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All Saints Apostolic Ministries is a small and lively church on the outskirts of Richmond. All Saints is considered an Apostolic church and therefore is located within the Pentecostal tradition. Apostolic Pentecostals believe, teach and receive all that transpired on the birthday of the original Pentecost church in 33 A.D. In the Apostolic tradition believers identify with the notion of “new birth” or “Pentecostal” experience. Apostolic Pentecostals teach their congregation that individual lives are transformed through faith in Jesus, water baptism must be in Jesus name, every believer should receive the Holy Spirit (evidenced through speaking in tongues), and that Jesus will return to raise his people from the dead. Normal services of the church run on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. On Sunday the church offers both morning and evening service. The morning service is tailored for a general congregation and the public while the evening service is geared toward specific ministries of the church for its members. The church offers a Bible study session and an intercessory prayer and orientation for new members on weekday afternoons. Missions within the church include men’s, women’s, and youth ministries, and these ministries are used to strengthen bonds within these groups. The church is affiliated with the Association of Christian Schools International, Virginia Council for Private Education, and ABEKA to provide a school for parents interested in enrolling their children in a school that follows the church’s teachings. ABEKA is a text book and DVD curriculum that has been used by home-schooling parents and institutions for over fifty years. It is considered one of the best religious-centered curricula by in-home school and private schooling communities. Classes are taught in a traditional classroom setting by certified instructors of the church . The church has the personnel and size to accommodate up to 175 students and has a strict policy of no discriminating on the basis of race, color, sex or creed. The school accepts students from ages six weeks to two and one half years in the pre-school section and children who fall between grades K and third grade in the main schooling area. The church has made plans to expand to include higher grade levels.
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All Saints Apostolic Ministries was originally formed in 1949 in a small rented store located in the downtown Richmond area. Starting with only eight in the congregation, the small church remained in the location until a new location was found outside the downtown area. The church began to grow and eventually was able to build a church in late 1999. The congregation settled into its now permanent home on Royal Avenue in early 2001. The church decided to also support educational services for the community. Shortly after construction ended on the main areas of the church, construction began on an educational wing. After its move, the church decided to rename itself from All Saints Pentecostal to All Saints Apostolic. To the church this appeared to increase numbers of followers exponentially, which has now increased to 127. The congregation is predominantly African American. 