Elder Wendell A. Beets is a native of Thornton, Arkansas, born to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Beets. He is a veteran who served his country in the United States Air Force. He also attended COE College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Elder Wendell Anthony Beets was united in holy matrimony to Ms. Lenora Carpenter on October 22, 1975 in Louise, Mississippi. From this union were born three children: Tamara Lynette, Patrick Anthony, and Erika Navette. In 1994, the Lord blessed the Beets family with the precious gift of Eric Gibson.
Elder Beets accepted Christ and his call to the ministry under the leadership of our Present Jurisdictional Presiding Prelate, The Honorable Bishop Hurley Bassett Sr. he was subsequently ordained in the Church of God in Christ, Inc., and founded Sound Doctrine Church of God in Christ in October of 1977. Elder Beets pastored Sound Doctrine COGIC for fifteen years before resigning in 1992. After his resignation, he notified Bishop Hurley Bassett Sr. that he was recommending his Assistant Pastor, Elder Joseph A. Pledge to become the new Pastor of Sound Doctrine COGIC. Elder Pledge was appointed pastor, and later changed the name of the church to New Life Church of God in Christ which is presently located at 1328 K. Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Elder Beets evangelizd until a small bible study group began to meet in his home in 1992. From this group Word of Faith Pentecostal Church of God in Christ was founded. Supt. Richard L. Daye was appointed the first pastor by the Honorable Bishop Hurley Bassett Sr., Presiding Prelate of the Iowa Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. After one year of pastoralship, Supt. R.L. Daye recommended that Elder Wendell A. Beets become the Pastor. Pastor Beets’ greatest desire was to build the new modified architectural design of the future Word of Faith Pentecostal COGIC Worship Center.
Pastor Beets’ vision to build the people of God a new worship center has come to pass. In the spring of 2004, God blessed Word of Faith Pentecostal COGIC to complete the remodeling of its present facility, which is located at 2325 16th Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Elder Beets continues to excel in ministry and God has allowed him to find favor in the sight of men. Elder Beets served and continues to serve the church fervently in many capacities such as: Assistant Supt. Of the WD Smith District COGIC, YPWW Youth Dept. President of the WD Smith District, President of the WD Smith District AIM Convention of the Depts of Evangelism, Home & Foreign Missions, Music, Sunday School, and Youth. Pastor Beets is also a United States’ Chaplain’s Association member. He has completed advanced ministry courses such as Growing Through Bible Study, Good News About Jesus, The Way in Marriage, and Roman’s Bible Study Courses Series.
God has so blessed the Word of Faith Pentecostal Church under the influence of Pastor & Missionary Beets. They continue to endeavor to serve the Lord’s church, His people and to fulfill the vision that the Lord has given them.
“It has always been my desire to never turn the people of God to myself but to always teach them to walk, trust, and depend on God. I have observed many ministries that have turned the people to themselves and not to God. In the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’” – Pastor Wendell A. Beets
