From Vision to Reality: The Founding Journey of Westside Christian Church
Most of us think of January 8, 1956, as our official beginning, when 105 of us decided to organize a new church. However, it really began several years prior, when these 105 members, along with many others from Parkview Christian Church, had a dream. To show their love to the Church at Parkview and to God's growing kingdom in Portsmouth, Parkview approached its 50th anniversary with an extension campaign they hoped would influence the church 100 or even 1,000 years from now.
Part of their plans were to see a new and growing church in the Oregon Acres section of town in the very near future. It took two years of hard work and a lot of committee meetings before we finally approached January 8th, 1956, when a new congregation was formed out of the Parkview Christian Church congregation, and we set out to build a church of our own. With no church building yet, we rented the Seventh-Day Adventist Church building at 109 Grove Avenue and held our first worship service on July 8th, 1956. 105 men, women, and children commissioned Westside Christian Church.
That first Sunday, we had 130 for worship, 131 in church school, and an offering of $260.49. You had to have strong faith back then because we knew we were going to have around a $1 million debt. At home, I found an old bulletin from September 1959. The offering for that day was loose, $21.27. Current, $152.15. The organ fund $12, for a total of $185.43. It was a working man's church, and money was hard to come by back then.
Because the Seventh-Day Adventist Church met on Saturday for its worship services, we were able to use their building for worship on Sundays. In order for Reverend E.H. Epling to alternate between both churches, we held our worship hour at 9:30 AM. This allowed him time to drive back to Parkview church for their 11 o'clock service. Our Sunday school classes met at 10:45. Because the church building was very small, we didn't have enough space for all the Sunday school classes to meet.
So West End Methodist, whose church backed up to ours, allowed us to use some of their classrooms. Young couples class, which is now the disciples class, met across the street in a wooded shack by the fire station. One other church in the area helped us out during that time. Simonsdale Presbyterian Church on Vick Street let us use their facilities to hold a cook-off dinner for our building fund drive.
We had a very inexperienced choir at first. Hardly anyone ever sang in a choir before. None of the Parkview choir members came with us to Westside, but music has always been an important part of our church life in the past, and music directors have played an important part in the life of this church. I think it is important for us to spend just a moment calling to mind those who have served us. Mrs. June Oliver, Mrs. Sylvia Jett, Mrs. Susie Thornton, Beulah Williams, Mr. Bruce Sykes, Mr. Donald Huff, Mrs. Brenda Haith, Mr. Jack Garrett, Mr. George Feltry, Mrs. Dorothy Clark, Mrs. Esther Gray, Miss Rebecca Barkley, and presently, Mrs. Annette H. Crandall.
That same month in July, we purchased a house on Airline Boulevard to use as a church parsonage. The house was moved, and a bank now sits on the property. Albert L. Rose, our first minister, and his wife, Esther, arrived on August 8th, 1956. We met with a setback in October of that year. Land on Oregon Avenue, donated by the Winbro family for our church building, was returned to the donors. That part of the community was restricted for residential use only.
We were not allowed to put a church building on the property. Our present site was purchased in March 1957 at a cost of $8,200. We broke ground on June 30th, 1957, and held our first service on February 23rd, 1958. Cost of the unit, $90,930.26. Mr. Glen Weaver became our second minister on January 1st, 1960. In 1961, we purchased land on Early Drive for our church parsonage and dedicated the house on August 16th, 1962. The church's second unit was completed and occupied on July 25th, 1965. Mr. C.E. Rhodes became our third minister on February 26th, 1967. On September 8th, 1968, Dr. H.S. Hardcastle began an interim ministry.
This lasted until June 15th, 1969, when Paul E. Thompson became our fourth minister of the church. Paul served us for 20 years. Ken Bryant, our fifth minister, is due to arrive around January 1992. Ken will relieve Dick Laszlo, now serving as interim minister. I think any church with a strong future must have had a strong past. Well, Westside's family tree had some strong stock in it, namely Mr. and Mrs. E.F. Floyd, Mr. and Mrs. L.P. Cornett, Mr. R.P. Blackman, Mr. and Mrs. L.F. Nelson, Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Davenport, Mrs. Martha Hill, Mr. and Mrs. O.E. Dale, J. Horace Davenport, Mr. Brantley Honeycutt Sr., Mrs. Ann Tatum, Mr. Harry Barnes, Mr. Ralph Brody, Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Sheeran, and Mr. and Mrs. George Booth.
