
In 2014, Pastor Garcia was presented with the "Innovator of Social Services" award selected by the Daily Journal. The Daily Journal newspaper also awarded him as "Citizen of the Year" in 2011. In 2011, he was awarded the "Volunteer of the year for Kankakee County" from the Community Foundation and received the 2011 President's Award from the Kankakee Chapter of the NAACP. And recently on October 13 he was the recipient of the KANAKEE COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY JIM ROWE 2022 EL HUMANITARIO (The Humanitarian) AWARD. Currently he serves on many community Boards. Although Pastor Garcia has received these awards, his greatest accomplishment is being pastor of Pentecostal Community Church, a church that loves to reach into the community to help people.
(Left) Easter Service 2016, Brooklyn wanting to take a picture with Pastor Garcia (below) Pastor Larry and his wife Kristi

About our Pastor Lawrence Garcia
Pastor Lawrence Garcia is a licensed minister with the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). The Lord called him out from the professional business field. Prior to submitting himself to God's will for his life he had a very successful career working for Rockwell International on the U.S. Air Force B-1 Bomber plane and also with Northrop Corporation on the U.S. Air Force B-2 Stealth Bomber. His position with both of these companies was an Internal Auditor of property. His professional career lead him to work for HUD Public Housing as Executive Director and also Technical Services and also for a Public Water Utility company as an Operation/Project Manager.
It was when Pastor Garcia was in the height of his career that God called him back to Indiana. It was there that he started his ministry under Pastor Terry Cox. During that time he met his future wife Kristi Eilders. They were married while attending the First United Pentecostal Church of Portage Indiana, pastored by Rev. James Feilder. Pastor Garcia became involved in youth ministry which was the beginning of what God had planned for him. He became Sectional Youth Leader and also Director of Promotions for the Illinois District United Pentecostal Church Youth Ministries. After being involved in youth ministries for 8 years the Lord led him to be an assistant Pastor of the Wilmington Illinois, Apostolic Church. God led him to Coal City Illinois, where he was voted in as Sr. Pastor. From Coal City the Lord opened another door to start a daughter work in downtown Kankakee Illinois where he now pastors full time. The church has been in Kankakee since April 2008. Pastor Garcia serves on several boards including, Presence Health St. Mary's Hospital Community Leadership Board, Habitat for Humanity, and the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce ...he is the past president of the Kankakee County Hispanic Partnership.
Although all of his grandparents and his parents have all gone to be with the Lord, Pastor Lawrence Garcia continues to carry the banner of the Apostolic message in teaching and preaching this message to people in the Kankakee area and wherever he goes.
Rev. Torres visiting the college (ABI) that he graduated from in St. Paul Minn.
Pastor Larry Garcia's Grandfather...
Pastor Guadalupe Garcia building a church and dedication service in Ford Heights, Illinois
Pastor Guadalupe Garcia gave his life to the Lord and under Pastor Torres became a Pastor in the south side of Chicago.
PASTOR Larry GARCIA'S PARENTS...
Pastor James Garcia and Rachel Garcia ministry
Pastor Garcia’s parents, Santiago and Rachel Garcia met as teenagers and were married. The Lord called his parents to start and Pastor churches throughout the Midwest. It was in Indiana with Pastor Frank and Ruth Munsey where Santiago stayed and raised his young family. While at Evangelistic Temple Santiago pastored the Spanish work under Rev. Frank Munsey's leadership. When his parents retired from the ministry they attended the United Pentecostal Church of Harvey Illinois with Pastor Terry Cox and both have since gone to be with the Lord.
(Below) Pastor James Garcia baptizing a young lady and to the bottom right he is behind the pulpit leading service somewhere in Chicago.
About Our Pastor's Wife Kristi Garcia
Kristi is a first grade teacher. She received her Bachelor's degree from Olivet Nazarene University and has a Master's degree in Education and Leadership from St. Xavier University. She taught ESL at the local community college. She currently is the Director of Music at Pentecostal Community Church. Kristi was raised in the Apostolic faith, her father Richard Eilders was a preacher and on her mother's side, Jan Eilders, many family members pioneered the beginning works of the Acts 2:38 message in Wisconsin. She comes from a rich Pentecostal heritage, and owes much of this to her grandmothers and parents who raised her faithfully in church. She served as the Ladies Auxiliary President for the Illinois Section 10 District for almost 8 years. Kristi loves and enjoys doing the work of the Lord with her husband, she has been a contributing force in helping establish the church. She has written several Christian novels but has not yet published them. While in college, she had one of her research papers published.