East
Meets
West: 1952-Present
By the
1940’s, the
church had long outgrown its outmoded building and inadequate
facilities. According to the church's Book of
Remembrance, the Methodist Church's Week of Dedication, a nationwide
offering of Methodists in anticipation of church extension following
World War II, named our church as one of its projects. The Board of
Missions offered a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of $25,000.
With this inducement and Rev. Edwar
Lee’s vigorous advocate and strong leadership, the church solicited
local
businesses and scoured the country in search of funds. Through
this financial camapign, the church raised an amount in excess of
$30,000 and the Board granted a total of $39,500, making way for the
construction of the new church building. With Mr. Earl D. Minton,
a retired contractor on the Board of Missions charging a dollar-a-year
(i.e., essentially donating his service gratis), construction began in
early 1952 and was completed just before Christmas. A
consecration service was held on December 14, 1952.
“’In Christ now meet both East and West,’ declares the architecture of
the Chinese Community
Methodist Church, Oakland, California. The pastor, Dr. Edwar Lee,
desired ‘a sanctuary of cloistered quietness in the midst of noisy
traffic in
Oakland’s Chinatown, a structure distinctively Chinese and
distinctively
Christian.’”
[Church Management, 1963] The present
edifice, completed in 1952, with its Chinese style architecture
reflected the
unique cultural and spiritual heritage of the community.
Each room and feature was designed with a
specific purpose in mind.
Other Links:
|
|
Click to Read Article
Palace
of the
King, Church Management 1953
|
|
With
completion of the new church building in 1952, the church experienced
immediate growth in membership and activities in the church. The
church embarked on a plan for expansion by purchasing the two adjacent
buildings. When the church planned its Diamond Jubilee
celebration in
1920, it adopted the slogan "$75,000 for the 75 Anniversary" with
explicit aim of building the Annex. It was met with enthusiastic
and
financial response. Mr. Dartmond Cherk, an architect, was engaged
to
draw up plans for the new building and construction began shortly
thereafter. The social hall and educational annex was completed
in
early 1970.
Other Links:
|
|
|
|
