BEREAN CHURCH OF
FREE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
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| Some young Sabbath School members of Berean Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in 1931. |
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The Free Seventh-day Adventist movement came into existence at a time that can be described as a very dark and sad chapter in Seventh-day Adventist history. It was a period of time that few are aware of and others are too ashamed to talk about, since it was a time when many leaders of the established Seventh-day Adventist Church practiced racial discrimination against their colored members. It is important to note, however, that the messenger to the Adventist Church, Ellen G. White, loved the colored people and did her best to encourage others to work in their behalf.
“I have a most earnest interest in the work to be done among the colored people. This is a branch of work that has been strangely neglected. The reason that this large class of human beings, who have souls to save or to lose, have been so long neglected, is the prejudice that the white people have felt and manifested against mingling with them in religious worship. They have been despised, shunned, and treated with abhorrence, as though crime were upon them, when they were helpless and in need, when men should have labored most earnestly for their salvation. They have been treated without pity. The priests and the Levites have looked upon their wretchedness, and have passed by on the other side.” 1
As we proceed with this historical overview let us now focus our attention upon one of the stories of triumph arising from the determination of some who sought to preserve their faith in the Adventist message, regardless of the odds against them. In the early 1900s a Seventh-day Adventist Church in Los Angeles, California was started and supported by colored members. One of the early periodicals of the church recorded the beginning of this church:
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| Elder Lewis Sheafe |
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“It was the writer’s privilege to visit the Berean S.D.A. church at this place Sabbath, June 19 [1915]. The company consists of thirty-seven members, in [the] charge of Elder and Mrs. Sheafe. The surroundings gave evidence of the good work being carried on,—a room well filled with earnest and smiling faces, and a neat little house of worship, located in a nice residential district of the city. Elder Sheafe began his work here in December, 1913. The company was organized January 30, this year, and the house of worship dedicated March 17. Elder Sheafe has also built up two other companies in this vicinity. We are glad for the many evidences of God’s care for his work in this growing city. Los Angeles is now the largest city on the coast. It has a large colored population.” 2
Historical records show that when Elder Sheafe “arrived in Los Angeles Dec. 7 [1913]” he went directly to “the Furlong church” 3 where he “then [became the] pastor.” 4 Shortly after his arrival he quickly secured a hall “for meetings, which began Jan. 11, 1914.” 5 From these meetings that were held “in 1914 the [Watts] church was organized” 6 and another congregation, whose foundation was laid in 1913 when “a residence was purchased and converted into a house of worship,” 7 was also strengthened, resulting in “the Berean church on the west side of Los Angeles [being] organized” by Elder Sheafe. 8 This church was later “admitted to the conference” at the fifteenth annual session of the Southern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists held between, February 18 to 23, 1915. 9
However, due to the racial practices of the day the members of the Berean S.D.A. Church soon decided to break loose from the established body of Seventh-day Adventists and became a self-supporting church. These brethren stepped out by faith to provide a place of worship for downtrodden believers who were originally members of the established Seventh-day Adventist Church in the State of California, and a lighthouse for the promulgation of the Three Angels’ Messages. Within the walls of this humble edifice honest and sincere brethren continued to come together to worship God and study present truth. This they now chose to do, free from the control of men and free from the racial policies that were sanctioned and promoted by the leaders of the established SDA church in those days.
The decision to break away from the main Adventist body arose after the members of the church learned that their pastor, Elder Lewis C. Sheafe, then a highly recognized black Seventh-day Adventist minister and evangelist, had left the established body due to its racial practices. After learning of their minister’s decision, the members of this Berean church decided that they would rather go self-supporting than to remain with the organization while these unfair practices continued. Therefore, on hearing of Elder Sheafe’s decision to depart from the established body, the members of the Berean SDA Church encouraged him to continue to pastor their church. Elder Sheafe fully accepted the invitation and remained in Los Angeles, California, where he became the first minister to pastor this now self-supporting church. This event was carefully chronicled in one of the denominations periodicals:
“It is with sorrow that we record the fact that one of the colored churches of Los Angeles has withdrawn from the conference. Wednesday evening, September 15, the Berean church, of which Elder L. C. Sheafe was the pastor, passed resolutions withdrawing its membership from the conference. A few days before, Elder Sheafe resigned his position as a public laborer of the Southern California Conference. Among the resolutions passed by the Berean church was one inviting Brother Sheafe to accept the pastorate.” 10
Under the direction of Elder Sheafe the members of the Berean church secured the church on a more solid foundation by incorporating it in the State of California on December 21, 1916, under the name Berean Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists, Inc. 11 As a result of this action, this church became the first Seventh-day Adventist Church on record to register a corporation using the words “Free Seventh-day Adventists” in its name.
