Bethesda Temple Church is about to put $2 million up in smoke.
On December 25-26, the church will host its Bethesda Temple Church Mortgage Liquidation Service and Banquet to celebrate the burning of its $2 million mortgage.
At 9 a.m. on Christmas day (Thursday, December 25), Bethesda Temple will host its Church Mortgage Liquidation Service at the church, located at 5401 Bishop J.A. Johnson Lane in Normandy. At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 26, the church will host an accompanying banquet at the St. Louis Airport Marriott in the Grand Ballroom.
Bishop Alphonso Scott, son of the late Bishop Phillip Lee Scott, will speak at the banquet.
“This is a wonderful thing for Bishop Johnson and the church,” said Mildred Pettiford, who serves on the advising committee for the event.
“In 2003 Bishop Johnson told our congregation that we were getting very close and on our way to burning the mortgage. And he told us last year we would do this December. He told us to be faithful.”
Bethesda Temple Church of the Aspostolic Faith, Inc. was founded in 1935 with a small group of Holy Ghost-filled people worshipping at the northeast corner of Goode and North Market in St. Louis.
After becoming affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc., the church was placed under the pastorate of Elder Morris E. Golder of Indianapolis. Under his able ministry, Bethesda Temple Church grew in membership, and it became necessary to consider larger facilities for worship.
In February of 1942, the church secured property at 2406 Belle Glade Ave., in a building formerly used as a school and then ice cream factory.
In 1950, Elder Golder was called to pastor Christ Temple in Indianapolis, and Elder James A. Johnson of Detroit was officially installed as the new pastor of Bethesda Temple Church.
The church congregation grew both numerically and spiritually, so in 1959 a more spacious edifice was purchased at 1217 Union Blvd.
In June of 1964, Temple Church moved to an even larger and more beautiful building, a Jewish synagogue (B’nai El Temple), located at 5574 Delmar Blvd. Under the capable leadership of Bishop Johnson, the Bethesda Temple family observed the burning of the Delmar mortgage on December 14, 1975.
As the congregation planned to purchase land for the new location, Bishop Johnson called their attention to the fact that “the willing heart shall claim the land.” The Bethesda Temple family claimed the land in a victorious fundraising drive, which had a target date of September 23, 1979. The new edifice, dedicated in December 1985, now stands at 5401 Bishop J.A. Johnson Lane (formerly 5301 Bermuda Drive).
“We feel great about firing the mortgage,” said Bishop J.A. Johnson, who now has been pastor at Bethesda Temple Church of the Aspostolic Faith, Inc. for 58 years.
“And we are at a great financial stand point.”
Tickets are on sale n $20 for church members and $30 for non-members. For more info, call 314-382-5401, fax 314-382-7850, email bethesda@accessus.net or visit www.bethesdatemplestl.org.