The church had its beginning in the Christmas break period of 1957. Albert L. Friend Sr. knew he would graduate from the Apostolic Bible Institute in 1958 and was asking God where to go. The following is in his own words.

I was sitting at my kitchen table at 464 Pierce St. in St. Paul. Minnesota and I was looking at a map of the

United States. The first city I looked at impressed me that it needed a church. My eyes drifted to the city next to it and it also needed a church. From there my eyes saw the next city and the next city and the next city. All needed a church.It was then I spoke to God and said, “I can’t be everywhere. Where do you want me? I then saw the city of Hamilton, Ohio and God said “There is where I want you.” Six months later I graduated from ABI with an assurance of where I was going.

During the summer of 1958 we looked over the city of Hamilton for a building to start in. We found one at 401 North “E” Street. It had been a printing press company with the printing presses still in it. We rented for $75.00 per month.

 It was not a large building but it was a start. We furnished it with metal folding chairs and a home made wood pulpit desk. We ran an ad in the Hamilton Journal and on October 12, 1958 we had our first service. Some of the services were just my family. Knowing this was normal we stayed faithful.

 The church grew and in 1963 we moved to a building that was given to us located at 320 Heaton Street. In this building our record attendance was 300. We stayed over 250 for some time.

 Then we bought property on the west side of town at 1590 Hamilton Richmond Road. Here built a new octagon shaped building. The contractor that I let out the building to went swimming and drowned. I prayed and then became the general contractor myself.

 What I didn’t know how to do God led me to good men who willingly helped me. We broke ground in the spring of 1974 and moved in August 1, 1976. The sanctuary was finished but it took another year to finish the basement area. The basement area has a full kitchen, men and women bathrooms, all walls, ceiling and floors covered. This area is 40 feet by 96 feet.

 We started with the name “The Apostolic Church” Where Christ is King.

When we moved to 1590 Hamilton Richmond Road we changed the name to Hamilton West Bible Center.

Later we changed the name to our present name “Abundant Life Ministries”.

I resigned as pastor of the church in 2001.

Clark Baker became the pastor.

The Church went through another name change to its current name, Abundant Life Apostolic.  The Sunday School program has been changed to a Super church format that has added alot of excitement to the Sunday morning experience.

Come see a small congregation that has a big heart.