Prior to coming to Raleigh, Pastor Huntley attended Texas Bible College for 3 years, where he married Patsy Landtroop. He evangelized for seven years over the United States before becoming an assistant to Bro. O.R. Fauss at Bethel Tabernacle in Houston, TX. Bro. Huntley, a native North Carolinian, dreamed of establishing and growing a church back home that was equal to the size of large churches in Texas & Louisiana that he had seen and preached in.

Bro. Huntley was invited to preach a revival in a neighboring city in December 1977, and the dream began to grow. Before too long, Bro. Huntley preached in Raleigh, and was voted in by unanimous decision of the five members of the church. The Huntleys moved to Raleigh in early 1978 in their 22-foot travel trailer, and lived in it for about seven months beside the church building.

On January 8, 1978, Pastor Huntley preached his first message in Raleigh, titled “The Son is Rising in Raleigh.” There were 15 people in attendance on that first Sunday. The church saw near immediate results – the second Sunday, three people received the Holy Ghost and were baptized in Jesus Name.

The church set a goal to reach 100 in attendance on a Sunday morning within six months. On that record-breaking Sunday the head count was 99. The ushers ran out and found a man at the gas station across the street. Service was not dismissed until the goal was reached.