FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 5, 2022
First Assembly of God Church Cedar Rapids Changes Name to Radiant Church
In 1940, Pastor Ivan and Beatrice Cramer started Full Gospel Assembly. When the church was able to build its first building on Oakland Road in 1948, they changed the names of the church to The First Assembly of God Church. For 82 years First Assembly has been an active part of the Cedar Rapids community, providing opportunities for hope, growth, and vibrant worship services. During the Derecho their current facility on Blairs Ferry Road lost a majority of its roof causing water to create $5 million worth of damage to the interior of the building. Even during the damage to the building, the people continued to serve their community and looked for ways to bring hope to their neighbors. The people knew that even though this church had a great past, they were looking forward to a bright future.
In January of 2022, while still recovering from the damage caused by the storm, the membership of the church voted overwhelmingly to legally change the name of the church to RADIANT CHURCH to better reflect the church’s values and the future direction of the church. While the name has changed, the mission and the vision has not.
“We are committed to building on our great foundation to bring hope, joy, and peace to the people of Eastern Iowa. We believe that living radiant lives is reflective of what Jesus called His followers to do,” says Dr. Brian Pingel, Lead Pastor.
“We have also expanded our ministry into Delaware County where we are starting a new church in Manchester on June 5. The name change is directly tied to the expanding mission we have to love and lead people to an authentic, life changing relationship with Jesus.”
On Easter Sunday, April 17, the church will host the official grand opening of Radiant Church as they will be back in their sanctuary which took 580 days to repair.
Date: April 17 – 9 am & 11 am
Name: Radiant Church
Location: 3233 Blairs Ferry RD NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402