One Sunday morning in late January 1970 at the end of church service the late Elder James Davis called my late husband, Dr. David A. Armstead, and myself into the deacon’s office at the former Miracle COGIC in Pittsburgh. When we walked into the office two other ladies were there, the late Sis. Alline Beauford and Sis. Dorothy Tyler. They had expressed the desire for Elder Davis to come to Aliquippa and open a church, for they were dissatisfied with the church conditions in Aliquippa. Elder Davis asked my husband and I if we would go to Aliquippa and take a look. We said sure. The next day being Monday, we went out after work and met with Sis. Tyler. The first and only place she brought us to was the place we are worshipping in now. It was the former St. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church. At that time the church sanctuary was a recreation hall with a stage, downstairs was the eating area, with a bar set up, the upstairs was where the priest lived, and there was a frame church building next door. The auditorium was a mess. It apparently hadn’t been used for sometime and things were just stored there. One priest lived upstairs guarding the building. The building didn’t look impressive and was far more than what Eld. Davis had wanted. Sis. Tyler was excited and had hopes for the building. She even started calling Eld. Armstead “Pastor” that night. The name didn’t impress us at all, for we were just doing a service for Eld. Davis. We had no idea that one day Elder Armstead would indeed be the “Pastor”. When we took the news back to Eld Davis, he told Eld. Armstead what they wanted for the building was too much and he didn’t want to buy a building. He just wanted a place where he could come and help out those out here seeking help. However, after a few days, the Lord spoke to him concerning the building. He began to look into it and was lead of God to proceed in purchasing the building. After the necessary legal proceedings were taken care of, work began on the building to remodel it into a church. Sis. Tyler was placed in charge of the remodeling and she began working untiringly, recruiting various workers from the Aliquippa and surrounding areas. On several occasions saints from Miracle in Pittsburgh came out to help. Sis. Tyler and her daughter Darselle spent many a nights (close to six months) upstairs watching over the property. You wouldn’t have believed the first conditions of the property and the finished product when the church opened on the fourth Sunday, October 25, 1970 During the time before Eld. Davis passed; money was collected toward the payment of the building. Many saints from Aliquippa came and brought large sums of money. They were looking forward to Eld. Davis coming to Aliquippa and opening the church. Eld. Davis didn’t intend to leave the Pgh. church and come to Aliquippa. He was going to start the church off, for he knew the opposition the young ministers would get. The young ministers would then carry on and he would come out occasionally. The young ministers however showed no enthusiasm concerning Aliquippa. My husband knew he was an evangelist and didn’t want to pastor a church. Work was continuously moving in Aliquippa and plans were made to open in June of 1970. However, unexpectedly in May of 1970 Eld. Davis took sick, was hospitalized and went home to be with the Lord. Things were at a standstill as far as Aliquippa was concerned. However Sis. Tyler and the saints from Aliquippa still had hope and continued working, getting things ready for the opening. She was still calling Eld. Armstead “Pastor”, for she felt since Eld. Davis had thought enough of Eld. Armstead to send him to look for a place, he would have been Eld. Davis’ choice. Eld. Armstead still felt no leading of the Lord concerning Aliquippa; in fact we had plans to move to California. In the meantime, questions arose concerning what to do with the church building in Aliquippa. Monthly payments had to be made, the building was just here not being used and Miracle in Pgh, was responsible for the payments. The building had already been remodeled into a church, but some; especially the family wanted to sell the building for it was a liability. On the other hand the officials of the church wanted to open the church for they felt it was Eld. Davis’ last dream. During this time of uneasiness, the Lord began to deal with Eld. Armstead concerning Aliquippa. He told no one, only me. The officials began plans for the opening. As God would have it, the plans were for the church to open and each minister conduct a week revival, starting with Eld. Armstead. He still hadn’t told anyone yet that God had told him to come to Aliquippa. The church opened October 25, 1970. That morning two people joined the church, Sis. Dorothy Tyler and the late Sis. Alline Beauford. Eld. Armstead was in charge of the afternoon service and began the revival that night. During the afternoon service prophecy went forth concerning God’s blessings in Aliquippa and of a truth they have come to pass. The first night of revival the offering was $5.00 and Eld. Armstead paid $12.25 tithes. On Monday, the second night of the revival three more people joined the church, the late Sis. Alcora Johnson, her daughter, Linda Johnson and Sis. Samella Young. The Lord blessed the first week of the revival and it was continued a second week. One soul was saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. However the other minister who was supposed to take the second week never came. God never intended for him to come, for he had chosen and sent Eld. Armstead to lead His flock and win souls in Aliquippa. The church still functioned even after the second week of revival with regular services, despite announcements that the church would be closed. There were few people, six besides Elder Armstead and myself, but we weren’t discouraged. God had sent us to Aliquippa. Of the six members, only three had steady jobs, Elder Armstead, another sister and myself. We had great financial obligations. God some how paid them. During the revival many young saints