ABOUT OUR CHURCH HISTORY

 

Prior to 1947 a company of believers met for weekly services in the Odd Fellows Hall in Angels Camp. The Angels Camp Seventh-Day Adventist church was formally organized on July 27, 1947. Elder Kingsley Menifee was the first pastor with 25 charter members:

 

Austin, Joseph            Howard, Clifford       Ream, Enoch

Barnet, Lillian             Howard, Ada             Ream, Eva

Cunningham, Helen     Laam, Florence         Ream, Nadine

Cunningham, Lester    LaVere, Alice            Sawyer, Mary

Greiner, Corine            LaVere, Rollin          Schachten, Leona

Greiner, Dorothy         Marty, Charolotte     Warner, Lena

Greiner, Harold           Menifee, Fern            Warner, Leonard

Greiner, Louis             Menifee, Kingsley      Warner, Walter

Raggio, Anna

 

Anna Raggio donated $1500.00 towards the purchase of the current lot on North Main Street in 1948. The church was under construction from 1948 to 1949. Pastor Don Sather helped Jim Crawford, the conference contractor. During this time services were held in the sanctuary while members sat on piles of lumber. Some memories include:

 

·       ·       The use of construction paper to cover the cracks in the sub-flooring to keep out the winter’s cold wind until the hardwood floor could be installed.

·       ·       Trying to keep the unfinished baptistery filled with water while Elder Sather baptized two new members in 1949.

 

In the summer of 1956, under the leadership of Elder H.E. McWhinney construction was completed. The dedication took place on November 17, 1956.

There was a church school at two different times. The first school started in the early 1950,s and continued through 1962. After this time the students were transferred to San Andreas SDA church school. Later the school was reopened under the leadership of Elder Elmer Ross from 1975 to 1985.

 

The fellowship hall was constructed in 1968. A 20-foot expansion was added in 1974, which provided additional room for fellowship lunches and an area for community services.

 

Originally the little church was painted white. In 1979 the color was changed to adobe beige and remained that color until 1994 when it was repainted white.

 

The church family has been actively involved in creating a welcoming environment for members and visitors. Several improvements have been made including: adding a lighted street sign; replacing the evaporation cooler with an air conditioner; installing new carpet in the sanctuary and the fellowship hall; installing the stained glass window in 1996 (donated by Victor & Allegra Oliver); upholstering the pews; re-landscaping; and installing a television dish and projection screen for net ’96 and subsequent crusades.

 

Angles Camp Seventh-Day Adventist Church celebrates its 50th anniversary in April of 1997.  Since then, improvements have included: paving and expanding the parking lot in 1999; adding more extensive landscaping; and exchanging the physical location of community services with the fellowship hall. This move improved access to community services and provided more room for the social functions of the church.

 

In the fall of 2001 the church voted to purchase the Malkowski property. This would provide an increased presence on Route 49.

 

This year, thanks to our building team headed by Abe Perry, the Community Services Center was given a “face lift”: fresh paint, additional shelving, and construction of a director’s office. In addition the kitchen was gutted, expanded, upgraded-Bon Appetite!