HUMBOLDT — “We are not called to do the harvest,” said Pastor Cameron Carter. “We’re called to sow the seed.”
Carter acknowledges that this outlook is what has made Faith Assembly of God in Humboldt so welcoming over the years. In 2020, Carter took the helm as pastor of the church and continues this philosophy from the pulpit each week. On April 6, the church will reach a milestone — parishioners will have been gathering for worship for 100 years.
“The congregation has always been unapologetically loving and driven,” said Carter. “Everyone is welcome to our church.” No one is turned away, he emphasized. “The people who feel like they shouldn’t be here are probably the ones who need to be here the most,” he said.
This loving nature is what the church was founded on in May 1920 in the home of Mrs. E.V. Williams. Having recently moved to Humboldt, Williams didn’t have a church of her own. To solve this, she began inviting people into her home for prayer meetings. These humble beginnings in fellowship then grew over the next few years.
In the summer of 1921, Ed Butler of Iola bought a tent that was pitched at the corner of 5th and New York streets. This is where parishoners gathered over the next year. When winter came, a stove was added for warmth, and the meetings continued.
In 1922, at the same location, the tent was replaced by a tabernacle. On April 6, 1924 the Assembly of God was officially organized with 57 charter members. 
Lots were later purchased at the corner of 4th and Bridge streets in June 1925 where a new church was constructed. The first service in the new building was held in the late summer of 1927. From the initial small prayer meeting in 1920, the congregation’s size increased dramatically. In 1931, the church averaged 110 in attendance at Sunday School.
Over the decades, the church leadership changed hands several times, renovations were made to the church, and financial hardships came and went.
In 1980, the church relocated to the property formerly occupied by Tri-Valley Development, the church’s present location. All renovations of the building were completed by church members, with the exception of the stone work and some of the insulation.
In December 1980, one week before the first service in the new building, parishioners deemed it appropriate to change the name of the church to Faith Assembly of God. “We focus on connecting with God in the way we connect best,” Carter explained. “For some people, worship isn’t their thing. Prayer may be where they connect with God. Or through the teachings and their walk with God. My job is to empower the church to lead them to closeness with God.”
CARTER is number 36 in a long line of pastors over the church’s expansive 100 years.
Beginning in November 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic, his inaugural year wasn’t without challenges. Being a medically retired tank operator in the Marine Corps, Carter is no stranger to adversity. His leadership helped navigate the congregation through the rough terrain of a pandemic and come out on the other side.
“The church had closed during COVID for about a month before we arrived,” he said. “We made a big push to not have the church closed. At one point, we were the only church that did not close in Humboldt.”
He added that parishioners were encouraged to do what made them feel most comfortable. Some chose to watch a live stream of the service from home, while others attended in-person with masks.
“Bringing people into the fold and their loving nature is what makes our congregation successful over all these years,” said Carter. “Nobody comes in these doors without somebody greeting them or giving them a hug. We are very relational.”
