Reverend L. W. Onstead

The Rev. L.W. Onstead was a Bible scholar, preacher, pastor, evangelist, and Bible teacher. Brother Onstead had an exceptional Bible teaching ministry and could make complex theological topics easy for the common man to understand ... as you will see for yourself if you listen to the audio recordings included on this website.

He was a gentle, tall, friendly man with a disarming smile, a resonate voice, and a commanding presence. He originally came from Texas. His wife was a gentle southern lady whose voice had that distinctive southern lilt that immediately identified her as being from Mississippi (if I recall correctly). They had four children all a few years older than myself: E.W. Onstead, Otis Onstead, Maxine Onstead, and Miriam Onstead. And for most of the years that I knew "Brother Onstead" he had pure white hair that was thin on top.

Brother Onstead's pastoral ministry was in his earlier years in the south central states (to the best of my current knowledge in Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas). And he devoted most of his later ministry to doctrincal Bible studies held in various churches from coast to coast. He offered a very organized, thoughtfully reasoned, and Bible focused study of the scriptures to develop the foundation for the doctrinal beliefs he held.

For may years he was a key figure in the Associated Brotherhood of Christians - a loose fellowship of Pentecostal ministers and churches whose key distinguishing doctrines are that they believe in the present day infilling of the Holy Spirit of Christian believers with the evidence of speaking in "tongues", emphasize the Oneness of the Godhead, and Spiritual Communion.

And while those particular beliefs are often associated with preachers' dogmatic focus on their differences, Brother Onstead's (often criticized) approach was a gentle attempt to enlighten those of differing beliefs while recognizing, respecting, and exhibiting Christian fellowship with all Christian believers. Above all he sought to be intellectually honest in “rightly dividing the word of truth.”

He wrote one Christian novel, Cornelius the Centurion. And I was priviledged to be allowed to read his book (a 366 page hardcover edition was published in 1978 by Carlton Press) while it was still in manuscript form in 1967. Although out of print now, a few used copies are still available for sale on the Internet including through Amazon.com and on eBay.

Many additional scattered biographical facts are noted in passing during Rev. Onstead's sermons included here on this website which may be gleaned by close listening.