THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL TEMPLE WORSHIP CENTER
Sunday, June 1, 1958, after much prayer and consideration, Bishop N. S. Heastie was moved to leave the Church of God located at 40th and Fairmount Avenue. At Bishop Heastie’s request, Reverend T. C. Cartwright and his wife, Elizabeth, gladly consented to the use of their living room for a prayer service that day. As such, their home at 3415 Wallace Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, became the official birthplace of the Pentecostal Church of God.
Many of the members from the former church joined Bishop Heastie and his wife, Thelma, along with Rev. T. C. Cartwright and his wife, that Sunday morning in prayer. The group came together again the following Tuesday night for prayer and decided the church would move to 5230 Haverford Avenue. This occurred the following Sunday, June 8, 1958, with members singing and giving thanks and praise to the Lord God.
Shortly thereafter, the church was moved upstairs to 5252 Haverford Avenue. The membership continued to grow, and the church relocated to 4100 West Girard Avenue, a driving school which was purchased and renovated into a church building. As the Pentecostal Church of God, Inc., expanded to include churches throughout Philadelphia and other States, it was determined that the headquarters church at 4100 West Girard Avenue would be named National Temple Pentecostal Church of God, over which the late Bishop Norris Stanford Heastie was the general overseer and pastor. Through guidance of the Holy Spirit, Bishop Heastie cultivated and mentored a plethora of leaders who established churches in their own communities: Bishop Willie Dukes, Bishop Clarence Carlton Cartwright, Bishop Eloise Rollerson, Pastor Vivian Robinson, Pastor Linda Jones, and Apostle Eunice Bishaw, just to name a few.
After Bishop Heastie’s death in 1990, Elder Grace Leola Crosby, the assistant pastor, was consecrated to the office of pastor. Pastor Crosby continued the work established by Bishop Heastie and worked tirelessly until her sudden death in December of 2004. Upon the passing of Pastor Crosby, her son, Bishop Howard James Crosby was consecrated to the office of pastor in February 2005. Under Bishop Crosby’s leadership, the membership raised funds and the sanctuary was renovated. In March of 2005, Bishop Crosby went into a three day shut-in at the church, and God revealed to him that he would be the bridge between the old church and the new church.
Fourteen years later in December 2018, Bishop Crosby met with Elder Tarawa Cartwright and his wife, Lady Britni Cartwright to discuss the revelation God gave him. On March 30, 2019, Elder Cartwright became the bridge between the old and new church as he was consecrated and installed as the senior pastor. The name of the church was changed to National Temple Worship Center. Over the next five years, Pastor Cartwright worked to keep the legacy of National Temple and the work of Bishop Heastie alive.
In January of 2024, Pastor Cartwright and the members were led to rename the historical National Temple to Resurgence Worship Cathedral. Keeping the faith and preaching the gospel to a new generation of believers, Resurgence Worship Center continues to inspire men and women and assist them in godly living for years to come.