Westminster Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles)

Last updated
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles.jpg
Westminster Presbyterian Church,
Los Angeles, CA
Westminster Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles)
34°1′31.04″N118°19′11.27″W / 34.0252889°N 118.3197972°W / 34.0252889; -118.3197972
Location2230 West Jefferson Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90018
Country United States
Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA)
Website https://www.wpcofla.org/
History
FoundedOctober 9, 1904
Architecture
Architect(s) Scott Quentin (Alhambra, CA)
Style Romanesque
Years built1931
Clergy
Senior pastor(s) Rev. Carlton A. Rhoden

Westminster Presbyterian Church is in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Westminster Presbyterian Church is a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii and Pacific Presbytery. [1] The congregation, established in 1904, is one of the oldest African American Presbyterian churches in California and west of the Mississippi River. [2] [3]

Contents

History

In the early 1900s a group of eighteen African Americans met on Sunday afternoons at Central Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. Over time the group appealed to the Los Angeles Presbytery to come under “care and development” and on October 21, 1904, the group was received and organized as a church under the name Westminster Presbyterian Church. [2] [4] Rev. Enos P. Baker acted as minister-in-charge. [5]

The Los Angeles Times covered the dedication of the congregation's first church building at West 35th Place and Denker Avenue, “reached by the West Jefferson car line.” The congregation paid for the $3,300 property in full. [5] The dedication sermon in 1908 was given by Dr. Hugh K. Walker of Immanuel Presbyterian Church. The newspaper noted it believed the congregation was the “only colored Presbyterian church on this coast” and one which “promises to become a strong church.” [3] The Los Angeles Herald newspaper reported that the congregation was “the only Presbyterian church in Los Angeles doing a special work” among an estimated 1,500 African Americans in Los Angeles at the time. [6]

Rev. Robert W. Holman

Rev. R. W. Holman, who arrived from South Carolina, was installed May 17, 1908 as Westminster Presbyterian Church's first pastor. Holman was a graduate of Wallingford Institute and author of "National Plague Spots, or the Reproachful Sins of the American People." [7] He had previously served fourteen years as pastor of Zion Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC, "the oldest and largest colored Presbyterian church [there]." [7]

The Los Angeles Evening Express reported that Holman was “the first colored pastor to occupy a pulpit of the Presbyterian denomination on the Pacific coast.” [8] Later in the year, several African American churches organized a program to raise funds for a colored gymnasium at the YWCA at Eighth and San Pedro streets. Rev. Holman was one of the featured speakers as well as Mrs. Lucy Stanton, the first Black woman to graduate from a four-year college. [9]

By 1909, the church had forty members. [10] The church parsonage was located at 3232 Denker Street. [11]

Rev. Hampton B. Hawes, Sr.

In 1912, Rev. Hampton B. Hawes, a graduate of Fisk University and Lincoln University Theological Seminary, was installed as pastor following Rev. Holman's retirement. [12] [13] [14] Two years later, he married Gertrude Holman, one of Rev. Holman's daughters and church pianoist. [15] In 1937, Rev. Hawes was elected Moderator of the Los Angeles Presbytery at a meeting with 325 ministers and lay delegates. [16]

The late 1930s and early 1940s saw congregational growth. Rev. Hawes supported the building of a recreational center for community young people. [17] On his 26th anniversary of service, the Westminster Sunday School classes, led by superintendents La Vonzell Gates and Neile Adams, celebrated Rev. Hawes. [17] In 1941, the church had 19 Bible school classrooms and two Sunday services. [18] The Westminster Presbyterian Choir had 40-members. Mabel Hawes, another daughter of Rev. Hawes, was organist. Cyrus Keller was the choir director. [19] In 1944, Rev. Hawes was unanimously elected Moderator of the California Synod of the Presbyterian Church (USA). [20]

Westminster organized a Boy Scout Troop in 1947. [21] In 1957, Golden State Mutual Insurance provided free tickets to Westminster's Scout Troop 205 to attend the annual high school football Shrine Hi Classic at the Los Angeles Coliseum. [22]

