Mission Statement
Building our city from the inside out—loving God, lifting people, living Spirit-filled.
At Greater Pentecostal Temple, our mission is to build our city from the inside out by demonstrating God’s love through friendship, worship, discipleship, fellowship, and leadership. In worship, we seek and respond to His presence with adoration, praise, and thanksgiving, centering every gathering on the preaching and teaching of the Gospel—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—which awakens our conscience to God’s holiness, nourishes our souls with His truth, and opens our hearts to His matchless grace. Compelled by this Gospel, we call sinners to repentance, encourage the downtrodden, strengthen believers, visit the sick and incarcerated, uphold the highest standards of Christian character, and urge all believers to pursue a Spirit-filled life. Through our ministries and auxiliaries, we nurture the Christian lives of our members and work to meet the spiritual and practical needs of our community.
Statement of Faith (Doctrine)
Scripture
We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God—written by holy men of old as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost).
God
We believe there is one God, eternal and infinite in power; holy in nature, attributes, and purpose; omniscient and omnipresent.
God’s Self-Revelation
We believe He has revealed Himself as Father in creation, Son in redemption, and Holy Spirit in His abiding, comforting presence with all who trust Him.
Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine—God manifest in the flesh, the eternal Father made visible.
Salvation & The New Birth
We believe the New Birth (“being born again”) includes genuine repentance, water baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost), evidenced by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. This is the biblical pattern (Acts 2:38).
The first service was held in 1937 on a Wednesday evening in the home of Versie and Lula Hornbeak. During that inaugural gathering, many received the Holy Ghost as Elder Roach, a minister from New Jersey, taught the Apostolic Pentecostal doctrine of water baptism in the name of Jesus.
It was at this service that Lula I. Hornbeak discerned her call to the pastorate. In the spring of 1938, the church moved to 248 N. Mill Street, where it remained until the growing congregation outgrew the converted house.
On May 11, 1952, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at 864 Splitlog Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The new building—seating approximately 300—was dedicated in May 1955.
In 1976, Pastor Hornbeak appointed Elder Marvin E. Donaldson as Co-Pastor. After 41 years of faithful service, Pastor Hornbeak transitioned to her eternal rest in June 1978. The following month, Elder Donaldson was chosen to lead the church and was officially installed on November 5, 1978, as pastor of what was then known as The Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ.
The church was incorporated in the State of Kansas on February 1, 1982, establishing stronger administrative foundations. Ministries, programs, and classes—such as the New Members Spiritual Growth &
Development course—were added, and a bus ministry helped serve the
Our History
expanding membership. In June 1984, Elder Donaldson was elevated to District Elder in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. (PAW).
With vision for continued growth, the congregation broke ground at the current site on the second Sunday in May 1983. Members worked together to fund the first phase of construction. Ongoing growth led to a second phase, completed in 1993, resulting in today’s sanctuary, which seats 1,800. In 1999, the church opened a new Children’s Church on the lower level for ages 3–10, followed by a nursery in 2001 for children two years and under.
Today, Greater Pentecostal Temple is “Taking the City!”—revitalizing our neighborhood and impacting the broader community through worship, discipleship, and service.
The Late Pastor Lula Hornbeck
Founder of Greater Pentecostal Temple
Leadership Team
Pastor Clarence Johnson, III, is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up as a lifelong member of the NWDC( now HACC). Upon graduating from Southwest High Pastor Johnson attended the University of Missouri, Columbia for two years. Growing up in the home of a pastor Elder Johnson felt the need to finish secondary education back at home. In the meanwhile he helped build the young striving ministry he had grown up being a part of. Furthermore, assisting the Late ClarenceJohnson, II, and his mom, Betty A. Johnson.
Once Elder Johnson returned to Kansas City he finished undergraduate studies and seminary training at MidAmerica Nazarene University, Olathe Kansas with a bachelor’s in Systematic Theology with a minor in Christian Counseling.
Pastor Johnson is also a gifted musician, singer and songwriter. Growing up in church you could find young Clarence on drums or with a microphone worshiping God through song.
Elder Johnson has also served as the teen director of the NwDCYPU, Vice President and President. In 2004 Elder Johnson co-produced a live recording with the youth choir alongside Dist. Elder Christopher Collier. Pastor Johnson has also been blessed to travel the length and breath of this Country and abroad as an evangelist.
Elder Johnson was a vital piece to the success of Jesus Chapel (Cameron, Missouri) and Life Tabernacle (Kansas City, Missouri). Following the unexpected transition of Pastor Clarence Johnson, II, Elder Johnson was elected as lead pastor of Life Tabernacle Church in December of 2009.
Alongside his dynamic preaching and teaching, Pastor Johnson exemplifies a loving, kind, and caring spirit as a husband and father. In May 2011, Elder Johnson joyfully wed his beloved, DeLena Johnson, and they have been blessed with five children: Payton Camille Johnson, Clarence Johnson IV, Mason Johnson, Autumn Brooks Johnson, and Carver Wayne Avery Johnson.
After ten successful years as senior pastor of Life Tabernacle Church the Lord called Elder Johnson back to full time evangelistic ministry. After following the voice of God Elder Johnson felt he and his family needed a spiritual covering during that particular season. In result, the Johnson family was led to join PCAF of Leavenworth in April of 2018.
After serving faithfully for just shy of three years Elder Clarence Johnson and Lady DeLena Johnson were appointed as the 6th incoming senior pastor and elect lady of the Historic PCAF of Leavenworth, Kansas January 17, 2021 by the hand of Bishop Kenneth Neal and the executive board at large.
Many souls were added and the Kingdom was again advanced under the leadership of Pastor Johnson.
