CHURCH DEDICATION CONGREGATION PLANNING AUTUMN CELEBRATION.Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer LITTLEROCK - Gospel singer Andrae Crouch will participate in the Oct. 8 dedication of First Missionary Baptist Church's $3 million worship center. The 1,500-seat sanctuary is the fourth for the congregation, which started in a tent erected on an acre purchased in 1950 and now has 2,000 members. ``We're very excited about all of this,'' said Bishop Henry Hearns, who became senior pastor at the church in 1965. Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley civic leaders and elected officials are expected to take part in the dedication, which will also include Western Baptist Convention President Joseph Benjamin Hardwick. The ceremony is set for 3 p.m. Oct. 8 at the church, 37721 100th St. E. The new sanctuary was completed in May, though workmen this week are installing a lawn and a waterfall fountain on the exterior. The dedication was arranged so that Crouch, a multiple Grammy winner who gave up touring nine years ago to take over a Pacoima church, could attend. Hearns became friends with Crouch's father in Pacoima, where Hearns lived before moving to the Antelope Valley and where the elder Crouch founded the church, of which his son is now pastor. First Missionary Baptist was founded in 1950 by the Rev. R.E. Edwards Jr., who left Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. to come to a small, predominantly African-American community called Sun Village. ``First Missionary Baptist has served as a cornerstone here in Littlerock,'' said Darren Parker, a First Missionary Baptist deacon deacon: see orders, holy. DEACON - Direct English Access and CONtrol. English-like query system. Sammet 1969, p.668. as well as an Antelope Valley Fair board member. The church is due to get a new name, which will be revealed at the dedication, said Hearns, who is also Lancaster's vice mayor. The new sanctuary was built with a $2.3 million loan from the Southern Baptist Noun 1. Southern Baptist - a member of the Southern Baptist Convention Southern Baptist Convention - an association of Southern Baptists Baptist - follower of Baptistic doctrines Conference and $700,000 contributed by church members. A stained-glass window Noun 1. stained-glass window - a window made of stained glass window - a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air behind the pulpit is adorned a·dorn tr.v. a·dorned, a·dorn·ing, a·dorns 1. To lend beauty to: "the pale mimosas that adorned the favorite promenade" Ronald Firbank. 2. with a simple cross bordered by light blue and pink panels. On either side, two giant TV screens are affixed af·fix tr.v. af·fixed, af·fix·ing, af·fix·es 1. To secure to something; attach: affix a label to a package. 2. to the wall. The interior of sage green Noun 1. sage green - the color of sage leaves green, viridity, greenness - green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass carpeting, cream walls and sage and tan seats was adopted to invoke a warm and homey feeling, said Cheryl Sledge, the decorating committee chairwoman. ``We wanted you to feel you were at home here, even though you were new to the community,'' Sledge said. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Deacon Darren Parker, left, Bishop Henry Hearns and church members Cheryl Sledge and Patricia Warren attend the press conference on the new church dedication. (2) A dedication ceremony is planned for 3 p.m. Oct. 8 at the new First Missionary Baptist Church worship center in Littlerock on 100th Street East. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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