In 1948, the Los Angeles Times reported that Westminster Presbyterian Church paid $125,000 for the property being vacated by St. Paul's Presbyterian Church located at 2230 West Jefferson Boulevard. [23] St. Paul's congregation was merging with Baldwin Hills Community Presbyterian Church and moving to the facility on La Brea Ave. and Coliseum Street. The newspaper noted there were 800 active Westminster Presbyterian Church members. [23] On Sunday, June 19, 1949, the Westminster caravan traveled from its 35th and Denker location to its new home at 3rd and Jefferson. The first service was held Sunday evening. [24]

One of the defining community projects of Rev. Hawes tenure, following a visit to Seoul with Dr. Henry A. McPherson, [25] was his campaign to procure homes for homeless and unwanted Korean War orphans of "Negro" paternity. [13] The California Eagle reported in 1956 that more than thirty families had "made applications for adoption proceedings." [26] By 1958, more than fifty families had been recommended for the adoption program, which was directed by Henry Holt. [27]

In 1958, Rev. Hawes celebrated forty-five years of service to Westminster Presbyterian Church. The congregation gifted him a 1958 Ford Mercury automobile. Mrs. Sarah A. McPherson, one of the original members of Westminster, gave the car keys to Rev. and Mrs. Hawes. [28] [27] At his retirement service, Rev. Hawes had been instrumental in placing 70 Korean orphans for adoption, including 40 within Westminster Presbyterian Church families. The Los Angeles Sentinel photographed Rev. Hawes with a dozen adoptees attending the retirement service. [28] Church membership had increased to 1,500 upon his retirement. [27]

Rev. Dr. James E. Jones

The 1960s saw increased visibility for Westminster Presbyterian Church because of the community and political activism of its new pastor. Rev. James E. Jones, formerly pastor at St. John's Presbyterian Church in Detroit and director of the St. John's Community House, became the new leader at Westminster. [29] [30] Church members reported that Rev. Jones had "already captured the hearts of the membership and [had] proposed an impressive program for the church. [31] Membership reached approximately 1,600, according to news reports. [32]

In 1963, Jones traveled to Brazil for a 30-day, nine-city trip to build bridges with Brazilian churches. [33] Previously the church created a two-year fraternal pastoral relationship with Brazilian Rev. Zacharias Bravo. [13] Rev. Bravo was responsible for evangelism and established 85 neighborhood prayer and Bible study groups during his tenure. [34]

During the tenure of Rev. Jones, in the early 1960s, Frederick K. C. Price, who later became an author, televangelist and founder of the Los Angeles-based Crenshaw Christian Center, was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church. [35] [36]

Jones served on the Los Angeles Board of Education from 1965 to 1969 and was elected Board president in 1968. [37] He was the first African American to be elected to that office, where he advocated for voluntary busing to integrate Los Angeles schools. [37] Following the 1965 Watts Riots, California governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, Sr. named Jones to the eight-member McCone Commission to study the factors behind the riots and opportunities for future corrections. [38] In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson invited Jones to serve on the White House's planning conference called “To Fulfill These Rights.” [39] Jones was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, Alabama. [37] [40] Jones was also a consultant to the national advisory committee planning the children's television program Sesame Street . [37]

In 1974, Westminster celebrated its 70th anniversary. Los Angeles Mayor Thomas Bradley, who had been in office nearly two years, was a featured speaker at the anniversary program. [41]

In 1975, the Rev. Michael Livingston was ordained a Presbyterian minister at Westminster, his home church. [42] He would later serve as assistant pastor of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles [42] and Interim Senior Minister at the Riverside Church in New York City. [43] [44]

The church's 75th Diamond Anniversary banquet in 1979 was held at the Biltmore Hotel with Academy Award-winning actor Gregory Peck serving as master of ceremonies. [45] Mayor Tom Bradley presented Rev. Jones with a commendation on behalf of the city. [46] NAACP Executive Director Benjamin Hooks was the featured speaker. Other prominent guests included US Congressman Julian Dixon, Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and Dr. H. Claude Hudson, a founder of the Los Angeles NAACP chapter. [45] The anniversary celebration continued through the holiday season. The Pre-Christmas Communion service at Westminster was officiated by noted theologian Dr. Howard Thurman with the assistance of Rev. William Abbot, Rev. Dr. H. Garnett Lee, Dr. Charles Marks, and Rev. Jones. [47]

Rev. Oliver L. Brown, II

Rev. Brown's tenure was marked by inviting others to Westminster to minister in words and music. Rev. Brown hosted Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago to an annual week-long revival for eight years, from 1993 through 2000. [48]

