Westminster Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles) facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Westminster Presbyterian Church
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, CA
34°1′31.04″N 118°19′11.27″W / 34.0252889°N 118.3197972°W / 34.0252889; -118.3197972
Location	2230 West Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018
Country	United States
Denomination	Presbyterian Church (USA)
Website	https://www.wpcofla.org/
History
Founded	October 9, 1904
Architecture
Architect(s)	Scott Quentin (Alhambra, CA)
Style	Romanesque
Years built	1931

Westminster Presbyterian Church is a historic church in the Jefferson Park area of Los Angeles, California. It belongs to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The church started in 1904. It is one of the oldest African American Presbyterian churches in California and west of the Mississippi River.

Church History
Pastoral Leaders
A Historic Building
See also

Church History

In the early 1900s, eighteen African Americans met for Sunday services. They met at Central Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. This group asked the Los Angeles Presbytery to help them form their own church. On October 21, 1904, they officially became Westminster Presbyterian Church. Rev. Enos P. Baker was their first minister.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper wrote about the church's first building. It was located at West 35th Place and Denker Avenue. The church paid $3,300 for the property in full. In 1908, Dr. Hugh K. Walker gave the dedication sermon. The newspaper said it was likely the "only colored Presbyterian church on this coast." They believed it would become a strong church. The Los Angeles Herald also reported on the church. It said Westminster was doing special work for the 1,500 African Americans in Los Angeles.

Early Leaders and Growth

Rev. R. W. Holman became the church's first official pastor on May 17, 1908. He came from South Carolina. He was the first African American pastor for a Presbyterian church on the Pacific coast. Later that year, Rev. Holman helped organize a fundraiser. It was for a youth center at the YWCA. Mrs. Lucy Stanton, the first Black woman to graduate from a four-year college, also spoke.

By 1909, the church had forty members. The church's house for the pastor was at 3232 Denker Street.

Rev. Hampton B. Hawes, Sr.

In 1912, Rev. Hampton B. Hawes became the new pastor. He took over after Rev. Holman retired. Rev. Hawes was a graduate of Fisk University and Lincoln University Theological Seminary. Two years later, he married Gertrude Holman, Rev. Holman's daughter. She was also the church pianist. In 1937, Rev. Hawes was chosen as Moderator of the Los Angeles Presbytery. This was a big meeting with 325 ministers.

The church grew a lot in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Rev. Hawes wanted to build a recreation center for young people. In 1941, the church had 19 Bible school classrooms. They also had two Sunday services. The Westminster Presbyterian Choir had 40 members. In 1944, Rev. Hawes was chosen as Moderator of the California Synod.

Westminster started a Boy Scout Troop in 1947. In 1957, Golden State Mutual Insurance gave free tickets to the Scout Troop 205. They went to a high school football game at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

In 1948, the Los Angeles Times reported that Westminster Presbyterian Church bought a new building. They paid $125,000 for the property at 2230 West Jefferson Boulevard. This building used to belong to St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. Westminster had 800 active members at this time. On June 19, 1949, the church moved to its new home. The first service was held that Sunday evening.

Rev. Hawes also worked on a special community project. After visiting Seoul, he started a campaign to find homes for Korean war orphans. These were children of "Negro" fathers who needed families. By 1956, over thirty families had applied to adopt. By 1958, more than fifty families were approved for the adoption program.

In 1958, Rev. Hawes celebrated 45 years at Westminster. The church gave him a new car. When he retired, Rev. Hawes had helped 70 Korean orphans find homes. Forty of these children were adopted by families within Westminster Presbyterian Church. The church membership grew to 1,500 when he retired.

Rev. Dr. James E. Jones

The 1960s brought more attention to Westminster Presbyterian Church. This was because of its new pastor, Rev. James E. Jones. He was known for his community and political work. Church members felt that Rev. Jones had "captured their hearts." He planned many great programs for the church. Membership reached about 1,600 people.

In 1963, Jones traveled to Brazil. He visited nine cities to connect with Brazilian churches. The church had already started a two-year friendship with Brazilian Rev. Zacharias Bravo. Rev. Bravo helped start 85 prayer and Bible study groups.

