History of Manns Choice Church of God

The lovely little borough of Manns Choice, Pennsylvania is nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains near the town of Bedford. Although seemingly insignificant to the world, God is at work in Manns Choice.

As far back as 1924, there was a hunger for a Pentecostal church. God moved as Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Tiday were visiting relatives in Piedmont, Virgina when they attended a Pentecostal service. In that service, Elmer received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and would never be the same.

In the words of charter member Mary Tiday: After that night, we were no longer satisfied with our home church which did not believe in the evidence of speaking in tongues. We starting visiting other Pentecostal services anywhere and anytime we would hear about them, since there were not any in Manns Choice then. It was in Johnstown at a Pentecostal revival that I received the Baptism (of the Holy Ghost).

The hunger that brought the Church of God to Manns Choice is still evident today. There is no escaping the desire for something more that is poured into a people by men like Jacob Herline, who received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost in a prayer meeting in the Tiday home. It is was the obedience and hunger by several, including charter members Ward Herline and Mary Martin that helped birth the Manns Choice Church of God.

In August of 1928, Joe Wilson left Ohio to come to Manns Choice. Services were begun in a tent and in November the church was formally organized with 5 members in the home Bill and Saddie Scritchfield (where services were moved after the tent was burned).