Vintage Apostolic Pentacostal Ministries

Bishop Howard Arthur Swancy iwas Pastor and Founder of Peace Apostolic Church and President of Aenon School of Theology & Bible College. Prior to his work in the ministry, Swancy pursued a career in broadcast media sales and became an accomplished Account Executive for KCBS, the owned and operated local CBS station in Los Angeles. Early in his seventeen-year career at KCBS, the Lord began to tug on his heart, which led him on a path to salvation. Feeling an urgency to know God in a personal way, he began meeting with his grandmother-in-law, Willie Ann Tucker, in her Watts, California living room. Willie Ann, a devoted Christian for decades, directed Swancy to the Apostolic Faith Home Assembly in L.A’s West Adams district where the late Bishop Frank R. Bowden was the pastor. At the Home Assembly, Howard and his wife Cynthia were baptized in Name of Jesus Christ according to Acts 2:38. Two weeks later, on October 20, 1971, Howard, with Cynthia kneeling at the altar beside him, received the precious gift of the Holy Spirit with the initial sign of speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4). From then on, the pair was known as the “Holy Ghost twins” and together they vowed to always serve God and do the work of the Lord. After serving in the ministry for ten years, the Lord compelled Elder Swancy to pastor a new flock that would be saved under his leadership. On Mother’s Day of 1981, Elder Swancy first opened the doors of the Peace Apostolic Church. Since that inaugural service on May 10, 1981, supported by his wife and three young daughters, the Lord has faithfully anointed Elder Swancy to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Dubbed the “Soul Saving Salvation”, thousands have been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit over the past four decades. Elevated to Bishop in 1998, Bishop Swancy has seen God expand the reach of Peace Apostolic from its first location in his home’s living room to its current location in the South Bay community of Carson, CA. Unapologetically Apostolic, Bishop remained steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord until God called him home on January 10, 2021.

Bishop Ross P. Paddock was born on a farm in Van Buren County, Michigan on March 9, 1907 to Archie Sinclair and Edith Gertrude Paddock. He was the second of three children born to this union. Later, his family moved to Kalamazoo, County where he lived for the remainder of his life. When Ross was about seventeen years old, he met a young lady, Frances Celia Taylor. On July 8, 1924 they were married. They became the proud parents of twelve children.

Ross' earliest recollections of hearing the gospel was at a small country church located in Kalamazoo, Michigan where he went to Sunday School. His parents kept him in church whereever they attended. This gave Ross the opportunity to observe the ways of churchmen of various groups. He acquired a hunger for God at the age of thirteen, but the church had nothing to offer him, so he drifted from that early resolve, and afterwards became very critical of the methodoligy of Christianity.

At the age of eighteen, Ross became so disgusted with hypocrisy in the church that he vowed he would never again go to any church. For three years he kept to that promise, but then he found himself one night in a small store-front mission on Parsdons Street in Kalamazoo. Bishop A. William lewis was the Evangelist for the meeting. Ross listened as Bishop Lewis described his sinful condition, and made him to feel that his feet were placed under the wrong table. The devil's table. He was convicted! but became so angry that he wanted to choke Bishop Lewis.

Once again he vowed never again to attend church. However, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, so, through some unusual circumstances, about five months later, Ross ws led into a small country mission a few miles out of town. After attending services there for about two months his resistance was completely gone. The gospel hook had been set, and all that remained was to reel in the fish. On January 1, 1929, Ross P. Paddock was baptized in Jesus' Name at a little church located in Battle Creek, Michigan. They had to break the ice in order to baptize him. About thirty-six days later, on February 5, 1929, he received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and immediately began to tell the good news to everyone he came in contact with. From that time on, his interest, and love for the Scriptures were very great.

In a matter of days his entire family was saved. His wife, mother, father, sister, and brother with their companions were among his first converts. From the outset of his receiving the holy Ghost, Ross spent many nights studying his Bible. Five months later he conducted his first service. Two were baptized that night, and one received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. From that night on, novice though he was, he kept endeavoring to preach the gospel.

