Wives, children and the war years

A new president had been elected to lead the country in 1932, and the American people trusted their leader would bring poverty and joblessness to an end.

During this time, the country was in the throes of the Great Depression, and people were flocking to California to look for work and a better life.

The First Baptist Church of Huntington Beach saw a large increase in its membership as the oil workers brought wives and children to our town.

This week we’ll continue our look at the First Baptist Church as it celebrates a hundred years of rich history.

Last week we left off as Huntington Beach was recovering from the 1933 earthquake that damaged many of our commercial buildings. In 1921 the Rev. Luther A. Arthur had joined the church.

In January 1934, under Arthur’s leadership, the church reached out to the Hispanic community in the Colonia Juarez area (near the intersection of Ward Street and Warner Avenue).

With the help of church members John McIntosh, Joe Perry and James Ranney, a building was purchased and remodeled into a small mission chapel big enough to hold 50 people.

On Dec. 1, 1934, the little mission chapel was dedicated with an impressive ceremony presided over by a new pastor, the Rev. Jose Zamora.

In 1936 the Baptist congregation decided to remove the earthquake-damaged plaster from the walls of the 6th Street church and completely redo the interior of the auditorium. During this remodeling, the congregation held its Sunday services across the street in Memorial Hall, thanks to the generosity of the city of Huntington Beach, according to church historian Jim Simpson.

In August 1940, the church invited Rev. Charles Neighbour and his wife to give a series of nightly sermons at the church, one of which was titled “The Man Who Meant Well, But Went to Hell.” I wonder if he was referring to politicians.

The evening of that lecture was family night, and a prize went to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Rowley for having the largest family.

For Christmas 1940, the church performed a special cantata, “The Child Jesus,” at the morning service. During the evening service, Rev. Arthur preached on “Prophetic Reasons Why Italy May Suffer Collapse and the Most Terrific Destruction Ever Known to Any Nation in History.”

As Easter came on April 13, 1941, several church members participated in an Easter musical tableaux titled “Easter Tide” at the Huntington Beach Pavilion. Included in the cast were church members James Ranney Jr., John Reed, Wallace Perry, Ena Preston, Nadine Peebles, Barbara Whitfield and Lee Sowers. Organist Eber Flaws presented a 30-minute recital to more than 1,200 people.

At the Baptist church’s annual fellowship banquet on Jan. 14, 1944, its members paid homage to Rev. Arthur for his 23 years of dedicated service to the church.

For almost 28 years, this banquet dinner was prepared and served by the men of the church, but because so many of the men were working the swing shift in the defense industry, this year the women of the church helped out with the preparations.

But the men really showed their merit that day when it came time to serve the dinner. Will Preston and a corps of able-bodied, white-aproned men served the dinner. Serving that meal were Jim Ranney, Joe Perry, Ralph and Russell Weinheimer, Warren De La Vergne and a host of others. Rev. Antonio Gimenez, pastor of the Mexican Baptist mission, spoke highly of Rev. Arthur’s accomplishments and of his devotion to the church.

As the war continued in 1944, the church held a special Christmas concert entitled “On Wings of Angel Song.” Many in the congregation now hoped that by the next Christmas the war would be over and the men and boys would be back sitting in the pews and listening to Rev. Arthur again.

Next week we’ll bring the church into the era of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s.