In May, 1887, several members were granted letters to found a new Baptist church at Colton, and Dr. H. H. Guthrie and B. Howard were elected delegates to assist in the recognition of the new church.

A movement was started to secure a new location for the church, and a site was selected on Sixth street, and its purchase was authorized, at a cost of $2,500, the committee being authorized to borrow the amount to make the payment. The benevolences for this year were reported at $153.75.

On July 2, 1887, Rev. Thomas Phillips resigned, after rendering much efficient service to the church and getting many new enterprises started. He still remains with the church, a valued Trustee, Bible School teacher, and warmhearted friend of many; and his wife still retains her live interest in the church and its many missionary activities, taking a leading part in the Women's Missionary Society. The report for 1887 showed a membership of 107. increase by baptism 3, by letter 26, experience and restoration 4; decrease, by letter 8, by erasure 5. Church expenses, $920. Home Missions, $105.75, Foreign Missions, $39, Publication Society, $24.44, Education, $235; Sunday School, $82.20-a total of $1,412.39. The property seated 250 persons.

On September 21, 1887, Dr. A. J. Frost, who had held important pastorates in the East, as well as at San Jose and Sacramento, was called to the pastorate, at a salary of $1,500 per year. Gigantic in proportions, weighing over 300 pounds, massive and leonine in appearance, dignified and almost overpowering in mien, with an intellect that matched his body in strength and vigor; he brought great prestige and scholarship to the pulpit, and soon became famed far and wide for his masterly expositions of the Scriptures, for his Bible readings on the prophecies of the Scriptures, for his elaborate, skillful and euphonious analyses of the great texts of the Bible. Together with Drs. Daniel Reed and W. H. Pendleton, they visited nearly every leading church in Southern California, giving their masterful readings and expositions of the Bible from the standpoint of the Pre-Millennial Advent of the Lord, vitalizing and popularizing this view-point with the saints of the churches. His overwhelming logic, keen thrusts at his opponents and lovely characterizations of the great men of the Bible will dwell long in the memory of all who were privileged to hear him.

As his pastorate began, J. Will Curtis, Delay Palmer and H. M. C. Jones were elected as ushers, and Mrs. Guthrie, Mrs. Cornman and Mrs. Harvey were to assist the deacons at baptisms. On November 5, 1887, Isaac Ford, Lucius Owen, E. S. Foote, Mrs. Mattie Foote and Miss Irma Foote were granted letters of dismission to join in the organization of the Baptist church at Redlands, thus helping to start what has since become one of the most aggressive and important churches of our state, with a present membership of 600 and property worth $25,000.

December 28, 1888, the church had to vote money to redeem the property from a tax sale, reminding us that in those days church edifices were taxed, and that the burden was often severely felt. Brother Phillips, now an honored deacon, was received by letter, February 1, 1888, and on February 22, S. C. Annable was received from the First Baptist church of Oakland, becoming a valuable and most faithful worker for years. In April of 1888 the church united with the Methodist church in the dedication of their present church home on E street. The deacons as elected this year were Dr, Benjamin Barton, Dr. H. H. Guthrie, George Hisom, and Frank Harvey, while the trustees were E. R. Cartwright, Dr. Guthrie, Dr. Barton, Jesse W. Curtis and T. M. Parsons. A. W. Barnum was elected treasurer and Mrs. Josie Cornman, clerk, while J. W. Curtis was elected Sunday School Superintendent, taking the place of S. C. Annable in that office, but he resigned soon, Brother Annable resuming the office.

On January 31, 1889, the church voted to establish a Baptist mission at Highlands. On April 4, Miss Mary Barton was received for baptism, at the same time that the Misses Kerfoot and Joan Barton and Harry E. Jones united, the latter two by letter. She was baptized on April 7, and has been ever since a most faithful and helpful member with us, an honor to her father, who was one of the founders of the church. Revival services were conducted during March of this year by Evangelist 0. B. Read, of Los [sic] Los Angeles.

Holman Curtis was received as a candidate for baptism on May 30, 1889, and baptized on June 2. He was soon elected Financial Secretary and then Treasurer in place of A. W. Barnum, who resigned through ill health. Delegates were appointed to the Los Angeles Association, meeting October 9, 1889, at San Diego, as follows: Dr. A. J. Frost, T. M. Parsons, George Hisom, Dr. Guthrie, S. C. Annable and wife, Mrs. Barrows, Miss Ida Seymoure, John B. Phillips and Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Harvey. Letters were also granted to Dr. Pendleton and several others to form the Tabernacle Baptist church of Los Angeles, some trouble having arisen concerning the Central church. John B. Phillips was the Clerk at this time.

On Sunday, January 12, 1890, Dr. Frost was elected a delegate to an ordination council called to meet with the Baptist Church at The Palms, on January 17, to ordain their new pastor, Rev. Arthur Polk Brown, to the ministry. The ordination was held and Dr. Frost presided, and examined the candidate most thoroughly as this writer can testify, as he is now your pastor here.

On March 20, 1890, Harold Barnum and Miss Emma Barnum were received for baptism, and baptized by the pastor on Sunday evening, March 23, thus coming into the church where they have rendered so many services ever since, both as members and important officers.

On November 10, 1890, the church celebrated its twenty-fourth anniversary by holding a roll-call, at which one-half the members were present, and by listening to a history of the church, addresses by two former pastors, Rev. Thomas Phillips and Rev. Charles Button, while a touching letter was read from Rev. John Fulton. April 9, 1891, Miss Harriet Curtis was received for baptism, thus beginning a life of great usefulness in the church.

Mr. and Mrs. Bur Bassell united with the church in October, becoming most valued members. When many members were not paying or in arrears, a special committee consisting of J. B. Phillips, J. W. Curtis, Burr Bassell, J. M. Lane and C. P. Barrows went out with a will, and soon had sufficient to cover all the needed amount, early in 1892. In the spring of this year a great union evangelistic meeting was held in the Pavilion under Evangelist B. Fay Mills, and many were added to the church as a result. The colored people of the Baptist faith in the city were by unanimous vote invited to attend the church and Sunday School services.

On August 31, 1892, Dr. Frost was formally invited to "continue his services as pastor of this church till the relation is formally severed." Dr. Charles Button of Riverside supplied the pulpit while the pastor was absent on vacation. During this fall several members were dropped and some excluded, for failure to attend services, or pay toward the church expenses.

In September, 1893, a friend offered to send Dr. Frost to Chicago, to visit the World's Fair, and the church gladly gave him the needed leave of absence. Dr. William H. Pendleton was secured as supply during his absence, he accepting one-half of the pastor's salary as his stipend. Early in 1894 there was a stirring of the baptismal water very frequently, and many were added to the Church of Christ. The large number of unemployed men in the city appealed so to the sympathies of the churches, that each church was asked to care for them one week, till the emergency passed. Brother Thomas Phillips was made chairman of a committee to carry out this plan of relief.

On November 29, 1894, Mrs. B. F. Conaway, Miss Ella Miller and Misses Grace and Estelle Conaway were received from the church at Santa Ana, becoming most zealous, active and consecrated workers in the church, and Mr. Conaway a very much interested attendant. In April of 1895, after a series of meetings under Evangelist E. P. Pratt, formal charges were preferred against certain members of the church for attending and participating in a public dance, and they were summoned for trial before the church, but on making due confession and promise of better conduct in the future, they were restored to good standing and fellowship.

On May 15, 1895, Brother Arthur Williams was received as a member of the church, afterward going out as a missionary to the Congo, Africa, under the auspices of the Christian Alliance. His brother, E. S. Williams, has been for a long time one of the honored and earnest deacons of the church.

During this summer the church united with the Congregational church in union services for two months, each pastor serving the two churches for a month, while the other was away. July 3 Brother W. G. Culross and wife united with the church, beginning a relationship of great usefulness with us.

Dr. Frost was granted permission to become one of the instructors at the Missionary Training School established by Dr. Daniel Read in the First church, Los Angeles. This school gathered many earnest students and did much to stir up more zeal for personal devotion to missions.

In March, 1896, Rev. G. W. Taylor and wife, evangelists, held a series of meetings for over two weeks with the church. In April, Dr. Frost was released to make a lecturing tour to give Bible readings at San Jose and other points in the north end of the state. At the same meeting a most cordial endorsement was given to Brother Arthur Williams in his plans of study to prepare for the foreign mission field. George H Lewis was also endorsed as a student in the Moody Training School in Chicago. As so many from other churches desired to attend Dr. Frost's famous Bible readings, it was voted that at his discretion, the time of the midweek meeting could be changed to enable them to so attend. During this summer, Dr. B. Barton, with his usual generosity, offered to pay Dr. Frost's expenses on a trip to the Grand Canyon of Arizona, if he would prepare a lecture on it and give it on his return. The offer was accepted, the trip enjoyed, the lecture given to a large audience, to the delight of all, and the lecture is still one of the most famous ones that Dr. Frost still delights many audiences with today.

In October, 1896, J. Harold Barnum was elected Treasurer, an office which he filled with great fidelity for many years, while his father also served with great acceptance in that office and the trusteeship.

At the annual election, April 29, 1897, the trustees elected were D. T. Brummett, C. P. Barrows, B. F. Conaway and J. J. Whitney. J. W. Curtis was elected Sunday School superintendent as well as Financial Secretary, and has continued to this day our most efficient, faithful, and ever-resourceful leader of the Sunday School, with a big-hearted love for all the boys and girls in the school. George Swing was elected assistant superintendent.

In October, 1897, the Santa Ana Valley Association met with the church and was most royally entertained. The entertainment committee consisted of Mrs. J. J. Whitney, Mrs. B. F. Conaway, Miss Mary Barton, George Swing, Mrs. R. Bradley, J. W. Curtis and Rev. Thomas Phillips. Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Annable became members in the fall, and ever since have been of great usefulness, adding much to the Sunday School and church work, he becoming the organist of the church after Miss Edith Cartwright resigned. Continued trouble was experienced in financial affairs during these hard years and wrestling with deficits developed some able financiers among the burden-bearers, much credit being due to J. W. Curtis, Financial Secretary, for his untiring efforts to keep things going.

On November 6, 1898, Dr. Frost offered his resignation as pastor of the church, saying that it was final, and to take effect at the close of the year. It was accepted by the church on November 9, and a pulpit committee was appointed, consisting of A. W. Barnum, J. W. Curtis and H. A. Read. His was a most fruitful, spiritual pastorate, in which the people were fed on the strong meat of the Word, and many wonderful things in the Bible brought forth for them all. He will ever abide in the memories of many as one of the most powerful preachers and lecturers they ever heard, a prince of exposition, a very Josiah in his zeal for the Word of the Lord.

On December 31, 1898, Dr. Benjamin Barton passed from the church militant to the church triumphant, and most appreciative resolutions of respect were passed by the church, recalling his quiet devotion, his unstinted generosity, his staunch stand for the sound doctrines, his constancy in attending divine services. He had been a tower of strength for years for the church and the cause of righteousness in the community.

Rev. Mark B. Shaw

1899 - 1909

Rev. S. C. Evans supplied the pulpit for two months, and on January 25, 1899, the church unanimously extended a call to Rev. Mark B. Shaw of Fallbrook to become their pastor, and he accepted the call, arrangements being made to hold a rally of both Sunday School and church on the opening of his pastorate. On March 18, 1899, Rev. Mr. Shaw became pastor, beginning a long-time service of over ten years in that office. He was born in Waterville, Nova Scotia, removing in boyhood to Burwick, where he spent his early youth. He was educated in Acadia College, taking both his literary and theological course here. His first pastorate was at Port Morien, Cape Breton, his second at Yarmouth. Coming to California in 1889, he became pastor at Fallbrook. From there he was called to the mission station of Vizianagram, India, where from 1890 to 1895 he served faithfully as a missionary. Coming back to America on account of his wife's failing health, he was soon located again at his old field at Fallbrook, where he was pastor till called to this church in 1889. Among the events most memorable in his pastorate was the great revival under Evangelist J. S. Ledford in January, 1901, held in the old church on Third street. While some twenty or thirty were converted, many of them were prominent men and women of the community, and added materially to the strength of the church. With steady growth the church and Sunday School entered on a new era of progress. The old church building became insufficient, and agitation began for a new church. At the annual meeting in that year, Dr. W. B. Hinson of San Diego and Dr. A. J. Frost were present as the leading speakers. On October 2 of that year a vote was passed authorizing the Board of Trustees to sell the church property then held. On January 1, 1902, a committee was appointed to select the location, cost, and plans for a new church, and the pastor, William Phillips, Thomas Phillips, E. S. Williams and F. E. Conrad were named to the task. Later, on March 20, it was decided to begin the active canvass for funds for the new building, under the direction of J. W. Curtis, Mark B. Shaw and Thomas Phillips. On July 2, 1902, the church appointed J. W. Curtis to correspond about the purchase of the lot at the corner of Fourth and G streets, for the new building. This was finally bought for $2,500, but the sale of the old building on it reduced the net cost to $1,800 for the 64 x 150 feet. To this lot the two old palm trees were transplanted from the front of the Third street lot. The work of raising funds went on slowly, but the church soon realized that they must have a much larger house than the one first planned. Additions were made to these plans in all respects, till the architect, Norman Marsh, wrought out the plans of the present building, which were finally adopted. Construction was begun under the superintendency of Brother H. A. Reed, and pushed to completion. The edifice cost $18,000, while the furniture brought the total up to $22,000, on which there was a debt carried of $6,000. The old church site was sold for $3,500, on October 2, 1904, and was moved off at once to make room for improvements. The church now met at Masonic Temple for the time, till the new edifice was completed. The corner-stone was laid on May 9, 1905, with many visiting pastors present, and sermons by Rev. W. F. Harper, Rev. T. H. Cornish, Rev. A. S. Phelps and Rev. A. M. Petty.

The report at the annual meeting showed that moneys had been raised as follows: General fund, $1,180.65; foreign missions, $37.30; home missions, $139.50; building fund, $6,010.40, a total of $7,448.78 for the year. Total in building fund to date, $8,500. Twenty-five were received into the church, eleven of these by baptism, the total membership being 249.

On October 8, 1905, the church came to the glad hour of the dedication of their new church home. Rev. E. S. Graham of Hannibal, Missouri, was the preacher of the sermon, and was "all that we could wish, both in his sermon and in his work." Cash and subscriptions that day amounted to $4,794.28, leaving $6,000.00 to be carried on a mortgage on the new property. If ever there was a happy church it was ours that day, with a new home so beautifully and wisely adapted to the use of the rapidly growing church.

The Baptist State Convention of Southern California held its sessions with us in the new edifice from December 5 to 10 of this year, 1905. At this session, Pastor Mark B. Shaw was elected President of the Pastors' Conference, and J. W. Curtis as first Vice-President of the Convention. Captain J. T. Lawler of Riverside was President. Three hundred delegates and about 200 visitors were present, and the large number compelled the church to turn many to the hotels after all available rooms in homes had been taken. But all were well cared for, at the expense of the church, and a great Convention was enjoyed most thoroughly.

The annual report of this year showed the expenses of the general fund, $1,678.96; building fund, $15,031.16; Home Missions, $62.50; foreign missions, $84.77. The Ladies' Aid Society paid out for the new carpet and furnishings, $1,223.04.

