This Week in AG History -- May 1, 1960

Norman Theodore Spong (1906-1997) is best remembered as a church planter and pioneer pastor in the Assemblies of God. After completing his Bible school education, he launched out into evangelistic work and also took over floundering small churches to build up the congregations. He often ended up erecting new facilities before he moved on to the next assignment where he felt God leading.

Spong, born in East Kane, Pennsylvania, was one of 10 children. His parents were Swedish immigrants, who came to America in the late 1890s. Eventually Norman’s family settled in Youngstown, Ohio, where they attended a Baptist church until some of them received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They soon were asked to leave.

In his teenage years, Spong surrendered his life to Christ under the ministry of T.K. Leonard who was holding services for his pastor, George E. Smith. He knelt at the altar of a little church on Hillman Street in Youngstown, and a marvelous transformation took place in his life. He was soon sharing the gospel with his friends and holding services for boys and girls in a nearby schoolhouse. Thirty-five young people attended the schoolhouse meetings, and out of this experience, a church was birthed on the west side of Youngstown.

After completing high school, Spong took a job in the engineering department of United States Steel. He demonstrated skills in drawing and penmanship, and after seven years with the company, he faced a bright future if he stayed. But feeling a call to full-time ministry, he told his boss that he was going to leave to attend a Bible school to do full-time church work. His boss told him, “Norman, you are a fool.” But he left anyway, and headed to Springfield, Missouri, to prepare for the ministry at Central Bible Institute.

During one of his trips to Springfield, he rode with the Bender family, which included Clara Bender. She was the daughter of William and Ella Bender of New Castle, Pennsylvania, who were immigrants from Germany. Norman and Clara became acquainted through some youth meetings at the New Castle church and then fell in love and decided to marry after they both attended Central Bible Institute.

Spong was greatly influenced by a young professor named Frank M. Boyd, who left Central Bible Institute to serve at Southern California Bible Institute. Spong decided to follow Boyd to California, where he finished his last year of Bible school.

While he was in Southern California, he held Sunday School classes for about 30 Greek children. From these Sunday School classes, a Greek church was started in Los Angeles. Over 20 years later, he received a letter from one of the children who had grown up and had never forgotten him. Her name was Georgia Zaferis. She said she picked up a copy of the April 25, 1954, Pentecostal Evangel, and saw the name of N.T. Spong listed as an evangelist. She had been a 10-year-old girl when he was her Sunday School teacher, and she wanted him to know what an impact he had made on her life, and that this had continued on to her marriage and three children who by this time were attending the Greek Full Gospel Church in Los Angeles.

While in California, Spong also heard a missionary from China speak to the students. He wrestled with thoughts to possibly go to China as a missionary. But after much prayer, he felt like God was telling him, “I want you to be a pioneer pastor. I will lead you into a pattern supporting a pioneering ministry.” He strongly felt this was his calling, and after graduation and throughout his lifetime, he pioneered a number of different Assemblies of God churches.

After successfully pastoring four established churches over a period of 30 years, Spong continued with his calling as a church planter and builder. In 1954, he was called to serve a small congregation in Somerville, New Jersey. Accepting the challenge, he bult up the church, helped them to become General Council affiliated, and 10 years later a lovely new Assembly of God church was dedicated because of his visionary efforts and leadership.

At the cornerstone laying for the new church, the newspaper headline boldly declared, “Do-It-Yourself Project Makes Church Reality.” And this was true. There were only five paid workers on the construction site — three masons and two carpenters. The rest of the work was done by the pastor and approximately a dozen men from the congregation who donated their labor at nights and on Saturdays.

Other places he pioneered churches included Erie, Pennsylvania; Hartford, Connecticut; Vineland, New Jersey; and Youngstown, Ohio. He also helped in the establishment of an Assembly of God in Salem, Ohio. Since Spong had been a professional engineer for seven years before he entered the ministry, he was able to act as a general contractor for the building at Somerville, New Jersey, as well as buildings for some of the other churches he pioneered.

Even in retirement, Spong continued ministry by helping to nurture and establish a church in Boca Raton, Florida. Moving to Florida in January 1967, he preached to a small group of people that District Superintendent J. Foy Johnson said needed a shepherd. For the next 20 months, without vacation, he fully devoted himself to get that church started. He helped the congregants write a constitution and bylaws, helped them became General Council affiliated, and also embarked on another building program.

His last effort in ministry was to establish a new ministry among senior citizens in the condominium village where he lived. He conducted weekly services and special services during the year, and he hosted an outdoor Easter sunrise service that included special music, guest speakers, and was an outreach to the community. He also helped a small church in Lakeland, Florida, called Park Assembly (later renamed Skyview Assembly of God) that needed help building a new facility. He became the overseer, and was able to help them reduce costs and complete the project that was started.

The pioneering efforts of Norman Spong were filled with faith, personal sacrifice, and godly vision. He laid a solid Pentecostal foundation with his preaching and his efforts to undergird and build up each congregation where he ministered. He not only planted churches, but also oversaw the building construction at several churches where he ministered.

Read Ruth Lyon’s article, “The Power of a Pioneer Spirit,” on pages 22-23 of the May 1, 1960, issue of the Pentecostal Evangel.

Also featured in this issue:

• “He Careth for You,” by Emil A. Balliet

• “Why Should I be a Church Member?” by C.M. Ward

And many more!

Click here to read this issue now.

Pentecostal Evangel archived editions courtesy of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center.