List of pastors

Over the years, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles has had a number of spiritual leaders, including: [13]

YearsPastoral chargeNamePortraitNotes
1904 – 1908Minister in chargeRev. Enos Pomeroy Baker
(1856–1911)
White minster with the Church Extension Committee [3]
McCormick Theological Seminary, 1886 graduate.
Past president, Presbyterian College of the Southwest, Del Norte, CO. [49]
1908 – 1912InstalledRev. Robert W. Holman
(1854–1931)
Rev R W Hollman pastor Westminster Presbyterian Church Los Angeles May 1908.jpg Congregation's first installed pastor. Rev. Holman previously pastored Zion Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC starting in 1884. [50] In 1964, the church merged with Olivet Presbyterian Church to become Zion Olivet Presbyterian Church. [51]
1912 – 1959InstalledRev. Hampton B. Hawes
(1888–1976)
Rev Hampton B Hawes Pastor Westminster Presbyterian Church 1958.jpg Longest serving pastor. His mother had been an enslaved person. [14]
Father of jazz pianist Hampton Hawes. [52]
1959 – 1985InstalledRev. Dr. James E. Jones
(1916–1998)
Rev James E Jones pastor Westminster Presbyterian Church 1959.jpg Lincoln University Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary graduate. [31]
Dr. James Edward Jones Primary Center(elementary school) opened in 2008.
1960 – 1962Fraternal Associate PastorRev. Zacharias Bravo (1918–1962) Rev Zacharias Bravo Presbyterian 1959.jpg Bravo was one of the first pastors sent by the Presbyterian church in Brazil to serve in the USA. [53] From Bauru, Sãn Paulo, Bravo was to serve two years at Westminster. [54] He was the author of But You Shall Receive the Power. [55] Following a July 1962 meeting in Fresno, California with evangelist Billy Graham about an upcoming Brazil crusade, Bravo drowned in a private pool. [56] [57]
1966 – 1973Associate PastorRev. Dr. Warren LeeLee, a Los Angeles born Korean, was ordained and installed at Westminster as minister of Christian Education. [58] He later became associate director of the San Francisco Theological Seminary Advance Pastoral Studies program in 1981 and retired in 2008 as the program's director. [59]
1972Assistant PastorRev. William Brimberry Abbot
(1923–1997)
Graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (BDiv) [60]
1980 – 1983Parish AssociateRev. Arthur C. Ross, Jr.
(1949–2022)
Rev Arthur C Ross Jr Bel-Vue Presbyterian Church LA CA.jpg Later pastor of Bel-Vue Community United Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles)
1984 - unknownParish AssociateRev. John F. Warner
(1946–2010)
Rev John F Warner 2008.jpg Graduate of Union Theological Seminary (M.Div). Later pastor of Crerar Memorial Presbyterian Church (Chicago, IL) from 1993 to 2010. [61]
1986 – 1988Supply PastorRev. William Brimberry Abbot
(1923–1997)
Rev. Abbot returned to Westminster. [62]
1988 – 2001InstalledRev. Oliver L. Brown, II
(1941–2006)
Rev Oliver L Brown II.jpg Westminster's fourth pastor was installed on October 2, 1988. [63] Later founding pastor of First African Presbyterian Church in America (Los Angeles) [64] One of Brown's sons, Olujimi Brown of Atlanta, followed him into ministry. [65] [66]
1990 - 1995Associate PastorRev. David M. Morris
(1946–2009)
Rev David M Morris Westminster Presbyterian Church Los Ang.jpg As a child, Morris spent his first twelve years attending Westminster. [67] He was also a grandson of Rev. H.B. Hawes, Sr. and graduate of the American Baptist Seminary of the West (M.Div).
2001 – 2005Interim PastorRev. Glenn L. Jones Rev Glenn Jones Los Angeles.jpg Presided at the opening of the Dr. Charles H. Moore Westminster Arms Senior Housing complex in 2004. [13]
Jones is also a music composer and director. [68]
2006 – 2011Installed DesignatedRev. Virginia M. Brown Rev Virginia Brown pastor Westminster Presbyterian Church LA.jpg The church's first female pastor. Graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (M.Div.)
2011 – 2014Interim PastorRev. Dr. Charles Marks Rev Dr Charles Marks in Los Angeles.jpg Graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and San Francisco Theological Seminary (D.Min.) [69] The 2009 film The Least Among You , starring Cedric Sanders and Louis Gossett Jr., was inspired by Rev. Marks. [70]
2014 – PresentInstalledRev. Carlton A. Rhoden Rev Carlton A Rhoden close-up pastor Westminster Presbyterian Church June 2022.jpg American Baptist Seminary of the West, 2005 graduate. [71]

