Our founding fathers established the Allen Memorial Church of God in Christ through faith in God and personal sacrifice.  This congregation continues seeking to be faithful in the will of God.  We are honored to be advocates and participants of the will God being realized in our time and place.  Some three scores and fifteen years ago the Church of God in Christ was established in Mount Vernon, New York.  We are moved to appreciate the first members who helped establish the first Church of God in Christ in Mount Vernon.

In the early 1920, the Elders John Ware, Aldophus Saunders and their families came from Far Rockaway, New York to establish a mission in Mount Vernon, under the instruction of Bishop Charles Harrison Mason the founding father of the Church of God in Christ, Inc.  The beginnings were meager but established in a wealth of faith. The church had meager beginnings in the homes of new converts.  In 1929, the missionaries successfully established the church in a rented facility, located at 6 West 6^th Street (presently Sandford Blvd.).

This was the established beginning of a ministry that would positively affect the entire community.  Pastor Ware and Saunders worked together, while establishing the ministries of the church in the early 1930’s Pastor Ware’s wife took ill and they returned to Far Rockaway.  Before his untimely departure, Pastor Ware officially transferred the entire pastorate to Elder Adolphus Saunders.  Pastor Saunders worked untiringly through the 1930’s.  The congregation out grew their rented facility. On September 18, 1939, the entire church purchased a parcel of land and property located at 410 South 9^th Avenue in Mount Vernon, New York.  This was a very expensive undertaking during the year of the great depression.  The church membership was committed to the project and made tremendous sacrifices to nurture and preserve the first Church of God in Christ in Mount Vernon.

In February 1940, Elder Saunders resigned as pastor and relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina.  Within the congregation was a young man that Pastor Saunders considered a most existing parcel that would better serve the congregation and community.  In 1947, Pastor Allen and the congregation secured a contractor and began to build a larger facility on a cash basis.  The new facility was completed in October of 1950 and dedicated on November 12, 1950.

The membership agreed to receive Deacon Ernest W. Allen as the successor of Pastor Saunders.  In September of 1940, Bishop O.M. Kelly ordained Deacon Allen and installed him as the second pastor of the Mount Vernon Church of God In Christ.  Pastor Allen further developed the ministries of the Church.  In 1946, the small congregation satisfied the existing mortgage liability.  Yet Pastor Allen had a greater vision to build a larger facility on the existing parcel that would better serve the congregation and community.

Pastor Allen was an extraordinary leader.  He served as pastor of the Mount Vernon Church of God in Christ for than 46 years, longer than any other pastor in the history of the city of Mount Vernon, New York.  His ministry was important to substantiating the church and its message of holiness in the Mount Vernon community.  He was a visionary and prepared our present pastor for leadership before his passing.

In March of 1987, Pastor Carlton Spruill was installed as the third pastor of the Mount Vernon Church of God in Christ, by the late Bishop F.D. Washington.  In 1987, Pastor Spruill and congregation renamed the church to the Allen Memorial Church of God in Christ as a memorial at the spiritual leadership of the late Pastor Ernest Allen.  Pastor Spruill has proven to be an unassuming leader.  Under his leadership the mission of the church began to address the needs of the era.  Through building people, preaching, teaching, witnessing, and ministry program development, the congregation outgrew the facility.  To accommodate the growing church congregation, Pastor Spruill was compelled by the Lord to purchase the existing facility to better serve the families and generation of the community.  On December 31, 1998 the facility was acquired.

The year of 2004 commemorates 75 years of ministry.  The vision of our pastor continues to unfold.  The preparation and renovation of the house of God is the beginning of greater service to the families and fabric of community life.  The ministries of the Allen Memorial Church envision reaching the emerging generation for Jesus Christ through program implementation that meets the changing needs of our time.

God has divinely positioned Pastor Spruill for latter day ministry.  He has a balanced approach to spiritual serving family and community.  The inspired vision of God is yet in the embryonic stages.  Pastor foresees the Family Life Center meeting the changing needs of our lives and community.  The Word of God is central to the vision.  Pastor preaches and teaches a biblical policy for living.  The vision for the future is holistic and prepares a people for the second coming of Christ.  The diverse ministries of the Allen Memorial Church are far-reaching and sensitive to the pertinent needs of family and community life.

The Will of God for the Allen Memorial Church of God in Christ Family Life Center is unfolding.  There are countless people that are touched by the love of Christ and come to know him as Lord because of the ministry focus.  It is certain the future of God’s Will is being empowered through the regenerated lives for Jesus Christ.  The Ministry of The Allen Memorial Church is committed to doing all for the equipping of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ.