Church of the Month
First Brethren Long Beach, Calif.
from which 26 will be graduated this June. Brethren High School is located on a 10-acre campus just out side the Long Beach city limits. The school has 17 classrooms (including six in use at the school build ing of the Second Brethren Church in Long Beach) and a staff of 22. Many pastors and missionaries have been sent out from the church including three chaplains now in the A rmed Forces. Since 1947 the church has published a weekly paper, “ The Fifth and Cherry Light,” with a circu lation of about 2,000.
A n evangelist and a gospel song leader got together and had a meeting in a tent on the southeast corner of Tenth Street and Walnut Avenue in Long Beach in 1912. As a result of this meeting 49 people decided to start the First Brethren Church of Long Beach. The evangelist was Louis S. Bauman and he promised to return to California as pastor of the church after some meetings in the East. A lot was purchased soon after this first meeting and on July 20, 1913 the church was dedicated. Among the early leaders in the church were Dr. and Mrs. Henry V. Wall who were for many years active in Southern California Brethren work. Dr. Bauman remained with the church until 1946. He had many faithful assistants. Rev. Alan S. Pearce was with him since 1933. In 1929 the old church was completely remodeled and a new Bible school building erected. In 1946 Dr. Charles W. Mayes, present pastor and former teacher at B io l a , came to the church. He is assisted by Nelson E. Hall and Charles Beatty. The Sunday school has a membership of about 1,500. The church has an interest in both home and foreign missions. They have had a large part in starting seven other congregations. In the last 10 years they gave over a quarter million dollars for missionary and education purposes outside the local congregation. Seven years ago the church started a Christian elementary school. Later a high school was added
PASTOR CHARLES W. MAYES
25
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