Historic-Cultural Monument

The current Westminster Presbyterian Church building was originally constructed for St. Paul's Presbyterian Church for about $60,000. [72] According to Southwest Builder and Contractor magazine, architect Scott Quentin designed a building with a "basement banquet room, social hall, auditorium to seat 600 people and Sunday School rooms to accommodate 800 pupils." [73] Atop the church building's tower is a twelve-foot revolving, lighted cross.

The stained glass windows in the church's sanctuary were crafted by Judson of Los Angeles and the church's organ and chimes were built by the Artcraft Company. [74] The church building also included a full kitchen, special stage, and dressing rooms in the Fellowship Hall. Kitchenettes were also built on each floor. An illuminated playground and Boy Scout Club were built on the church's roof. [74]

Financing for St. Paul's came through a $40,000 loan from the Bank of America and Los Angeles bar owner and crime boss Charles H. Crawford. In June 1930, shortly after an indictment on bribery charges, Crawford was baptized and admitted into the membership of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. The pastor at St. Paul's was Rev. Gustav A. Briegleb, the noted minister portrayed by John Malkovich in the 2008 film Changeling. On the day of his baptism, Crawford placed a ring set with two large diamonds, and valued at $3,500, in the collection plate at Briegleb's church. Accompanying the ring was a note from Crawford asking Briegleb to sell the ring and use the proceeds to help build a parish house. [75] In November 1930, Crawford made a further gift of $25,000 to be used in building a parish hall to be named Amelia Crawford House in honor of his mother.

The Westminster Presbyterian Church building on Jefferson Boulevard was granted City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument status (No. 229) on 11 June 1980 recognizing the importance of the building to Los Angeles, California or national history. [76]

Presbyterian churches in Los Angeles

Within the Presbytery of the Pacific, there are eight primarily African American Presbyterian congregations. These are: Angeles Mesa Presbyterian Church, Bel-Vue Community Presbyterian Church, Church of the Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Community United Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood, First Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles, St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian Church in America</span> Conservative Reformed Christian denomination in the United States and Canada

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Reformed in theology and presbyterian in government.

McCormick Theological Seminary is a private Presbyterian seminary in Chicago, Illinois. As of 2023, it shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Catholic Theological Union, in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. A letter of intent was signed on May 5, 2022, to sell the formerly shared campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago to the University of Chicago. The agreement allows the two seminaries to lease back facilities on the campus. Although it primarily serves the Presbytery of Chicago and the Synod of Lincoln Trails, McCormick Theological Seminary also educates members of other Christian denominations.

Westminster Seminary California is a Reformed and Presbyterian Christian seminary in Escondido, California. It was initially a branch campus of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia until 1982 when it became fully independent. It has thirteen full-time faculty members and enrolls approximately 155 full-time students.

Louis Philip Sheldon was an American Presbyterian pastor, and then Anglican priest, and chairman of the social conservative organization, the Traditional Values Coalition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church</span> Church in Florida, U.S.

Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church is a Christian megachurch within the Presbyterian Church in America located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was founded in 1960 by D. James Kennedy (1930–2007), who served as the church's senior pastor until shortly before his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Elisabeth of Hungary Church and School</span> Catholic Church in California, USA

St. Elisabeth of Hungary Church and School, originally known as St. Elizabeth Church and School, is a Catholic church and elementary school located in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. The church and school are named in honor of Elizabeth of Hungary.

Frederick K. C. Price was an American televangelist and author who was the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center (CCC), located in South Los Angeles, California. He was known for his Ever Increasing Faith ministries broadcast, which aired weekly on television and radio.

Since 1937, the United States presidential inauguration has included one or more prayers given by members of the clergy. Since 1933 an associated prayer service either public or private attended by the president-elect has often taken place on the morning of the day. At times a major public or broadcast prayer service takes place after the main ceremony most recently on the next day.

