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Pastor T. A. LaFave was born May 13, 1955 in St. Paul, Minn.  His father Eugene and mother Billie Margorie Guinn met and were married while attending ABI in St. Paul.When pastor was twelve, his family moved to upstate NY to pioneer a church. Pastor LaFave met his wife, Kathryn Countaway, while attending S. R. Hanby's church in Rensselaer, NY. They were married on August 17, 1974. Pastor LaFave received his call to preach in his teen years, and preached on the street, in missions and in churches when called upon. He received his local license at the age of 20. After a brief tour as an evangelist, assistant pastor and Christian school administrator, pastor LaFave felt a call to pioneer a work in Troy, NY. Free Spirit Fellowship was started in August 1981, and quickly grew. Property was purchased in 1983; the old Melrose Grange hall was converted into a sanctuary and home for the fledgling congregation. In 1985 the LaFave's started a second church, Calvary Apostolic Church in Corinth, NY, which later was renamed Gateway. After pastoring both churches for five years, Pastor LaFave turned the Corinth church over to another pastor. In 1997 on property that had been donated by a member of the church, a new sanctuary was built for Free Spirit Fellowship. The new church building was completed in 2000, and dedication services were presided over by New York District Superintendent David A. Robinson and General Superintendent N. A. Urshan. We are thankful that we were able to pay off the mortgage in February 2009. Today Free Spirit Fellowship is located on a beautiful property, surrounded by it's own park with a pond, camping sites and ball field, with plenty of room for growth. We are thankful to God, who has always faithfully supplied all our needs!