Greene Kitchen

Greene Kitchen was born January 13, 1919, to Albert Franklin and Amelia Perkins Kitchen. His father named him Albert Franklin Kitchen II, but as an infant he reminded his mother so much of her brother, Greene Perkins, that she started calling her new baby “Greene.” The name stuck, and Albert Franklin Kitchen II became Greene Kitchen. (He later changed his name legally as well.)

Greene Kitchen and his fifteen siblings were raised on a farm at Dry Fork, Kentucky. Several of the Kitchen siblings were talented musicians, including young Greene, who played the fiddle. He and other siblings performed Bluegrass music and preached at churches and camp meetings throughout the region. 

The Kitchen family was introduced to the Apostolic message through Rozzella Leek Williamson, a woman who had been converted during a Jesus’ name revival in Mason County, West Virginia, in 1915. Greene Kitchen received the Holy Ghost and was baptized in Jesus’ name during a January 1936 revival. He met Rozella Williamson’s granddaughter, Minnie, during that same revival, and the two were married on December 24, 1936.

When World War II broke out, Greene Kitchen was drafted into the military, where he served as a conscientious objector. Upon returning home from the war, he took a job as a salesman.

He quickly proved his aptitude for the role and was awarded as certificate recognizing him as the “number one” Singer Sewing Machine salesman in the country. He eventually went to work as the sales manager of a company owned by his brother, a position with an annual salary of $10,000—a significant sum for the late 1940s.

But Greene Kitchen’s heart was in ministry. During this time, he also was serving as the pastor of a church in Ohio. On April 30, 1950, The Staunton Street Apostolic Church in Huntington, West Virginia, elected Brother Kitchen to be their next pastor. He was hesitant to accept because the church had a troubled history. After spending time in prayer, Brother Kitchen had a dream in which he saw a valley filled with thousands of people worshipping God. In the dream, Brother Kitchen heard a voice telling him the people represented the future of the Staunton Street church. When he awoke, he was ready to accept this new assignment, even though it meant the end of his lucrative sales career.

That same year, Brother Kitchen also became an ordained minister with the United Pentecostal Church. The UPC would be his ministry home for the rest of his life, and he would play a key role in the organization’s growth and development, particularly in the east central portion of the United States.

Staunton Street Apostolic Church had just eighteen members when Brother Kitchen was elected, but he quickly went to work to establish the church on a path of growth and revival. By 1967, the church had become one of the largest UPC congregations in the eastern United States. Much of that growth was due to Brother Kitchen’s emphasis on building a strong Sunday School program. He developed a teacher training program for the local church, and later co-authored a book titled Power in the Sunday School, the UPC’s first textbook on how to build a Sunday School program. Because of these efforts, he earned the nickname “Mr. Sunday School.” In addition, he maintained a Sunday radio program for twenty-five years and made frequent guest appearances on a local television program called “Tri-State Faith.”

Other ministers took note of Brother Kitchen’s leadership abilities and elected him to serve as the Sunday School director for the UPC’s East Central District. In 1966 he became the district secretary, and the following year he helped establish the new Virginia District. In 1972, he was elected to serve as district superintendent for the East Central District. 

As the number of churches and ministers increased, Brother Kitchen helped establish the Maryland DC District in 1973-74, and the following year he helped launch the West Virginia District, becoming the first superintendent of the latter district. He would serve in that role for nine years. In addition to his district responsibilities, Brother Kitchen also helped build churches in Ecuador, Thailand, and India.

No matter how busy he was doing Kingdom work, Brother Kitchen always made time for his family, who served alongside him in his ministry endeavors. His wife, Minnie, and the couple’s two daughters, Charlotte Ann and Sharon Kay, also were gifted musicians, and the family sang together as gospel group, traveling throughout West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. 

The Kitchens also had a son, David Lee, who was a lifelong member of Staunton Street Apostolic Church. Sharon Kitchen married Edwin Harper, who succeeded Brother Kitchen as pastor of Staunton Street Apostolic Church (now known as Apostolic Life Cathedral). Brother Kitchens passed away on April 20, 1994, leaving behind wife of fifty-seven years, three children, eight grandchildren, and a legacy of love, generosity, and godliness. He is remembered as a tremendous father, pastor, preacher, teacher, mentor, and church builder.