Isaiah Jones Jr. (1940–2008) was an American musician and Presbyterian minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles H. Crawford</span>

Charles H. Crawford was an American political figure. In the 1920s, his loosely organized crime syndicate in Los Angeles, California, was known as the "City Hall Gang." Crawford was reportedly a model for some of Raymond Chandler's villains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Presbyterian Church (Manhattan)</span> Church in Manhattan, New York

The congregation of North Presbyterian Church, at 525 West 155th Street in Manhattan, New York City, is a combination of three former congregations: North Presbyterian Church, Washington Heights Presbyterian Church, and St. Nicholas Avenue Presbyterian Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Baptist Church (Los Angeles)</span> Church in South Los Angeles, United States

Second Baptist Church is a Baptist Church located in South Los Angeles, California. The current Lombardy Romanesque Revival building was built in 1926 and has been listed as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (1978) and on the National Register of Historic Places (2009). The church has been an important force in the Civil Rights Movement, hosting national conventions of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons ("NAACP") in 1928, 1942, and 1949, and also serving as the site of important speeches by Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and others. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the Progressive National Baptist Convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bel Air Church</span> Church in CA , United States

Bel Air Church is a Presbyterian church located in Los Angeles, California. Its campus is located on Mulholland Drive in the Encino neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles)</span> Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument

Welsh Presbyterian Church was a bilingual Welsh/English congregation in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, founded in 1888 and dissolved in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fay Allen (teacher)</span> American educator (1887-1974)

Fay E. Allen was the first ever African American to serve on the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). She served two terms between 1939 and 1943. After she left the board, she continued to be politically active until her death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immanuel Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles, California)</span> Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument

Immanuel Presbyterian Church is a church in Los Angeles, California. The congregation was established in 1888 in downtown Los Angeles as a spinoff from the existing First Presbyterian Church, also then located in downtown. The church's current building was completed in 1929, and is located on Wilshire Boulevard in what is now the Koreatown district of Los Angeles. The church was listed as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument on February 4, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence E. Kollock</span> American Universalist minister

Florence E. Kollock was an American Universalist minister and lecturer. She organized and served as pastor of the Stewart Avenue Universalist Church, Chicago, 1878–92. She subsequently served as pastor of the Universalist Church, Pasadena, California, 1892–95, where, with a membership of nearly 500, it was the largest congregation in the world under the charge of a woman. From 1904 till September 1910, she was the pastor of St. Paul's Universalist Church, Jamaica Plain (Boston), Massachusetts. Kollock served as President of the Woman's Centenary Association,, 1902–3. She lectured extensively in the U.S. and abroad on sociological and philanthropic problems. She was prominent in all reformatory and educational work, including the temperance movement and women's suffrage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert McLean (minister)</span> American clergyman and politician

Robert McLean was an American Presbyterian minister and Oregon state legislator. As a minister, he founded churches in two southern Oregon communities and served as a missionary in Chile and Puerto Rico. He also served a two-year term in the Oregon House of Representatives as a Republican, representing a large rural district in the south-central part of the state.

Presbyterian Church in India (Reformed) is a presbyterian denomination, established in Manipur in 1984, formed by a group of churches that broke away from the Evangelical Convention Church.

H(amel) H(artford) Brookins was an American bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, community leader, and political powerbroker.

