Francis and Carol Jensen

My parents, the Reverends Francis and Carol Jensen were both born in the state of Minnesota in 1905. Dad went to church as a boy and had an experience of salvation when he was 13. Even then he had a desire to be a witness for Christ and told classmates about Jesus. Unfortunately he had been told, once you’re saved you’re always saved. When he finished high school he began attending a Bible college but he had lost his “first love."

It was at this college Mother and Dad met. My mother was raised in a warm nurturing home but didn’t understand what it meant to be saved. In fact she brought her dancing shoes along to Bible college. A fellow student at the college told them about speaking in tongues. Although they knew little about sanctification or the baptism of the Holy Ghost they prayed and spoke in some kind of tongue. The Bible college expelled them after this took place. My dad said later he had been in a strong delusion. The year was 1929.

After deciding to be married my parents asked a nearby pastor to marry them. When the pastor didn’t arrive at the appointed time my dad took matters into his own hands and declared he and my mother to be married “before God.” It was in this condition they started their ministry. Even though their hearts were not right they wanted to spread the Gospel. God saw their desire and began to work in their lives. They went to Minneapolis as a married couple, and attended my grandmother Jensen’s church. That church was the Apostolic Faith Church where my grandmother had been sanctified and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The pastor there agreed to have Dad preach after Dad told him he had been baptized with the Holy Ghost. That night while in the guest room of the parsonage my parents had a “knock down drag-out fight.” The pastor was outraged and told them, “not only do you not have the baptism, you’re not saved.” My folks humbled themselves and were saved, sanctified, and received a true infilling of the Holy Ghost. They also were legitimately married.

They were not ashamed of the Gospel and boldly proclaimed the name of Jesus.

In 1939 my parents started a church in Tehachapi, California. It was in this church my two older sisters and I were raised and saved. After almost 9 years we could afford a trip to Portland for camp meeting. While at camp meeting my parents met with Brother Ray Crawford to discuss a merger with the Apostolic Faith Church. Bro. Ray and several other ministers said they felt a “unity of spirit” with my folks, and since they believed the whole Bible, saw no reason they should not be in fellowship. Both my dad and my mother were ordained as Apostolic Faith ministers, and their “Full Gospel Church” became an “Apostolic Faith Church.”

In 1952 an earthquake destroyed the church building in Tehachapi, but a new church was built by the saints from Los Angeles, Tehachapi, Portland, and other branch churches under the direction of Brother Loyce Carver who was pastor of the church in Los Angeles at this time. On April 24,1954 the new church was dedicated. For the next 35 years my parents continued to lay down their lives for the Gospel. They answered phone calls for prayer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They would often lay the phone on the little phone table and pray over the line until God answered. Everywhere they went they gave out tracts and “Light of Hope” papers to anyone who would take one. They were not ashamed of the Gospel and boldly proclaimed the name of Jesus.

For 15 years they took missionary trips to Mexico, all the while pastoring the church in Tehachapi. Prayer and fasting were followed by answers to prayer. All the glory was given to God. They longed to see Jesus, “obtained a good report through faith,” and went on to their reward.

This testimony of the Jensens was written by their son, Sam.