THE LIGHT SHINING ON THE HILL: PUC and the SDA Work Among African-Americans

1. THE LIGHT SHINING ON THE HILL: PUC and the SDA Work Among African-Americans A Presentation by Gilbert Abella Pacific Union College Library

2. The historical roots of the SDA African-American community and PUC are intertwined from the start

3. Charles M. Kinney: The Pioneer of the African-American SDA Community • Born as a slave in Richmond, Virginia, in 1855, Charles Kinney worked his way to Reno, Nevada, after the Emancipation. There, in 1878, he attended evangelistic meetings led by J. N. Loughborough. He also listened to Ellen White, who visited Reno at that time. • He was baptized in 1878 and became a charter member of the Reno Church. • Talented, dynamic, and on fire for the Lord, Kinney was sent to Healdsburg College, the forerunner of PUC, to study theology and prepare for the ministry. • He studied there for 2 years: 1883-85 and was immediately hired by the California Conference. • Later he worked as a pastor and evangelist in different parts of the country. He was ordained in 1890, becoming the first African-American to became an ordained minister in the SDA Church!

4. A Pioneer, Patriarch, Leader and Role Model • Charles Kinney emerged as a very respected leader, not just among African-Americans, but throughout the entire denomination. He was very influential in the creation of regional conferences and in solving conflicts related to race. • When he first joined the church, there were only about 50 African-American believers. By the time he died in in 1951, at the age of 96, there were more than 25,000! • During his years of ministry he was probably the most influential and respected spiritual leader within this ethnic minority.

5. Our First African-American Graduate: Frank L. Peterson • Born in Pensacola, Florida in 1893, he graduated from PUC in 1916. • By 1917 he was working as a teacher at Oakwood Junior College, where in 1919 he became the first head of the music department. • He taught there until 1926, when he began a career in the pastoral ministry. • In 1930, he became the secretary of the North American Negro Department at the General Conference. • In 1942 he was appointed Director of the newly created Regional Department of the Pacific Union Conference.

6. Frank L. Peterson: Career after 1945 • In 1945, he became the 4th President of Oakwood College. He led that institution for nine years. • In 1954, he was appointed Associate Secretary of the General Conference. • In 1962, he was elected Vice President of the General Conference. • He remained in that post until his retirement in 1966. • He continued to preach and do pastoral work in California, until the end of his life. • His impact on the African-American SDA community was profound, not just because of his administrative positions, but also due to his ability to mentor, inspire and encourage others. • He died in 1969.

7. Garland J. Millet: A Story that Crisscrossed America • Chronologically, his story should not be next. Yet, there is a good reason to place it after the life of Frank. L. Peterson, the 4th President of Oakwood: Millet was his successor in that position! • Garland Millet was born in Oakland, CA, in 1913 and graduated from PUC in 1934. However, his connection with the SDA Church starts in 1890s, with the work of the steamer “Morning Star,” on the Mississippi River. • His mother, Cynthia G. Johnson, attended school on that boat. After getting married, she moved with her husband to California, where Garland Millet was born.

8. Garland J. Millet: A Commitment to Service and Excellence • From 1934 to 1936, he taught at Oakwood. • From 1937 to 1941, he served as academy principal, in Washington DC, but returned to Oakwood College in 1942 as English teacher and librarian. • In 1947, he got a MA in history at PUC. • Following that, he worked as pastor and academy teacher for a few years. • In 1954, he was selected to become the President of Oakwood College. During his 9 years in that office, the college flourished and the enrollment doubled. • After leaving Oakwood, he earned a Ph.D. and held various academic positions in several universities. • In 1970, he was elected Associate Director of the Department of Education at the General Conference, a position he held for 8 years. • From 1978 until his retirement in 1982, he served as Special Assistant to the President of Loma Linda University. • Throughout his career, he influenced thousands of people and served as a role model to many.

9. Arna Bontemps: An Unfinished Journey • 1902 – 1973, PUC Class of 1923 • Arna Bontemps is regarded as one of the most outstanding alumni of PUC. • In the field of literature, no other graduate of this school reached his level of success and fame. • Yet, he is cherished by the African-American SDA community for additional reasons: his dedication to the church and his commitment to SDA education. • His teaching career started in 1924, at the Harlem Academy, New York. He was later appointed Principal. • While in New York, he was very active not only in the Harlem Renaissance literary movement, but also in Adventist community. This was the period when he began to be well known and respected as a writer. • His literary activities, however, created some discomfort among church leaders. • In 1931 he accepted a teaching position at Oakwood Junior College.

