OUR CHURCH HISTORY

 

Under the direction of Reverend P. Jammison, the church was organized in October of 1923, in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Warfield who resided on Washington Street in Battle Creek. The congregation bought a building at 194 South McCamly Street a year later. Pastor Jammison was reassigned and later returned to assist the new pastor with building and addition to the Church. The Official Board Committee Members were W.M. Warfield, Joe Williams, Harrison Wheatly, L.C. Boyd, Like McDuffy, Jessie Jackson, Sterling Hestor, Lawrence Speers, and Manuel Kirby.

 

There was a fire on the first floor of the Church building and for a time services were held in the basement of the building. During the time of the flood, the church was relocated to 83 Grand Truck Ave under the leadership of Bishop Henry C. Bunton, Presiding Elder J. Jackson and the Church Rev. Robert L. Gordon. The membership continued to grow and the building at 83 Grand Truck Avenue was sold to Archway Cookie Company.  

     

The congregation began to worship at the Hillsdale C.O.G.I.C. until a new building was purchased in September of 1975 from Trinity Lutheran Church. The land on which the church and Parsonage were built was donated by C.W. Post to the St. Paul Lutheran Church which later became the Trinity Luther Church. The ground breaking ceremony for the Church was June of 1904 and dedicated, in December 1904. The Trinity Lutheran Church last worshiped there in August 1972. In September of 1975, the Michigan-Indiana Annual Conference purchased the church for St. Mark Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. The Church at 59 Illinois Street was under the direction of Bishop Dotcy I. Isom, Presiding Elder Rev. Harry L. Redds, and Rev. Robert L. Gordon.  The church continues to worship at 59 Illinois Street under the very fine and proven leadership of our simply outstanding pastor, The Rev. Dr. William H. Bell, Jr. who has led this congregation in the purchasing of  two adjacent lots east of the church and is in negotiation of the purchase of a third lot

 

 The Pastor’s Service Roll 1923-2015

 

• Rev. Jamminson

• Rev. Crouder

• Rev. Gamble

• Rev. Fullwood Sr.

• Rev. Fullwood Jr.

• Rev. Goodwin

• Rev. Richard Roundtree

• Rev. Saffold

• Rev. Jones

• Rev. Jay

• Rev. Pruitt

• Rev. Flowers

• Rev. Royston

• Rev. Carnes

• Rev. Triggs

• Rev. Greshem

• Rev. Roundtree

• Rev. Robert Gordon

• Rev. Walker

• Rev. Walter Harmon

• Rev. Chappel

• Rev. Elza Bearyman

• Rev. Robert Gordon

• Rev. E. Kaye Harmon

• Rev. Walter Harmon

• Rev. James Taylor

• Rev. Alexander Minor

• Rev. Llewellyn Jones

• Rev. Dr. William H. Bell, Jr.