In April of 1906 the church took up an offering for the churches of San Francisco that had been damaged and destroyed by fire and earthquake. Also in August of that year Mrs. Sarah Jackson, who had died some time before, left her estate of some $400 to the church. Her fidelity was true to the end to the church she loved so well.

On November 10 and 11 of 1906 the Fortieth Anniversary of the church was duly celebrated with a fine banquet, at which about 200 were served. Toasts and speeches on the various departments of the church's work were phrased, or given by many speakers. On Sunday three addresses were given by Dr. J. N. Field of Redlands, Dr. S. A. Northrup of Los Angeles, and Rev. W. Leon Tucker of Riverside.

Many baptisms marked the next year, so large a number of the young people coming in, and adding to the zest and enthusiasm of the meetings. This was largely due to a most gracious revival meeting, held by Rev. Ray Palmer, D. D., who reached a large circle by his fearless, zealous preaching. A total of 57 converts were recorded as the fruits of this meeting.

At the farewell service, a circle was formed around the church and all joined hands as they sang, "God Be With You Till We Meet Again." Thirty-eight were given the hand of fellowship at the very next communion service. In celebrating the eighth anniversary of Pastor Mark B. Shaw, a public reception was held in the parlors of the church, and Rev. Robert J. Burdette and his wife, of the Temple church, Los Angeles, were present, he lecturing to a crowded house that night. Refreshments were served during the afternoon, to all. Sixty-four had been baptized by the pastor during the year, 47 couples had been married, and 43 funeral services had been held, of whom not one was of the church membership. The general fund had handled $2,016.06 and the building fund $1,779.40; home missions, $342.24; foreign missions, $74.10; San Francisco relief, $121.47. A new church grew out of the preaching station at East Highlands, where the pastor had preached for a long time.

In July, 1907, the church sent a most touching letter of sympathy and condolence to Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Conaway and daughter, Mrs. Estelle Birch, sorrowing with them over the death of their daughter, Mrs. Grace Conaway Louthian, who for years had been a most devoted and successful teacher of the Primary Department. To this the family answered with a tender and reverently submissive message, showing their calm, unmoved faith in the supreme test. Not long after, memorial services were held for Mrs. R. E. Bradley, who died on September 13, after having been twenty years a true and trustworthy member. The farewell to Rev. James Waters and wife, on their departure for Austin, Texas, to serve, was a most touching one.

Rev. A. M. Petty of Los Angeles held special revival services in February of 1908, with most acceptable preaching and deep spiritual power. In March, the annual reception of the pastor was held, on the 18th, and Rev. C. C. Pierce of Los Angeles, and Rev. J. H. Garnett of Santa Ana, who began their pastorates at the same time, were present in the receiving line for congratulations. In May, 1908, the pastor was granted his vacation early, that he might attend the Northern Baptist Convention, meeting in Oklahoma City, and he had a most delightful time at these great meetings.

In November, 1909, after over ten years of most zealous, successful service, Pastor Mark B. Shaw resigned his pastorate, much to the regret of many friends, and entered upon a business career in his home city that has continued with increasing success as the years go by. He has continued his interest and support of the church in every way to the present, and is one of the honored speakers at the Jubilee meetings now. The new undertaking parlors of Mark B. Shaw & Co. are the finest and best in all the valley, and he has recently been elected by a record-breaking almost unanimous vote to the office of Supervisor of San Bernardino County, being the first one for twenty years to take his seat on that board from this city. He has just recently resigned from the Chaplaincy of the Seventh California Regiment, and spent the summer in camp with the Army of the Border, at Nogales, Arizona, where he was most popular. His son, Harold, recently married, has for years been our efficient Treasurer of all the Missionary funds of the church.

After this the church was most acceptably supplied for four months by Prof. H. E. Wise, of the University of Redlands, who greatly endeared himself to all by his rich, thoughtful, scholarly preaching, and strong personality as a Christian gentleman.

Next page