10. Arna Bontemps: An Unfinished Journey • The shift from secondary to higher education did not make life easier for Bontemps, in terms of acceptance of his literary work by church officials. By 1934, he left his job at Oakwood under pressure. • For a couple of years, he worked at the Shiloh Academy, in Chicago. This was his last position in SDA institutions. • Yet, he remained connected with the Church. He would write occasionally for the Message magazine. • In terms of his personal witness, he gave a good example of grace and forgiveness. Already famous, he went back to Oakwood College as a guest speaker in 1961, to deliver a speech at the Honors Convocation. • His career in denominational work was an unfinished journey. However, his success as a writer of national stature became an inspiration to many African-American Adventists.

11. Owen Troy, Sr.: Evangelist & Radio Pioneer 1899 – 1962, PUC Class of 1922 With the exception of two years spent at Oakwood as business manager, Owen Troy’s career was dedicated to pastoral ministry and evangelism. Just after graduating from PUC, he founded the Market Street Church in Oakland. The Message Magazine called him “a progressive minister.” Indeed, he pioneered new approaches to evangelism: In Chicago, as pastor of the Shiloh, he worked with Dr. Harry Ford and other health professionals to establish a clinic and promote health evangelism In Pasadena, he used music very creatively to enhance the appeal of his evangelistic campaigns Also in Pasadena, in 1942, he created a weekly radio broadcast, “The Sweet Chariot Hour.” He earned a doctorate in theology in 1952. As an administrator he served as Pacific Union Conference Regional Secretary and as Associate Secretary of the General Conference Sabbath School Department.

12. Troy and the Sweet Chariot Hour This radio program was broadcast live from the Sunset Ave. Church in Pasadena. These evangelistic meetings were packed full and included vibrant gospel music, sang not just by choirs, quartets, and soloists but also powerful congregational singing. Owen Troy made use of the most modern and effective evangelistic methods of his time.

13. 1905-1987, PUC Class of 1923 She was the sister of Arna Bontemps. Their father was a minister. So, when she married Owen Troy, she was well aware of the duties of a pastor’s wife. For many years, she and her husband worked very well as a team. She was a popular speaker on her own right. When Owen Troy died in 1962, she decided to pursue a different type of ministry: education. She went to Oakwood College, first as Director of Admissions. However, she wanted to teach. Pursuing her dream, she earned a graduate degree in counseling and guidance. That gave her the opportunity to teach in the areas of psychology, sociology, marriage and the family, and counseling. At the same, time she was very active in the local congregation, and her duties included being the church clerk. Her willingness to pursue a graduate degree and begin a new career late in life, inspired others. Ruby Bontemps Troy: Talented and Resilient

14. G. Nathaniel Banks: The First Official Overseas Missionary 1911?-1989, PUC Class of 1934 He spent most of his 42 years of formal service to the church in California. However, his ministry is particularly significant because he was the first African-American pastor to be sent to Africa as a missionary. Indeed, he worked in Liberia from 1946 to 1952, where he served as mission president. Returning to California, he pastored several churches and spent the last 12 years of his career as Director of the Regional Department of the Pacific Union Conference.

15. M. Inez L. Booth: Example in Music & Social Outreach 1913 - PUC, Class of 1937 Growing up in an African Methodist Episcopalian church, she became an Adventist at 19, while attending PUC. She was a distinguished music teacher and she taught at Oakwood for 46 years. She is best known for leading out the Oakwood Church Jail Band Ministry for over 50 years. A book entitled 40 Years Behind Bars, describes this enduring outreach. Highly respected in the community she was appointed deputy sheriff, in recognition to her services to the jail inmates.

16. Carl A. Dent: An Example in Medical Ministry 1914 - , PUC Class of 1938 His family connection with the SDA Church starts with the Morning Star , the missionary steamboat where his mother attended school. After graduating from PUC, he attended the College of Medical Evangelists, where he earned the M.D. degree. Most of his career was at the Riverside Sanitarium and Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. This was denominational institution geared to serve the African-American community. For many years he was the medical director of this hospital. Brilliant, compassionate and service-oriented, he served our Church not only in America, but also in Africa, where he went as a missionary.

17. 1915? – , PUC Class of 1938 • She was a music teacher and choir director, working most of her life in Adventist academies in New York. • For her, music was more than a professional activity, it was a ministry! She tried to bless the churches and communities she interacted with through music. • While the focus of her ministry was in the African-American community, she reached out to other ethnic groups. • The picture at the bottom shows her receiving an award from the Central Brooklyn Spanish Church. Eunice Willis: A Life of Service

18. Harold Arthur Lindsey: Steady Pastoral Ministry • 1913-1996, PUC Class of 1941 • Pastored in Southern California and Lake Region conferences. • Served as Trust Services and Religious Liberty Director of the Lake Region Conference. • After his retirement, he continued his pastoral ministry in the South Central Conference until 1991. • He served the Church with great dedication.