These are just a few of the initial charter members who had a big impact on Westside's past. They all had a dream, or they caught hold of the dream here at Westside.
Maybe it's time for us to start dreaming anew.
Part of their plans were to see a new and growing church in the Oregon Acres section of town in the very near future. It took two years of hard work and a lot of committee meetings before we finally approached January 8th, 1956, when a new congregation was formed out of the Parkview Christian Church congregation, and we set out to build a church of our own. With no church building yet, we rented the Seventh-Day Adventist Church building at 109 Grove Avenue and held our first worship service on July 8th, 1956. 105 men, women, and children commissioned Westside Christian Church.
That first Sunday, we had 130 for worship, 131 in church school, and an offering of $260.49. You had to have strong faith back then because we knew we were going to have around a $1 million debt. At home, I found an old bulletin from September 1959. The offering for that day was loose, $21.27. Current, $152.15. The organ fund $12, for a total of $185.43. It was a working man's church, and money was hard to come by back then.
Because the Seventh-Day Adventist Church met on Saturday for its worship services, we were able to use their building for worship on Sundays. In order for Reverend E.H. Epling to alternate between both churches, we held our worship hour at 9:30 AM. This allowed him time to drive back to Parkview church for their 11 o'clock service. Our Sunday school classes met at 10:45. Because the church building was very small, we didn't have enough space for all the Sunday school classes to meet.
So West End Methodist, whose church backed up to ours, allowed us to use some of their classrooms. Young couples class, which is now the disciples class, met across the street in a wooded shack by the fire station. One other church in the area helped us out during that time. Simonsdale Presbyterian Church on Vick Street let us use their facilities to hold a cook-off dinner for our building fund drive.
We had a very inexperienced choir at first. Hardly anyone ever sang in a choir before. None of the Parkview choir members came with us to Westside, but music has always been an important part of our church life in the past, and music directors have played an important part in the life of this church. I think it is important for us to spend just a moment calling to mind those who have served us. Mrs. June Oliver, Mrs. Sylvia Jett, Mrs. Susie Thornton, Beulah Williams, Mr. Bruce Sykes, Mr. Donald Huff, Mrs. Brenda Haith, Mr. Jack Garrett, Mr. George Feltry, Mrs. Dorothy Clark, Mrs. Esther Gray, Miss Rebecca Barkley, and presently, Mrs. Annette H. Crandall.
That same month in July, we purchased a house on Airline Boulevard to use as a church parsonage. The house was moved, and a bank now sits on the property. Albert L. Rose, our first minister, and his wife, Esther, arrived on August 8th, 1956. We met with a setback in October of that year. Land on Oregon Avenue, donated by the Winbro family for our church building, was returned to the donors. That part of the community was restricted for residential use only.
We were not allowed to put a church building on the property. Our present site was purchased in March 1957 at a cost of $8,200. We broke ground on June 30th, 1957, and held our first service on February 23rd, 1958. Cost of the unit, $90,930.26. Mr. Glen Weaver became our second minister on January 1st, 1960. In 1961, we purchased land on Early Drive for our church parsonage and dedicated the house on August 16th, 1962. The church's second unit was completed and occupied on July 25th, 1965. Mr. C.E. Rhodes became our third minister on February 26th, 1967. On September 8th, 1968, Dr. H.S. Hardcastle began an interim ministry.
This lasted until June 15th, 1969, when Paul E. Thompson became our fourth minister of the church. Paul served us for 20 years. Ken Bryant, our fifth minister, is due to arrive around January 1992. Ken will relieve Dick Laszlo, now serving as interim minister. I think any church with a strong future must have had a strong past. Well, Westside's family tree had some strong stock in it, namely Mr. and Mrs. E.F. Floyd, Mr. and Mrs. L.P. Cornett, Mr. R.P. Blackman, Mr. and Mrs. L.F. Nelson, Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Davenport, Mrs. Martha Hill, Mr. and Mrs. O.E. Dale, J. Horace Davenport, Mr. Brantley Honeycutt Sr., Mrs. Ann Tatum, Mr. Harry Barnes, Mr. Ralph Brody, Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Sheeran, and Mr. and Mrs. George Booth.
These are just a few of the initial charter members who had a big impact on Westside's past. They all had a dream, or they caught hold of the dream here at Westside.
Maybe it's time for us to start dreaming anew.