In the early 1960s, Frederick K. C. Price was an active member of Westminster. He later became a famous author and TV preacher.

Rev. Jones served on the Los Angeles Board of Education from 1965 to 1969. He became the Board president in 1968. He was the first African American to hold this position. He supported voluntary busing to help integrate Los Angeles schools. After the 1965 Watts Riots, Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, Sr. asked Jones to join the McCone Commission. This group studied the reasons for the riots. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson invited Jones to a White House conference. Jones was also active in the NAACP. He marched with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, Alabama. He also helped plan the children's TV show Sesame Street.

In 1974, Westminster celebrated its 70th anniversary. Los Angeles Mayor Thomas Bradley was a special speaker.

In 1975, Rev. Michael Livingston became a Presbyterian minister at Westminster. He later served at other important churches.

The church's 75th anniversary dinner was in 1979. It was held at the Biltmore Hotel. Actor Gregory Peck was the host. Mayor Tom Bradley honored Rev. Jones. Benjamin Hooks, from the NAACP, was the main speaker. Other important guests included US Congressman Julian Dixon and Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin.

Rev. Oliver L. Brown, II

Rev. Brown became pastor in 1988. He invited many guest speakers and musicians to Westminster. From 1993 to 2000, he hosted Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. for a week-long revival each year.

Pastoral Leaders

Westminster Presbyterian Church has had many spiritual leaders over the years. Here are some of them:

Years	Role	Name	Notes
1904 – 1908	Minister in charge	Rev. Enos Pomeroy Baker	White minister who helped start the church.
1908 – 1912	First installed pastor	Rev. Robert W. Holman	The church's first official pastor.
1912 – 1959	Installed	Rev. Hampton B. Hawes	Served the longest as pastor. He was the father of jazz pianist Hampton Hawes.
1959 – 1985	Installed	Rev. Dr. James E. Jones	A school, Dr. James Edward Jones Primary Center, opened in his honor in 2008.
1960 – 1962	Associate Pastor	Rev. Zacharias Bravo	One of the first pastors from Brazil to serve in the USA.
1966 – 1973	Associate Pastor	Rev. Dr. Warren Lee	Later became a director at San Francisco Theological Seminary.
1972	Assistant Pastor	Rev. William Brimberry Abbot	Graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary.
1980 – 1983	Parish Associate	Rev. Arthur C. Ross, Jr.	Later a pastor at Bel-Vue Community United Presbyterian Church.
1984 - unknown	Parish Associate	Rev. John F. Warner	Later a pastor in Chicago.
1986 – 1988	Supply Pastor	Rev. William Brimberry Abbot	Rev. Abbot returned to Westminster.
1988 – 2001	Installed	Rev. Oliver L. Brown, II	Westminster's fourth pastor.
1990 - 1995	Associate Pastor	Rev. David M. Morris	Grandson of Rev. H.B. Hawes, Sr.
2001 – 2005	Interim Pastor	Rev. Glenn L. Jones	Also a music composer and director.
2006 – 2011	Installed Designated	Rev. Virginia M. Brown	The church's first female pastor.
2011 – 2014	Interim Pastor	Rev. Dr. Charles Marks	A film called The Least Among You was inspired by Rev. Marks.
2014 – Present	Installed	Rev. Carlton A. Rhoden	Current pastor of the church.

A Historic Building

The Westminster Presbyterian Church building was first built for St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. It cost about $60,000. Architect Scott Quentin designed the building. It had a large hall, an auditorium for 600 people, and Sunday School rooms for 800 students. On top of the church tower is a twelve-foot cross that lights up and turns.

The beautiful stained glass windows in the church were made by Judson of Los Angeles. The church's organ and chimes were built by the Artcraft Company. The building also had a full kitchen and special rooms in the Fellowship Hall. There was even a lighted playground and a Boy Scout Club on the church's roof.

The Westminster Presbyterian Church building on Jefferson Boulevard became a City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 229) on June 11, 1980. This means the building is important to the history of Los Angeles.