from Miracle in Pgh. began coming and continued. They joined with us in November. God led Eld. Armstead to negotiate with Miracle in Pgh. to purchase the building. They wanted to get from under the strain of the responsibility of the church. Even though we were paying the bills, we weren’t responsible, and we in Aliquippa wanted to be on our own. Plans were finalized in December and a sales agreement was drawn up. When the sales agreement was drawn up it had to be drawn up in Elder Armstead and my name because as a new church there was no collateral. After we burned the mortgage we sold the church to you for $1.00 and put Miracle COGIC #2 on the deed. Miracle Church of God in Christ #2, our legal official name, was on it’s own and Eld. Armstead was the pastor. We had accepted a great responsibility, for many bills were owed on the church. Hardware stores, carpet places, the Aliquippa School District, Hornes (piano, organ) even a food store bill to mention a few, in addition to the regular bills, it was winter and gas bills were very high. All the outstanding obligations accrued in the remodeling of the church were to be paid by us. There was $16,750 owed on the building and $3,250 in outstanding bills. A total of $20,000 at the rate of $355 a month plus interest. Where was all this money coming from? Elder Armstead and myself pledged $100 each a month toward the mortgage. Other saints followed suit with giving. God met every need through the tithes and offerings. Tithes were and are the mainstay of our church. I can remember one time when just about every cent was paid out and there were still bills to be paid and God touched someone and they paid $880 in tithes at one time. The individual didn’t belong to the church, but he had tithes he hadn’t paid and God told him to give them to us. We sure needed them. In March of 1971 the church was dedicated and Eld. Armstead officially installed as pastor by the late Bishop Gordon E. Vaughn. God had told Elder Armstead he was going to bless him and the church, just don’t get discouraged. After we had made the sales agreement many people thought we were still under the authority of Miracle #1 in Pgh. We weren’t, all ties were broken and our money was paid directly to the bank. To end this erroneous thinking and to distinguish us as a separate church, Eld. Armstead wanted to change the name of the church from Miracle COGIC#2 to Haven of Rest COGIC. But God spoke to him and told him no. For God said “He was going to make Miracle #2 Miracle #1. Elder Armstead didn’t understand what God was saying, but he knew that God said it. About 5 years later Miracle COGIC #1 in Pgh closed. We don’t glory in the downfall of anyone but we do know that what God says, even when we don’t know why He says it, He will bring it to pass. From the time the church opened in October 1970 to after the mortgage was burned in August 1976 Elder Armstead did not receive one offering from the church, not that he didn’t deserve one or the saints didn’t want to give him one, but he wanted to see God’s work progress. We were few in number and any offering he would take would take from the money that could be used to pay church bills, so all moneys taken in by the church were used by the church. Don’t misunderstand me, the saints at times got together on special occasions and gave Eld. Armstead tokens of love, but no offerings were taken from the table and no check written for him from the back room. Even after the church began giving Eld. Armstead a salary there were lean times, but Elder Armstead was always concerned that the church bills were taken care of and if money were short he wouldn’t take a pay. But God always provided for us during those lean times. God has truly blessed Miracle COGIC. Many souls have been saved, delivered and set free. Many great works have been wrought by this church. We’ve conducted street meetings from East Hills to Beaver Falls. For the first five years we didn’t have a musician, so we know how to have church with or without music, with or without a choir. With lights, without lights, with heat, without heat, when the roof was leaking and when the leak was fixed. Our church has been remodeled, air conditioned, carpeted, new pews, we’ve purchased a bus, two station wagons, six vans (one for which we paid cash). We’ve had no rallies; no special services to raise money and no one came to help us. When a special need arose Eld. Armstead would tell the saints, set a date for turn in and God blessed us with the money. God put a spirit of giving in the saints here and no one was taxed. A church was built from the ground in Spanishtown Jamaica West Indies, dedicated in 1990; The Miracle School of Ministry opened in the year 2000. Also in the year 2000 Eld. Armstead went to Nairobi Kenya East Africa to dedicate a church for which Miracle sent over $10,000 for the building of it and he also ordained and installed two pastors. The work of Miracle COGIC is known from Africa to Jamaica, California to Maryland and we have ministers from this church in Oakland, CA, Denver, Co, Georgia, Florida, Pittsburgh, and Aliquippa. Our founding father Rev. Dr. David A. Armstead had gone on to be with the Lord, but his work goes on and will continue through his spiritual son Eld. Laneer Fisher. Elder Armstead can say to us as Jesus said to His disciples, “Greater works than these shall he do because I go to be with my Father.” Miracle, we have a great history and legacy, but the half has not been told. “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:9. For we are “Miracle Under Construction” and God is doing things Suddenly. Thank you Miracle for hanging in there no matter what. We’ve been through the storm and been through the rains we’ve had heartaches and we’ve had pain, but after all the things we’ve been through we still have joy. We’ve been troubled, but not distressed; perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken; cast down but not destroyed. We are going for the goal for God didn’t bring us this far to leave us.

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