Pentecost Evangelical Missionary Baptist Church
With the blessing of his father in the gospel, the late Pastor Forest Adams, Reverend I. B. Enoch established the church that is today known as the Pentecost Evangelical Missionary Baptist Church on July 16th, 1953, the Rev. I. B. Enoch initiated. The Church was located on Townsend and Madison street.
After being located in various neighborhoods in Syracuse the church finally located at 1650 South State Street, its present location. Under the leadership of Pastor Enoch several auxiliaries were established. Pastor Enoch served as Pastor for 30 years, until his health started to fail. Due to his failing health, Reverend Enoch resigned as active Pastor of Pentecost in January of 1983. After much prayer, as active Pastor of Pentecost on January 1, 1the Reverend Joseph McElroy was called in December of that same year, and he was officially installed as Pastor on February 26, 1984.
When Reverend McElroy became Pastor, the church continued to grow. He encouraged the members to set bold new goals for the church and individual spiritual growth for themselves. He often quoted 1st John 4:4, “greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.” Out of that belief, our church motto became “the church with everybody is somebody” and he led by example.
Following the vision and encouragement of Pastor McElroy, as he followed the vision from God, the church family was able to see the physical evidence of God’s unfailing goodness when construction began on our new church. We marched into the church on January 20, 1991 with Pastor McElroy leading the march. Under Pastor McElroy’s leadership, the church was eventually paid off and the mortgage was burned.
Pastor McElroy served as Pastor for 27 years until he retired in 2011.
Upon Pastor McElroy’s retirement, the church began to pray, and after much prayer, the congregation elected Rev. Derrick L. Tanyhill Sr. as the next Pastor of Pentecost. Rev. Tanyhill accepted the call on October 29, 2011 and was officially installed as Pastor on Sunday December 4, 2011.
Pastor Tanyhill believes that with every vision comes revision, thus building off of the foundation of Pentecost being “The Church Where Everybody Is Somebody,” Pastor has instituted a yearly thematic focus. Our current theme is “A Church Under Construction,” based off Psalms 127:1, which declares unless the Lord builds this house, those that labor, labor in vain.”
Under Pastor Tanyhill’s leadership, four Deacons have been ordained, and 3 Deaconesses have been consecrated, The Sanctuary Choir, a multigenerational choir, focused on singing to the glory of God in unity has also been established. In June 2014, our Annual CommUnity Day was established. Founded off of Matthew 25, over 250 people were feed and received new or gently used clothing. Various community organizations, such as the Syracuse Police Department’s D.A.R.E program and Syracuse Health department were here to provide aid, assistance, and questions to the community on how they can receive the help that they may need. This year, the church underwent various renovations; which included repainting the outside and inside of the church, the laying of brand new carpet in the Sanctuary, and the addition of a new church sign is being installed as we speak.
Under Pastor Tanyhill’s leadership, several ministries have also been rebirthed and expanded. The official formation of our Youth and Young Adult Department occurred. Under that rebirth and expansion, one ministry, the Pentecost Youth Choir, more commonly known as “The Children of the Kingdom,” went from being just a choir to the banner given to the entire Youth Department.
Today we continue to celebrate the vision that began with Rev Enoch, was built on by Rev McElroy and is being carried on today under the leadership of Rev. Tanyhill, who often declares that Pastor Enoch founded it, Pastor McElroy built it, and now it is my job to run with it, and the best is yet to come!!!
