Who We Are – We are a diverse urban congregation brought together by God’s grace, seeking to follow Jesus.

Missional - We seek to understand what God is already doing in our congregation and in our neighborhood and find ways to participate in God's mission in this place.

History - This church began in 1954 as a bilingual congregation, holding services in both Italian and English.  Originally the church met in the home of Rev. Giardella, the founding pastor, at 1195 Bennington Street in East Boston.  In 1955  the church moved to a rented space from the Salvation Army facility on Saratoga Street.  The church affiliated with the Assemblies of God in 1957 and that same year purchased a German Lutheran church building where we continue to meet. Though we no longer have services in Italian, we continue to display an ethnic diversity. 

Pastor David Searles - I have been the pastor of Central Assembly of God since 1993.  We live around the corner from the church facility so we experience all the joys (diversity of people) and challenges of city living (finding a parking place late at night).  I enjoy reading books of every kind and currently am reading The City of Joy.  Our family is a host family for the English Language Center in Boston, which has allowed us to host students from Japan, Switzerland, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina,  Mexico, and South Korea.  I have a B.A. in Bible from Central Bible College and a M.A. in Theological Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.   My wife, Barbara works full-time as a social worker for the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center in their Elder Service Plan.  We have two children: Abby, 15, and Carolyn, 11. 

Our neighborhood - One of Boston’s twenty-one neighborhoods, East Boston is located across the Boston Harbor from the rest of the city.  A center of shipbuilding in the mid-1800’s, it has always been a neighborhood of immigrants. Today its population is made up largely of Italian-Americans and immigrants from Central and South America and Southeast Asia. That diversity is reflected in the neighborhood’s myriad of ethnic restaurants. The nation’s first branch library was built in East Boston in 1870. The housing is a mixture of old and new, including many restored triple-deckers. Logan Airport, is located here, making East Boston a gateway to people from around the world. Located across Boston Harbor, East Boston residents enjoy fantastic waterfront views of the city skyline.