08/24/10

LANDMARK MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

4831 Tully Road
Modesto, Ca. 95356
 Church Phone (209) 522-9690
 

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Searching for a God-called Pastor

Church History
Landmark Missionary Baptist Church of Modesto

Information was taken from old minute books, papers on church history, and recollections of charter member Merle Gibson.

Above is a picture of the building where the church currently meets twice every Sunday and again on Wednesday evening. In the beginning the church met in private homes. Some of the other places the church met, before purchasing the property on Tully Road, included the German Baptist Church building, South Modesto Acres Auction Yard meeting room, Prescott Community Hall, Modesto Youth Center and John Muir School Building.

The church was organized August 14, 1949 while meeting in the German Baptist Church building. The Airport MBC was the sponsoring church. Most of the charter members of LMBC came from the Riverbank MBC. The charter members were L. D. and Maurine Perdue, Arnold and Jewel Jenkins, Bill, Merle and James Gibson, Dale and Sister Dale McIntosh. Enrollment was held open one month for Clementine Bledsoe to join. L. D. Perdue was the missionary pastor who helped organize the church. The articles of faith as written in the Baptist Way book were adopted by the church. The Organization Council included Brothers Charles Crouch, Thomas Lyon, Art Harris, Ben Crawford, Ed Hall, Wes Goulding, L. D. Perdue and others from the area. There were seven charter members present.

Landmark MBC of Modesto history can be traced as far back as 1638 when the first Baptist church in America was established in Newport, Rhode Island.

Originally called First Missionary Baptist Church of Modesto, the name was changed to Landmark MBC in 1957. When the church moved to our current address, we gradually became known as Tully Road MBC. Sometime in the 1980’s the name was changed to Tully Road MBC, although it was recently discovered that the paper work was not completed in Sacramento and we are actually still Landmark MBC.

In December of 1955 the church voted for the men to meet and discuss buying property. In March of 1956 the church members discussed disbanding due to low attendance and having no pastor. Brother Monroe Patterson advised against this action and the church struggled on with the search for a place to build. Tully Road was not the first choice for a building site. Among other sites considered were properties on Orangeburg and McHenry Avenue. In April of 1957 the church agreed to purchase the property on Tully Road and grant Stanislaus County right of way for 45 feet frontage from the center of the road (this was required by the county for the purchase to be permitted). In September of 1957 the members discussed the Broadway Bond plan for funding and building after the property was paid off. The design and size of the building were agreed on by the members. It was to be 40 by 90 feet with slopping floors and colored blocks. A committee was elected to apply for a building permit in April 1959 and by June the church was ready to start forming the building. Men from other Missionary Baptist churches in the area came to help the members work on the building. They met each day after work and worked long into the evening. For financing the new building the church voted “to put the preacher on the road to selling of the bonds with expenses paid”. Also, all working church members were to give one day’s wages to help pay off the indebted for the building material. The church dedication service was the first Sunday in August of 1960 with Brother M. B. Hubbard speaking. A building was purchased from the State Hospital for classrooms in 1963. Ninety feet (or 1/2 half) of the building was sold to a church member for $237.50. The other half is our fellowship hall now. Construction of the baptistery and choir loft was started in July of 1964. Started in 1984 and completed in 1986, the education wing was added to the south side of the sanctuary and once again it was required that more frontage be granted to the county before permission would be given for the addition. Chapel Builders came to help church members with the building. The church building fell into disrepair during the 1990’s and early 2000. In 2006 Faith MBC (which had disbanded) sold their property and some of the money from the sale was given to Landmark MBC This money was used for repairs and improvements. A new roof was put on, the parking lot resurfaced and striped, three air conditioners replaced, and new windows, new entrance doors and vinyl siding were added. What a blessing! We are now in the process of renovating our fellowship hall. With help from CMD we were able to vinyl siding added and new windows put in. Now work has started on the inside of the building.

Although this list may not be complete and not in order of service, the pastors of Landmark MBC are worthy of note and include Brothers Tommy Hicks, Dwight Patterson, Maynard Beckler, George Walton, Sonny Williams, Melvin Long, Wall, D. A. Sharver, Daniel Kirk, Tom Judd, David Keeling, and currently Keith Perkins.

In February of 1959, incorporation papers that were sent to Sacramento in 1958 were recalled and new papers drawn up. The bylaws and the Pendleton manual were adopted in March and the bylaws were to go with the papers. Members of the Board of Trustees were selected in April. In August of 1959, the church voted not to use pages 90-93 of the Pendleton manual. August 28, 1968 the church voted to apply for church exemption for income tax. The Articles of Incorporation were amended to make them acceptable to the Internal Revenue Department in November of 1968. The church decided to use Robert’s Rules of Order as guide to parliamentary procedure in July of 1972.

