It is now 1981, and time to launch out into the deep; services resumed at the Masonic Lodge in Clover. Our contact person was Rev. Moses Forster. Little did we know that his sister, Margaret Durham, would become one of our Church Mothers. It was during this time that the church blossomed. God sent us Rev. & Mrs. Burrell, Sister Ella Brooks, Sister Shirley Brooks, Sister Clara Stanfield, Rev. Tony Cooper, Brother Ricky Watson, and Sister Audrey Ford. Rev. Burrell, through a dream given to our Pastor before he and his wife arrived, was anointed by God as the Associate Pastor. They remain with us to this day. He was installed as such in August 1981. His first message was “The Good Shepherd,” a message we will never forget. Rev. Cooper came to us and conducted our first revival. He preached such sermons as “Caught in the Middle of a Mess,” “Lost Without a Cause,” and “The Devil Wants Me Dead or Alive.” However, his hallmark sermon will always be remembered: “If Sin is Your Hang-up, then Hell Will Be Your Hang-Out.” The Rev. Thomas Jenkins came to us and preached a message titled “Never Say Die.” These messages remained in our hearts and continued to pave the way to our destiny. It was during this move of the Spirit in 1981 that the Deliverance Tabernacle was purchased by the Virginia State Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. The church purchased for our home was The St. Luke Episcopal Church of Clover. Pastor Lykes preached his hallmark sermon, “Get Your Stuff Together, It’s Moving Time.” We remained there until 1983. Pastor Lykes went through a great trial that tested his faith. He had to make certain decisions that would reveal to the world and those around him whether he had been called by God or not. The choice he made was to obey the voice of the Lord and stand still to see his salvation. After the testing times were over and the people won the victory, organizational changes were made. We joined the Power House of Deliverance Churches of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., of Greensboro, NC, where Bishop J.H. Covington served as the Chief Apostle and Pastor. It was during the Covington administration that this edifice was purchased.
“And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and a place of refuge, and a cover from storm and rain.” Isaiah 4:6
On April 2, 1991, Bishop Covington went to sleep, resting from his labors here and awaiting the general resurrection, when the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. At that time, saints from every nation will come forth and in that number The Deliverance Tabernacle of the Apostolic Faith, South Boston, VA will be recognized as the Bride of Christ, along with the Tabernacle, The Christ Church of Deliverance of Statesville, NC. We will be side by side, marching in our white robes having been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Then no one can deny that we are the visible splendor of God’s Kingdom; The Elect of God full of Glory, wearing the Royal Garments of the Kingdom.
On the first Wednesday in February 1994, Christ Church of Deliverance was established and held its first service at the Holiday Inn Express on Sullivan Road. Our first message was “A More Excellent Ministry.” Everyone at that service remained except for two people. The first Sunday service was held at
the Holiday Inn on Garner Bagnal Boulevard, and the Apostolic Women’s Society was in charge. From the Holiday Inn, we began holding services at the Bristol Community Center until we moved our services to Interfaith Deliverance Church on Western Avenue with the late Bishop Benny Davis and saints. We remained at Interfaith until we purchased our new home, the Race Street United Methodist Church, which was dedicated on April 5, 1996, by His Grace, The Honorable Bishop Jesse Delano Ellis, II and The United Pentecostal Churches of Christ. At that time, our name was changed to Christ Cathedral of Deliverance. We remained members of The United Pentecostal Churches of Christ until
the year 2000 when we began forming the Apostolic Faith Churches of Deliverance.
And on February 19, 2008, at our First Annual Holy Convocation, we designated Christ Cathedral of Deliverance as our Headquarters Cathedral. On Saturday, February 23 at 12:00 noon, the Service of Apostolic Installation for our Presiding Prelate was conducted by Chief Apostle Sylvester Davis
Johnson of the True Vine Churches of Deliverance International (TVCOD), with headquarters in Winston-Salem, NC, of which Bishop Lykes serves as the First Vice Presiding Bishop and Dean of the College of Bishops.