference held at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. At the second annual conference in 1995, over 40,000 delegates attended. In 1996 and 1997, the totals reached 50,000 respectively. While numbers alone neither indicate spirituality nor success, numerical growth does indicate this fellowship is alive…and growing.
Each year thereafter, the Annual Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International Conference ministers to nearly 30,000 people through its School of Ministry classes, Spirit-filled worship services and community outreach efforts. The Fellowship’s major initiatives over the past seven years include: church planting overseas in Africa and India; the dispensation of multiple $5000 grants to struggling churches; the development of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship Sunday School Curriculum, which supports the Christian Education Ministry throughout the world.
The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship is a movement that has swept across the United States, and abroad, blessing corporate and individual lives in immeasurable ways. The fellowship continues to answer the call to “Change A Generation” through its commitment to submission and empowerment by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Living God guides the leadership of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International and member churches in making the difference throughout the world.
As International Presiding Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr. responded to God’s mandate, he also began a movement which is obviously responding to the needs of the men and women within the Baptist church. Lives are empowered as the Holy Spirit manifests His power, healing, and deliverance. It is in this Spirit that the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship continues to expand.
“To God Be The Glory"...........