References

  1. "PRESBYTERYOFTHEPACIFIC.ORG". presbyteryofthepacific.org. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Black History Moments in L.A.'s Faith Community". Los Angeles Sentinel. 2016-02-10. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Church Dedication. Colored Presbyterians". The Los Angeles Times. 7 Mar 1908. p. 24. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  4. Rivas, Angel; Gonzalez, Guadalupe (2021-04-21). "Westminster Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles". ArcGIS StoryMaps. Cal State LA, Big Data Project. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Colored People Finance Well. Dedicate a Church that is Free From Debt". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. 9 Mar 1908. p. 5. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  6. "Will Mark Gala Day". Los Angeles Herald at Newspapers.com. 7 Mar 1908. p. 6. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  7. 1 2 Chew, Prof. E. L. (12 Feb 1909). "As to the Negro from the Schools". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. p. 33. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  8. "Installation Service for Colored Pastor". Los Angeles Evening Express. 16 May 1908. p. 4. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  9. "Mass Meeting to Raise Funds for Colored YMCA Gymnasium". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record at Newspapers.com. 21 Aug 1908. p. 6. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  10. Bryant, Rev. G. R. (12 Feb 1909). "The Religious Life of Los Angeles Negroes". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. p. 35. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  11. "Still Seek Firebugs. Police and Fire Adjustors After Persons Who Burned Parsonage of Colored Church". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. 27 Aug 1913. p. 14. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  12. "Alumni News" (PDF). Lincoln University Herald. No. 6. Oct 1913. p. 6. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Shaun, J. "Westminster Presbyterian Church History for 115th Anniversary" (PDF). Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  14. 1 2 "Dr. Hawes to speak at Occidental. D.D. degree will be conferred on Westminster pastor". Newspapers.com. No. California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 30 May 1940. p. 6. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  15. "California, U.S., County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1849-1980 for Gertrude L Holman". www.ancestry.com. p. 215. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  16. "Pastors back marriage law". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. 27 Jan 1937. p. 23. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Westminster Church's Sunday School Will Honor Rev. Hawes". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 1 Jun 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  18. "Westminster Reports Show Big Gains". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 3 Apr 1941. p. 15. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  19. "Hawes, Choir at Immanuel Presbyterian". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 13 Feb 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  20. "Angeleno Given Church Post". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. 28 Jul 1944. p. 7.
  21. "Westminster to Have Scout Troop". Los Angeles Sentinel. 10 June 1947. p. 8.
  22. "GSM Treats Scouts to Shrine Classic". Los Angeles Sentinel. 25 July 1957. p. A3.
  23. 1 2 "Presbyterians Ready to Join Congregations". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. 18 Sep 1948. p. 15. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  24. "Congregation Moves Tomorrow". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. 18 Jun 1949. p. 15. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  25. "Westminster Will Celebrate Founding". Los Angeles Sentinel. 27 June 1959. p. B9.
  26. "Pastor to Show Color Films of Far East Tour". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 9 Apr 1956. p. 6. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  27. 1 2 3 "Congregation Gives Car to Minister on Anniversary". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 5 Jun 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  28. 1 2 "Retirement Celebration for Rev. Hawes". Los Angeles Sentinel. 25 Dec 1958. p. A9.
  29. "Pastor Installed by Vote of Members". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 4 Feb 1960. p. 5. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  30. "Community House Marks 20th Year". The Detroit Tribune at Newspapers.com. 26 May 1956. p. 1. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  31. 1 2 "Ceremony Will Install New Westminster Pastor Tonight". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 21 Jan 1960. p. 5. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  32. "Westminster Congregation to Welcome New Pastor". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 3 Dec 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  33. "Westminster Pastor Makes Brazilan Tour". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 23 May 1963. p. 7. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  34. Cox, Claire (19 Aug 1961). "Foreign missionaries are busy in the United States". Redlands Daily Facts at Newspapers.com. p. 2. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  35. "Bowen Men Set to Create New Society". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 7 Nov 1963. p. 5. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  36. "Bowen's Men". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 24 Sep 1964. p. 36. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Oliver, Myrna (29 Sep 1998). "Rev. James E. Jones; First Black to Head School Board". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. p. 22. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  38. "King and Yorty Feud Over Causes of Roiting in LA". Detroit Free Press at Newspapers.com. 20 Aug 1965. p. 17. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  39. "Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education records". oac.cdlib.org. Box 393. Retrieved 4 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  40. Hall, Simon (2007). "The NAACP, Black Power, and the African American Freedom Struggle, 1966–1969". The Historian. 69 (1): 59. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6563.2007.00174.x. ISSN   0018-2370. JSTOR   24453911. S2CID   143800915 . Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  41. "Westminster Celebrates 70 Years". Los Angeles Sentinel. 10 Oct 1974. p. C8.