During the first decade of its existence as Berean Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists, a faithful church member by the name of Br. Emanuel Beckham played a very important part in establishing the church. Those still living today who knew Br. Beckham in those early years have nothing but kind and positive things to say about this Christian man. This dear brother also faithfully kept the Berean church together at a very critical time for the Free SDA movement, and his contributions were highly spoken of by Elder Mosley, the President of the sisterhood of Free Seventh-day Adventist Churches at that time. When reporting on his visit to the Berean Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists, in Los Angeles, California, in 1931, Elder Mosley later wrote:
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| Br. Beckham-front center |
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“Bro. E. Beckham was at the station of the Southern Pacific lines
patiently awaiting my arrival, who afterwards conveyed me to his home,
where I made my temporary abode.” Elder Mosley further stated, “Words
of thanks were accorded Bro. E. Beckham for his faithfulness in holding
the work together till I arrived.” 12
As a result, the work of the Berean church and other Free Seventh-day
Adventist Churches continued to progress. However, as the years passed
by, a decline in membership began to take place in the Free Seventh-day
Adventist movement. One of the factors contributing to this decline in
membership was a major change in church policy that was adopted by the
established SDA Church. About the mid 1940s, the leaders of the
established Seventh-day Adventist body conceded to the old request of
black leaders for colored conferences. By doing so, they finally
permitted colored members to be involved in the administrative affairs
of their own people, which was a sore spot for many colored church
members who left the church over the years. Initially, church policy
did not allow colored church members to hold leadership or
administrative positions in the church. For many years this was the
church’s policy, even though “in 1909 the General Conference
established the North American Negro Department” for the colored work,
13 but a black person was not permitted to head the Department until
almost a decade later.
The church’s new policy in the 1940s regarding the colored work did not
come about suddenly or easily. It necessitated a lot of work on the
part of black church leaders over the years before it eventually
evolved into the birth of Regional Conferences. History shows that this
request was officially introduced by Elder C. Kinny in 1889 when he
“dropped his bombshell” that to “solve this problem” of racism in the
church “there should be the organization of a Colored conference.” 14
Also, at a meeting called by the General Conference and held in Chicago
in 1929 another attempt was made by colored leaders. This meeting is
still remembered for those famous and unforgettable words expressed to
the colored delegates seeking a change in church policy, “Black
conferences are out of the question. Don’t ever ask for a Black
conference again.” 15 Then in 1944, when black leaders again came
together with church officials at a time when the black church
membership had grown considerably and circumstances in the world were
changing, “the vote to accept and implement the proposal was almost
unanimous,” resulting in the birth of Regional Conferences. 16
As a result of this and other developments, many former Free
Seventh-day Adventist members and churches decided to go back to the
conference. Nevertheless, the Free Seventh-day Adventist movement never
ceased to exist, since many members refused to go back under the old
leadership. One well-known and highly recognized black Seventh-day
Adventist leader, Charles Edward Dudley, wrote concerning the longevity
of this movement in one of his books entitled, Thou Who Hast Brought Us
Thus Far On Our Way. Outlining the history of the Adventist church he
stated, “in 1970 there were still remnants of the Manns’ [Free
Seventh-day Adventist] movement.” 17 He thereby showed the longstanding
presence of the Free Seventh-day Adventist movement, since there was
still evidence of its existence way into the 20th century, long after
the change in policy by the General Conference of Seventh-day
Adventists. Furthermore, after the turn of the century and into the
beginning of the 21st century, through God’s providential plan and
leading, the Berean Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists transferred
its headquarters to the state of Georgia and registered a dba under the
name, Tucker-Norcross Free Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Although many members of the Berean church decided to rejoin the
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists when the church’s policy
had changed in the mid 1940s, the Free Seventh-day Adventist movement
nevertheless remained in existence. Being a member of the sisterhood of
Free Seventh-day Adventist churches, the Berean Church of Free
Seventh-day Adventists still continued to exist. Also, this church
corporation was never officially dissolved, and even today its original
name, Berean Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists, is still recorded
on the files of the California Secretary of State as a church in good
and legal standing since 1916.
1. The Southern Work, by Ellen G. White, Review and Herald Publishing Assoc., Washington, D.C., 1966, page 19
2. The Gospel Herald, North American Negro Department, The
Oakwood Manual Training School Printers, Huntsville, Alabama, Vol. XI,
No. 8, August 1915, page 7
3. The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Review and Herald,
Takoma Park, Washington, D.C., Vol. 91, No. 14, April 2, 1914, page 16
4. Pacific Union Recorder, Pacific Union Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists, Glendale, California, Vol. 45, No. 43, May 29,
1946, page 11
5. The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Review and Herald,
Takoma Park, Washington, D.C., Vol. 91, No. 14, April 2, 1914, page 16
6. Pacific Union Recorder, Pacific Union Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists, Glendale California, Vol. 45, No. 43, May 29,
1946, page 11
7. Berean S.D.A. Church 40th Anniversary Celebration—Special commemorative book, October 4-12, 2003, Los Angeles, CA, page 3
8. Pacific Union Recorder, Pacific Union Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists, Glendale, California, Vol. 46, No. 28, Feb. 19, 1947, page 9
9. Ibid, Vol. 14, No. 32, March 11, 1915, page 10
10. Ibid, Vol. 15, No. 11, October 21, 1915, page 4-5
11. Information obtained from the incorporation records filed in the
office of the California Secretary of State, Sacramento, California
(See: “Berean Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists”)
12. Free Advent Banner, Printed by The Banner Publishing Association, Savannah, GA, Vol. 10, No. 2, April 1931, page 2
13. Perspectives: Black Seventh-day Adventist and Church Loyalty, by Charles E. Bradford, D.D., p. 15-16
14. Righteous Rebel, by W. W. Fordham, Review and Herald Publishing Assoc., Washington, D.C., 1990, page 67
15. Ibid, page 71
16. Ibid, page 79
17. Thou Who Hast Brought Us Thus Far On Our Way, by Charles Edward Dudley, Sr., D.D., L.L.D., Dudley Publications, Nashville, Tennessee, 2000, page 40.
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