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Dorthae Pentecostal Church in Corbin, Kentucky has been a "soul saving station" since 1934. We meet for services three times a week and have several other active ministries to help reach out to and bless our local community throughout the week.
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Reverend Billy Evans has been the pastor of Dorthae since 2000, following the retirement of long-time pastor, Rev. Carl Ray Felts. Pastor Evans and his wife, Trish, have two children, Nathan and Faith.
History of Dorthae Pentecostal Church
The family of A.H. (Tollie) and Emily Chadwell moved from Bush, KY to the Dorthae community when Tollie bought a 68-acre farm from Dick Martin in November of 1917. Of their nine children, only five moved with them: Martha, Nettie, Claude, Lon, and Tollie. (Their other children were Cordia, Lucy, Mossie, and Doxie.)
Martha Chadwell was 15-years-old when her family made this move. It wasn't long before God started dealing with her heart. One morning, while sick with the flu, she went to milk cows. While milking, Martha made the decision to give her life to Jesus. Even then, the call of God was pronounced on her life.
Martha met Matt Felts when she was 18-years-old and they were soon married. She walked to attend different area churches in the community and continued to seek God's will for her life. One Sunday morning, at the age of twenty-one, Martha Felts received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in her living room.
Martha, Ollie Mooneyham, and Lucy Mooneyham would meet weekly in neighborhood homes for prayer meeting. One day God spoke to Martha's heart and told her to build a church. With much prayer and fasting, a plan was put into motion.
In 1932 Matt Felts, his brother Simon, and Roy and Dewey Mooneyham (as well as other neighbors) began cutting trees for lumber for the new church. In 1934 those trees were turned into lumber. A.H. Chadwell "sold" a half-acre of land for $1 for the church to be built on and J.G. Jones, Laurel County Clerk at the time, paid the $2.25 recording fee.
Through much work and God's divine intervention, Dorthae Church was built. A pot-belly stove, kerosene lamps, and a pedal organ (belonging to Emily Chadwell) were among the first furnishings of the church. On May 17, 1934 approximately 50 people attended the first service! The amount of the first offering was $1.50.
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In 1946, brick siding was added to the building. The fist electric lights were installed in the late 1950's.
In 1970 a new building was planned that would seat approximately 250 people. The congregation moved into the new church in 1972.
The church was enlarged again in 1980 and then once again in 1989. In 2003, ground was broke to begin construction on our Family Life Center which has been open since 2005.
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