  42. 1 2 "BAC Slates Celebraton". Los Angeles Sentinel. 18 Oct 1990. p. C10.
  43. "Senior Minister". Riverside Church. New York City, NY. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  44. Francis, Barbara (6 October 2022). "Transitions for the week of 10-7-22". Baptist News Global. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  45. 1 2 "75th Anniversary". Los Angeles Sentinel. 11 Oct 1979. p. A2.
  46. "Anniversary (photo 19 of Peck, Jones, Bradley, Hooks)". Los Angeles Sentinel. 8 Nov 1979. p. B11.
  47. "Thurman Speaks". Los Angeles Sentinel. 29 Nov 1979. p. C11.
  48. "Wright Set for Revival". Los Angeles Sentinel. 13 Jan 2000. p. C5.
  49. "Death of Rev. E. P. Baker". The Highland Park Herald at Newspapers.com. 17 Jun 1911. p. 3. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  50. Simms, Lois Averetta (1987). A history of Zion, Olivet, and Zion-Olivet churches, 1850-1985, Charleston, South Carolina. L.A. Simms. pp. 3, 35. OCLC   21410845 . Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  51. Simms, Lois Averetta (1987). A history of Zion, Olivet, and Zion-Olivet churches, 1850-1985, Charleston, South Carolina. L.A. Simms. pp. 43–44. OCLC   21410845.
  52. "Hampton Hawes". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. No. 23 Oct 1958. p. 10. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  53. "Rev. Z. Bravo Joins Staff at Westminster". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 4 Aug 1960. p. 5. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  54. "Rev. Bravo to Lecture on Brazil". The San Bernardino County Sun at Newspapers.com. 11 Feb 1962. p. 39. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  55. Bravo, Zacharias (1958). Mas recebereis o poder (in Portuguese). Hinman & Overholt. OCLC   31674195 . Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  56. "Minster drowns in Fresno pool". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. 18 Jul 1962. p. 18. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  57. "Graham scores sin; Brazilian trip aide drowns". The Sacramento Bee at Newspapers.com. 18 Jul 1962. p. 46. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  58. "Westminister Installs Lee". Los Angeles Sentinel. March 23, 1967. p. D6.
  59. McGowan, Evans (Spring 2008). "Lee Full of Gratitude, Humility, Hope". Chimes (SFTS): 8–9.
  60. William Brimberry Abbot. OCLC   4779114236 . Retrieved 18 July 2021 via www.worldcat.org.
  61. "Obituary for JOHN F. WARNER (Aged 64)". Chicago Tribune. 9 November 2010. pp. 1–21. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  62. Adams, Neil (1988). 1988 Directory Westminster Presbyterian Church. Alan Mills Church Directory Division. pp. 1, 9.
  63. Adams, Neil (1991). 1991 Directory Westminster Presbyterian Church. Alam Mills Directory Division. pp. 1, 2.
  64. "Rev. Oliver Louis Brown II Obituary (2006) Los Angeles Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  65. Murray, Virgie (Sep 2006). "Celebration of O. Brown's Life Set". The Los Angeles Sentinel. ProQuest   369293870 . Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  66. "Impact Church lead pastor, founder announces retirement | The Atlanta Voice". The Atlanta Voice | Atlanta GA News. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  67. 1991 Directory Westminster Presbyterian Church. Alan Mills Directory Division. 1991. pp. 6, 7.
  68. Applegate, Joe. "Gospel music at St. Stephen's and Calvary Baptist | San Diego Reader". www.sandiegoreader.com. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  69. "Rev. Charles Marks, D.Min. – New Theological Seminary of the West". ntswest.org. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  70. Bowen, Elaine Hegwood. "Film Monthly.com – The Least Among You". www.filmmonthly.com. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  71. "Getting a pastor, giving a hospital, tacking issues". The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com. 3 Feb 2007. p. 89. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  72. Bariscale, Floyd. "No. 229 - Westminster Presbyterian Church Building" . Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  73. "Regarding St. Paul's Presbyterian Church". Southwest Builder and Contractor: 49. Dec 5, 1930.
  74. 1 2 "Westminster Presbyterian to Move to New Location Sunday". Los Angeles Sentinel. Jun 16, 1949. p. B2.
  75. "Charles Crawford Joins Church of Dr. Briegleb". Los Angeles Times. 1930-06-01.
  76. "Historic Landmarks Detail | Los Angeles City Planning". planning.lacity.org. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  77. "Merry Christmas II You by Mariah Carey". Genius. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  78. "Cupid and the Bride". Newspapers.com. California Eagle at Newspapers.com. p. 7. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  79. "Norma Williams in Pre-Nupital Whirl". Los Angeles Sentinel. 21 Aug 1952. p. C3.
  80. "Architect Paul Williams' Daughter Weds". Jet Magazine. Johnson Publishing Company: 19. 11 September 1952. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  81. "Westminster Presbyterian Church". California Eagle at Newspapers.com. 20 Mar 1931. p. 11. Retrieved 24 July 2021.