In October of 1945, Reverend Frederick Huber, and his wife Kathleen, met with four people to start a new church in Burlington, N.J. Two months later, Reverend Walter Fisher, with his wife Mary, came to serve as Pastor of this new work – the Burlington Assembly of God. The Fishers served faithfully until 1957.
Reverend Joseph Sutera became the second Pastor in 1957 and ministered with his wife, Dorothy, until October 1966. At that time, a traveling evangelist came to speak “for one engagement”, but God had other plans. Pastor Paul J Graban and his wife Evelyn became the new pastors to this small, struggling congregation.
The Reverend Paul J. Graban is an unusual man. At 85 he is still serving as the Senior Pastor, continuing over four decades of effective leadership. Having greatly outgrown the facilities in Burlington, under his guidance the church purchased 106 acres in the middle of the cornfields of Florence Township in 1974. Upon moving to this new location they were renamed and became the Fountain of Life Center. .
On this new campus, Life Center Academy opened in 1975 with 39 pupils. It now competes with the top prep schools in academics and sports and has a student body of approximately 350. Approximately 98% of graduating seniors pursue higher education. In addition to the school for K – 12th grades, Little Angel Preschool was established for 3 – 5 year olds.
In his dual role as Headmaster for Life Center Academy, Graban’s philosophy of helping others is evident with the programs he has implemented. In addition to a scholarship program for disadvantaged local children to be able to receive an outstanding Judeo-Christian private school education, he offers scholarships to athletes from other nations. Many of these athletes have come from refuge camps and third world countries with little hope for a future without the sports and academic opportunities available at Life Center Academy.
Another facet of Life Center Academy implemented by Headmaster Graban are mission trips to a third-world country for the graduating students each year. Instead of frolicking on the beaches of Florida, the students’ lives are changed by these humanitarian events. In these poor countries they build schools and churches, bring medical supplies, and visit orphanages, among other outreaches.
Ground was broken in 1987 for a new sanctuary, with seating for 2200. Then Governor of Missouri, John Ashcroft, was the dedication speaker upon completion in 1991. The facilities soon were used to present four major theatrical plays produced annually by the congregation. The Easter Passion Play “He Is Alive!” drew over 25,000 people last year.
Jubilee House, a maternity home for women in crisis pregnancies opened on forty nearby acres in 1999 under Graban’s leadership. The Northeast Memorial for the Unborn was erected in a dedication garden area on the church grounds.
An addiction recovery program, a food bank, prison visitations and a bus outreach to disadvantaged neighborhoods in Burlington and Mercer counties all offer a “help up” not just a “hand out” to multitudes.
Opened in 2008, a brand new state-of-the-arts sports, fitness and event center is located on the campus. The new Life Center encompasses an indoor soccer court, three basketball courts, a fitness center, exercise rooms for senior citizens, a Bistro café, meeting rooms and much more.
The Fountain of Life Center is a melting pot of people of all cultures, races, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, with a multitude of lifestyles. As their motto says, it is truly “A Spiritual Oasis” and a tribute to God’s glory where people are committed and obedient to zealously reach out to help meet the spiritual and practical needs of others.
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