After becoming the pastor of Blessed Promise Assembly, Elder Paddock became a member of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. In September of 1938, he applied for credentials with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. In August, 1952 he was elevated to the office of Bishop, and was assigned the following year to the Mountain State Council as its Diocesan. At the Convention held in August, 1953 Bishop Paddock was elected Assistant Presiding Bishop of the PAW, which position he held for fourteen years. He was appointed Diocesan Bishop over the State of Michigan in 1962, and remained in that position until August, 1988.

In 1967, he was destined to move even higher. Following the passing of Bishop Samuel Grimes, Bishop Paddock was elected Presiding Bishop to fill the unexpired term. He was elected to two full terms, in 1968, and again in 1971, as Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. Bishop Paddock's last message to the church when he retired as pastor on June 4, 1972 was like that of the apostle Paul, "I have held back nothing profitable unto you". His last message preached to Christ Temple was on July 15, 1990. His subject was taken from the book of Revelation, "I am afraid". 

God called this great warrior home, Monday, September 17, 1990, with his wife, and children at his side

Bishop Frank Reuben Bowdan was born March 16, 1910 in the city of Los Angeles, California. He was one of four sons born to Maggie and William S. Bowdan. Schooled in Los Angeles, he graduated in 1928 from Roosevelt High School, and was afterwards tutored for four years by the late Bishop G.T. Haywood, and the late Elder R.F. Tobin. Frank studied New Testament Greek under Professor, Albert Scott of the Flint Junior College, in Flint, Michigan.

At the age of ten, young Frank Bowdan was marvelously filled with the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. On September 27, 1920 he was baptized in water for the remission of sins according to Acts 2:38 by Elder Frank J. Ewart at Belvedere Gospel Tabernacle on east 1st Street in Los Angeles.

At the age of eleven, Frank and his brother Melvin were singing the familiar hymn, "Sweet Beulah Land," when he had a vision of Christ, and was called to the ministry. He acknowledged his call to preach by proclaiming, "I'm going out in the ministry work!" On June 30, 1934 Elder Bowdan was joined in matrimony to Viola Bernice Horner of Indianapolis, Indiana. To this union were born one son, and four daughters. In 1966 their only son, Frank Jr., was called from labor to reward at  the age of twenty-four. 

The first revival conducted by Elder Bowdan was in a tent in Pasadena, California when he was eleven years old. He was ordained in 1931, by the Board of Bishops of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World at Great Bethlehem Temple, in Detroit, Michigan. He scored 98% on his ordination test. His first pastorate was at the Glad Tidings Mission, Morgan Park, Chicago, Illinois, where he served for sixteen months. In 1936 he accepted the pastorate of Bethlehem Temple Church of Flint, Michigan, where he remained for fifteen years. In 1951, he was called to pastor the Apostolic Faith Home Assembly in Los Angeles, where as a child he had been on of its charter members.

From 1947 to 1962 he served as Assistant General Secretary of the PAW. In 1959, he was elevated to Suffragan Bishop. He became a full Bishop in 1962. In 1964, he was appointed diocesan of the 16th Episcopal District over California and Nevada. 

In 1958, a West Coast Branch of Aenon Bible College was established, with the Home Assembly Church as its headquarters. In 1972, the college expanded, with Bishop Bowdan as its President, and a full schedule of Bible College activity. He was conferred the Honorary Doctor of Divinity by Aenon Bible College, Columbus, Ohio, as well as the Doctor of Sacred Letters Degree by the Fundamental Bible Seminary of Oklahoma. He was listed in "Who's Who" in religion, and accomplished scores of achievements too numerous to recount.

In 1976, after returning from the General Convention of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in Chicago, Illinois, Bishop Bowdan spent four weeks in the hospital. Despite open heart surgery performed by a team of surgeons in an attempt to prolong his life, it was the will of God that he should rest from his labors. Peacefully, he slipped away on a quiet Wednesday afternoon on September 22, 1976.