In the early days church discipline was taken very seriously. Exclusions for unchristian behavior were fairly common and usually followed quickly by apologies to the church. The following are some of the reasons given for exclusion: dancing, promoting dancing, participating in a beauty contest, non-fellowship, heresy, contempt of the church, causing discord in the church, family desertion, attending unscriptural church, church neglect, causing division in the church, disorderly and ungodly walk, and adultery. Often times apologies for unstated transgressions were made without prompting by the church body. In the ‘60’s and ‘70’s motions for exclusion were accompanied by scripture reference in 11 Thessalonians either 3:6, 3:11, or 6-11.

Over the years Landmark MBC of Modesto has been faithful in supporting missionaries through California Mission Development, Chapel Builders and directly to individual missionaries and the orphanage in Texas. In days gone by, Mission Rallies and Missionary Day were held regularly to gain support for the missionaries. Several missionaries were invited to share their stories, sister churches were invited to the all day gathering. Pot luck was provided for lunch. At some time before 1979, LMBC started the Waterford Mission which was organized into a New Testament church January 26, 1980.

Sometime between 1980 and 1981 there was a split in LMBC. There is no note in the minute books as to the cause of the split.

Christian education was given much attention by LMBC in the 60’s and 70’s. Financial support was given regularly to FMBI, CMBI, and the Missionary Baptist College in Sacramento. Also, in 1973 the church voted to have CMBI Extension School here at Landmark.

There was more interaction of our churches in past years and LMBC was very active then; hosting Christian Workers Conferences, State and local Youth Rallies, State and Local Association Meetings. At times church services were suspended to attend revival meetings in other area MBC churches.

Other interesting facts:
A Girls Auxiliary was formed and accepted by the church on February 5, 1958 with the Auxiliary being subject to the voice of the church at all times.

The church seal was ordered and a pulpit donated to the church in 1959.

The first wedding in the new building was on Wednesday, November 23, 1960 (Lily J. Casteel to Larry E. Wood). The church moved their evening service to Tuesday evening to accommodate the wedding.

From early 2004 until February 2006, the Romanian Baptist Church was allowed to use our fellowship hall as a meeting place.

Through youth group meetings and youth rallies, our young people learned how to properly conduct themselves in church and business meetings and to prepare to become the leaders of the church in the future. Their meetings were conducted in a mature and dignified manner and their treasure reports and minutes are clear and concise. (The only minutes available are from the 1970’s.) Meetings were held in private homes under the guidance of youth group director. Generally 6-16 youth were in attendance. The meetings started with a prayer and devotional by one of the young people or their leader. Following the business meeting refreshments were served, the meeting closed in prayer and adjourned. One of the more interesting matters of business was to have each youth write “to people who write the quarterlies asking them to try not to cover so much material with so few verses—it might prove more interesting to cover less material in one lesson.”

Some of the activities the youth participated in the 1970’s and 1980’s were youth rallies (hosting and attending), prayer meetings, songfest, skating parties, ice cream socials, Biblical character fellowship, hay ride, gospel concerts, a youth choir, snow trips, Christmas caroling, weenie roast, overnight retreat in Sonora, Valentine banquets, graduation picnics, putt-putt golf, volley ball, base ball and football games, kite flying contest, movie nights, and 10 mile hike. Many activities involved young people from other local MB Churches. They put out a bulletin with different young people in charge of collecting information and writing it up each month. For BTC, the young people took charge of the song service and devotional. They also participated in VBS.

They had fund raisers (such as spaghetti feed, walkathon, slave day, paper drive, car wash, bake sale, and hot dog sale) to pay for their activities. Their money was spent on things like rent for the roller rink, party decorations and supplies, missionaries support, SS literature, gifts, film and screen rental, advertising, sports equipment, postage, youth rally minutes, sponsor Jr. youth for church camp, flowers for the sick, bus fund, Bible study books and food.

Many of those who were active in the youth group are leaders in our work today. David Bush is a deacon in the Waterford church and his wife Leslie (Graham) is an active member there, Keith Hooper is the pastor of Lassen MBC in Susanville, California, Stan Hooper is a teacher in the Redlands MBC, Dennis Bell is the Christian music director in a MBC in Texas, and Wes Denny is pastor of MBC of Merced. There are likely many more who are actively leading the way in Missionary Baptist churches all over this country but this is the only information available at this time.

Sister Merle had many stories to tell of the church in the early years. She fondly said “Oh, my, we were so young then. All we did was make mistakes”. It seems we haven’t changed that much. We still struggle, and we continue to make mistakes. In recent years there have been troubles and trials, ups and downs, joys and sorrows; just as there was in the past. But we are still sound in doctrine, we are still Christ’s church and He continues to love us and shower us with His Blessings.

Worthy of note, this year (2009) the church voted to be A. V. King James version of the Bible only.
 

Here are some pictures that show the disrepair, the remodel, and where the Lord has brought us to this date. We still have a lot of work ahead of us but God has, is and will continue to bless the work here at

Tully Road Landmark Missionary Baptist Church
Click on Picture to Enlarge

The Disarray from early 90's to 2006 Began remodel in November of 2006	The Lord Truly Blessed us with the means to remodel.	This is where we are at to date. We continue to progress in the material but more importantly in the spiritual!