Rev. William H. "Billy" Cole

At the age of nineteen, Billy married Shirley Ann Kelbaugh in Parkersburg, West Virginia, on December 22, 1953. After moving to Weirton, West Virginia, for work in the laboratory at Weirton Steel, he recognized that God was calling him to preach. They began their ministry by going door to door witnessing. Pastor Allen Cayton came to them after a Sunday morning service and asked, “Why haven’t you told me God has called you to preach?” Later, without notice, Pastor Cayton called upon Billy to preach. After his first sermon, a Catholic lady, whom the Coles had brought to church, received the Holy Ghost.

The Coles' first major effort was to open a new church in Ravenswood, West Virginia. Not a single Pentecostal resided in the whole county. They began by pitching a small tent and preaching every night for a month, resulting in sixteen adults being baptized in Jesus' name. That church is now pastored by a convert of Brother Cole’s, Reverend T. J. Johnston. There is now a wonderful congregation there, housed in a beautiful new building.

After pastoring in Ravenswood a few years, Brother and Sister Cole traveled as evangelists. A number of people received the Holy Ghost and were baptized. During this time they also witnessed several notable apostolic events. They then pastored a church in Spencer, West Virginia, with a congregation of one hundred people. The church was debt free when the Coles moved on.

The Coles were invited to Elyeria, Pennsylvania, to preach for their former pastor, Brother Cayton, who was starting a new home mission’s church. It was while they were here, they felt their call to the Thailand as missionaries.

In seven years they baptized nearly 6,000 Buddhists and witnessed a mighty outpouring of the Holy Ghost. One of their first converts, Reverend Chaiyong Wattanachant, has been superintendent of the Thailand churches for more than thirty-five years.

While in Thailand, Brother Cole suffered a stroke, which paralyzed his left arm. The Coles returned to the US. However, upon his being healed, they returned to Asia as evangelists. Thousands were baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost. When Sister Cole became sick, they returned to the US again. When her health improved, they went to Wheeling, West Virginia.The Wheeling church is now pastored by Reverend David Forsythe, an elder mentored by Brother Cole.

After leaving Wheeling, the Coles returned to evangelizing overseas. When Brother Cole’s father asked him to come home to help build a new building in Parkersburg, West Virginia, he did. When this building was finished in 1981, the Coles moved to Charleston, West Virginia, to pastor the North Charleston Apostolic Church. They have remained in Charleston for over twenty-three years. Three years ago, Brother Cole’s grandson, Reverend Anthony Moss, took over the church upon Brother Cole’s retirement.

Brother Cole preached many camp meetings and revival services, seeing many filled with the Holy Ghost. The last ten years of his ministry, he preached crusades at home and overseas. On sixteen occasions, more than 3,000 received the Holy Ghost in a single service. The Coles preached for fifty years and were just short of seeing one million people receive the Holy Ghost. They were diligent in training many young men, too numerous to mention, to carry on their ministry.

Brother Cole served on the Executive Board for two terms, and also served on the Foreign Missions Board.

He passed from this life on July 27, 2009.