Pastor Jeffrey J. Peckham
Pastor Peckham cares deeply for the lost, hurting and broken people in this world. He's been there and knows what God can do to heal someone's life.
Pastor Peckham grew up in the Wisconsin Rapids area and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1992. He did not have the privilege of growing up in an Apostolic home, but as God states in Jeremiah 29:11, He had a plan for Pastor.
Pastor met his wife in 1989. Sister Peckham was not living for the Lord at this time, but had experienced God's love and power in her life at a young age and had never forgotten what the love of God felt like. Pastor and Sister Peckham were married in 1990, and soon had three beautiful children. In the fourth year of their young marriage God moved in a very powerful way, causing Pastor to feel something he had never felt before...the need to go to church. Fortunately, Sister Peckham knew exactly what church they needed to attend!
So, in 1994 Pastor and Sister Peckham walked into an Apostolic service with their three children in tow. Soon they were being taught a Bible Study by Pastor Nathan Byes of . God moved on Pastor to follow His command to be baptized in Jesus Name by immersion, and Sister Peckham followed. Shortly there after Pastor received the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues, Sister Peckham took a little longer but also received that wonderful experience!
Pastor immersed himself in God's Word and prayer. God saved him and his young family from divorce, drugs, alcohol and the emotional scars that come with that lifestyle and Pastor wanted to give God everything God wanted of him in return. Pastor began to feel a call on his life to preach this wonderful life-changing message and after much study received his license with the United Pentecostal Church International in 1999. Pastor taught countless Home Bible Studies while assisting Pastor Byes in Wisconsin Rapids and God began to speak to his heart about starting his own church and followed God's call to Marshfield in 2004.
The History of the United Pentecostal Church in Marshfield
Marshfield is no stranger to the Apostolic message. Though Satan has tried many times to silence God's powerful Word in this city, the gates of hell shall not prevail (Matthew 16:18) and God's Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11).
In 1939 Benjamin David Urshan preached a tent meeting here for two weeks, baptizing 13 people and giving birth to the Apostolic Church in the Hub City. After Brother Urshan left people began to meet from house to house. In 1944 the first Apostolic church building was purchased on East 5th Street.
Oneness Apostolic Church was established under the organization of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ with Bro. Barron as pastor until 1950.
In 1950 Bro. Barron resigned and Bro. Scott was elected pastor. The church changed their name to Apostolic Church at this time.
In 1952 Bro. Scott resigned and Bro. Hardt was elected as pastor. During Bro. Hardt's tenure as pastor the church voted to come under the organization of the United Pentecostal Church International.
Bro. Hardt resigned in 1962 and Bro. Robert Burns was elected pastor.
In 1964 Bro. Burns resigned and Bro. Holloway was elected pastor. During Bro. Holloway's tenure the church voted to change the name of the church to United Pentecostal Church.
In 1978 Bro. Holloway resigned and Bro. Monte Showalter was elected pastor.
Bro. Monte and Sis. Diane Showalter are currently missionary/evangelists to many countries around the world.
Marshfield has had many Apostolic preachers pass through its streets. At the Home Missions service where Pastor and Sister Peckham were presented to the Wisconsin District as missionaries to the city of Marshfield one of the founding pastors (Brother Hardt, left) was present and laid hands on Pastor Peckham.
After this Home Missions service Brother and Sister Peckham were approached by many who told story after story about their personal history with the Apostolic church in Marshfield. A retired missionary and his wife spoke about their ordination service at the Marshfield church. Brother and Sister Monte Showlater, current Missionary/Evagelists pastored here for many years. Sister Valerie Demos, Missionary wife to Germany, is also from Marshfield and many souls throughout Wisconsin have been touched through the Apostolic ministry in Marshfield.
Please return to this page periodically as we will update it as more information on Marshfield's rich Apostolic heritage is revealed.