As The Lord would have it Pastor Johnson had another transition to make in fulfilling ultimate purpose. This God move was made publicly by the hand and oversight of the
Honorable Bishop Marvin E. Donaldson and The Greater Pentecostal Temple family.
Sunday October 8, 2023, Bishop Donaldson announced his retirement and that Pastor-Elect Clarence & Lady DeLena would serve as his choice of succession. Thorough prayer, seeking the Lord and wise council Bishop Donaldson made his selection.
Pastor Clarence Johnson, III
First Lady De Lena Johnson
Lady DeLena Charnell (Dunlap) Johnson—affectionately known as “Lady Dee”—was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, the eldest of eight siblings (“The Great 8”). Reared as a “pew baby,” she was baptized in Jesus’ Name and received the Holy Ghost at a young age at Greater Christ Temple Church (Nashville, TN) under the leadership of Bishop Sherman Merritt, Sr.
A graduate of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Lady DeLena earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work and is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). For more than 15 years she has served in education and the mental-health field, equipping individuals and families with practical tools for emotional wellness.
An entrepreneur and advocate, on April 29, 2021 she launched Wounded Humans Overcoming Obstacles—
WHOO Cares—in honor of her late youngest brother, Isaiah Dunlap, Sr. Through training, workshops, and seminars, WHOO Cares promotes healthy social and emotional living across all ages, helping communities build the skills necessary for balanced, spiritually grounded lives.
In 2009, Lady DeLena met the love of her life, Clarence Johnson III; they were married in May 2011. She relocated to Kansas City, Missouri—the Show-Me State—to serve alongside her husband at Life Tabernacle Pentecostal Church (LTPC). Among her many roles, she especially cherishes mentoring young women through “Life Girls Rock.” As First Lady, she has organized annual women’s conferences designed to bridge generations and to empower, heal, and encourage women from every background.
Outside of ministry, her greatest joy is motherhood. She treasures car-ride conversations, family devotions, birthday traditions, and the countless everyday moments that build confidence and character. Her heart for home is simple: keep Christ at the center, nurture curiosity, and celebrate each child’s unique gifts.
Lady DeLena is a faithful member of the Heart of America Council of Churches (HACC). She has served as Secretary of the HACC Ministers’ Wives and Ministers’ Widows Auxiliary and now serves as its newly elected President. She was honored to labor with Pastor Johnson as the sixth in succession at the Historic Pentecostal Church of the Apostolic Faith, Inc.
In this present season, God has elevated Pastor Johnson and Lady DeLena to serve as leaders of Greater Pentecostal Temple. With humility and devotion, Lady DeLena continues her calling to build whole people, strong families, and thriving communities—spiritually and emotionally.
Bishop Marvin E. Donaldson, Pastor Emeritus
Bishop Marvin E. Donaldson, Pastor Emeritus of Greater Pentecostal Temple in Kansas City, Kansas, is widely recognized as a visionary pastor, community leader, preacher, teacher, and educator. Celebrated among the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World’s dynamic ministers, he has coupled spiritual leadership with a lifelong commitment to economic development and equitable urban policy throughout the greater Kansas City area.
For more than four decades, Bishop Donaldson has been a trailblazer in the faith community. Under his leadership, Greater Pentecostal Temple experienced sustained growth—expanding from an initial membership of 45 to more than 2,500 congregants. Guided by prayerful vision, he oversaw the construction and expansion of a worship edifice now valued at more than $3 million. In 1993, the church broke ground to enlarge its existing structure—literally removing walls to make room for the “masses”—and today the campus in the heart of Kansas City, Kansas, stands as a beacon of beauty, quality, and hope.
Bishop Donaldson accepted Christ more than 57 years ago while attending ElBethel Pentecostal Church under the pastorate of the late Bishop W. H. Davis in Springfield, Ohio. His family later relocated to East Chicago, Indiana, where he completed his primary and secondary education before studying at the University of Indiana and Moody Bible Institute. In 1969, while at Morgan Park Assembly in Chicago, Illinois, under the leadership of the late District Elder Herbert C. Moore, he acknowledged the call to preach the Gospel. After serving faithfully in a range of church and district capacities, he stepped out in faith as a full-time National Evangelist, traveling the country to proclaim the Word of God.
In May 1976, the late Pastor L. I. Hornbeak invited him to serve as Co-Pastor. In September 1978, he was chosen to succeed her as Pastor of Greater Pentecostal Temple, relocating to Kansas City, Kansas; his installation was held on November 5, 1978. From the outset, Bishop Donaldson’s ministry extended beyond the sanctuary. He championed
programs that addressed both spiritual and practical needs, including the Outreach Ministry (with a robust Prison Ministry), the Christian Fellowship for Recovering Alcoholics and Addicts, and the Lady Donna Memorial Health Screening Center.
His civic service is extensive. Bishop Donaldson is a three-time honoree among the “100 Most Influential African-Americans” in the Greater Kansas City area by the Kansas City Globe. He served on the Hepatitis B Task Force (sponsored by the Honorable Mayor Carol Marinovich-Johnson and the Honorable Mayor Emmanuel Cleaver), was a member of the Kansas City, Kansas Planning Commission, Special Advisor to the President of Donnelly College and a former member of its Board of Trustees, a member of the Executive Board of the Black Health Care Coalition, past-President and Board member of the Substance Abuse Center of Eastern Kansas, a member of President Clinton’s Empowerment Zone Commission, and a Board member of Derrick Thomas’ Third and Long Foundation.
Bishop Donaldson is the proud father of three children: Sherry Dowden, Stephany Dungey, and Marvin Donaldson.
The Greater Pentecostal Temple continues to be inspired by the legacy of its anointed leader. In October 2023, Bishop Donaldson retired and, under the unction of the Holy Spirit, passed the pastoral mantle to Elder Clarence Johnson, III