19. Eric C. Ward: Pastorand Evangelist • 1924 - 2004, PUC Class of 1946 • He started his pastoral ministry in Los Angeles. • His next assignment was at the South Atlantic Conference, based in Georgia. • He worked as an evangelist in a team led by E. E. Cleveland. • His ministry and his evangelistic campaigns took him to a variety of places, until he accepted a call to pastor the Oakwood College Church. • While there, he led the project of construction of a new sanctuary, which became the largest African-American SDA church. Under his care, the membership increased from 348 members to over 2000. • At the same time, he led another congregation in Huntsville and organized numerous evangelistic campaigns. • Throughout his ministry, he baptized more than 5,000 people

20. Warren S. Banfield: Pastor, Communicator & Social Activist • 1922 – 2006, PUC Class of 1946 • Banfield began his career as a pastor in the South Atlantic Conference. • He was elected President of that conference in 1962 and served in that capacity until 1971, when he moved on to become the Associate Secretary of the Southern Union Conference • From 1975 to 1978, he served as Associate Director of the Office of Regional Affairs of the GC. • In 1978, he became the first director of the newly created Office of Human Relations at the NAD. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1989. • He left his mark on the church by his strong commitment to civil rights, fairness, equality and justice. He was a social activist throughout his life. • He was a personal friend of Martin Luther King, Jr.

21. James G. Haughton: Socially Conscious Hospital Administrator • 1925 - , PUC Class of 1948 • He received his M.D. degree from Loma Linda. • He practiced medicine in New York and pursued a very successful career in hospital administration in New York and in Illinois. • At one point he was the highest paid official in the state of Illinois, leading a large hospital system. • Yet, throughout his career, he remained compassionate, caring and concerned about the poor. • The bottom photo shows him being honored by the Chicago area chapter of the Oakwood Alumni Association.

22. Earl A. Canson: Pastor and Administrator 1927 – 2003, PUC Class of 1948 He pastored a variety of churches in different conferences in California In 1975, he was elected Associate Secretary of the Southern California Conference. A year later, he became the head of the Regional Department of the Pacific Union Conference, where he served until his retirement. Throughout his lifetime he saw the African-American community in this union grow from a handful to about 21,000 members and 59 congregations. Among his contributions is the production of a video about the history of the work of the church among African-Americans within the territory of the Pacific Union.

23. PUC and the Pacific Union Regional Directors • Out of the first five directors of the Regional Department of the Pacific Union Conference, four were graduates from PUC!

24. Major White: Pastor and Administrator • 1926 – 2005, PUC Class of 1948 • His ministerial career spanned over a period of 43 years in the Pacific Union. • He served in several conferences before being appointed to positions in the union headquarters, where spent the last 20 years of his career. • He held first the office of associate secretary for 8 years and then executive secretary for 12 years, until he retired.

25. Owen Troy, Jr.: Second Generation PUC Graduate • 1927 - , PUC Class of 1949 • He started his career as pastor in the Northern California Conference. • Later he served in a variety of positions both in the United States and overseas. • Back in the USA, he became assistant to the President of the Southeastern California Conference. • His last official appointment was as Director of Communication for the North American Division. • After retirement, he continued to be very active in the field of communication, being a Board member of 3ABN.

26. What about after 1950? Yes!!! PUC continued to produce outstanding graduates from a variety of ethnic backgrounds including African-Americans. Here are just a few: Neville Gallimore 1961 Lloyd Dayes 1955 Ann L. Montgomery 1963 Phyllis Edmonds 1969 Craig Newborn 1970 Marion Williams 1987 Aubyn Fulton 1981 Avery Browne 1990 Jonathan Henderson 1998

27. Neville Gallimore: Representing the Church on a Global Stage • PUC Class of 1961 • A medical doctor and a statesman in Jamica, Dr. Gallimore has served admirably his God, his church and his country. • He has served as a Member of Parliament for more than 30 years. • His political motto is “God first, Jamaica second and my party third.” • He has held a variety of ministerial posts in the Jamaican government, including Education, Social Security and Foreign Affairs.

28. Why did PUC produce so many outstanding African-American graduates? • There are at least three main reasons • First, PUC was open to all ethnic groups while other Adventist institutions refused to accept them or used discriminatory practices. • Second, Oakwood did not become a four year college until 1944 • Finally, PUC was and continues to be a place where faculty and staff do their best to mentor, inspire and encourage the students of all races. • PUC has been and continues to be a place where students grow spiritually, and not just academically.

29. Minutes of the GC Spring Council in April 1965 mandating desegregation

30. Did we reach the end of the story? Does the fact that PUC has now the first female African-American college president mark the completion of a journey for PUC? Does the fact that PUC has currently an African-American as Chairman of the Board and an African-American President mean that we reached the end of the story? No! This is just a new beginning!

31. The meaning of the story The summary of facts provided, points to a famous quote from Ellen White: "We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history."Life Sketches, p.196. In terms of service to the African-American community, to the SDA Church and to the world, we have faith that PUC’s brightest days are still ahead of us!