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In The Beginning…

           

In 1913, Elder F.C.V. Ford conducted street meetings on East Commerce and Chestnut Street. He later moved his followers to Cherry Street at Center. His strict teaching and faith healing services touched many hearts. People came from far and near to look at those sanctified people dance and shout.

Later, in 1913, Elder. Ford’s deacons visited a relative in Houston, Texas, and while he was walking down the street, he heard a man preaching. As he approached the place where the services were being held, he heard the word, “Holy Ghost”. After listening to and enjoying the entire sermon; the deacon invited this dynamic preacher to come to San Antonio. This dynamic and powerful preacher was none other than Elder R. C. Lawson and he gladly accepted the invitation.
It is said that Elder Ford was a strict teacher and if he did not agree with an evangelist in his pulpit he would interrupt them immediately. While Elder Lawson was preaching the baptism in Jesus name, the members were concerned for they had never heard this before. For some reason, Elder Ford did not stop Elder Lawson from preaching but instead he instructed his members to “see Jesus”.

During this revival, many believed and wanted to be baptized. There was indeed a confrontation between Elders Ford and Lawson as to who would baptize the many converts. Elder Lawson contended that Elder Ford had not been baptized and was not eligible to baptize the converts. So then Elder Ford asked who wanted to be baptized? A very quiet mother, Nancy Powell raised her hand and said, “The husbandman should be the first partaker”. Elder Ford then replied, “if I can’t baptize you, then you must leave this church.”
With that command, Mother Powell and a large group left Elder Ford and worshipped in Mother Powell’s home. Mother Patterson, Mother Della King, Mother Harrison, Julia and Pattie Harrison, Sister Lucille Menkins, Sis. Emma Jackson, Sister Blanche Collins, Brother Solomon King, Brother & Sister Collie Rankins, Deacon and Sister Wallace and others.

This group of saints were happy and full of joy. They worked hard and grew in number. Soon Mother Powell’s home became too small to hold the services. They decided to purchase a place of worship and Sister Lucille Menkins along with five others gave one hundred dollars each toward the purchase of a large Dance Hall, at 817 Iowa Street. They named it the ‘Lincoln Park Church of Christ’. Mother Ola Lane and Mother Kezene were among the ladies who fried fish for hours on Saturdays, while others baked hundreds of pies and cakes. The proceeds, from the sale of the food, were used for the building fund. These ladies were called the Lincoln Park Church Cooking Club. They began their cooking in Mother Powell’s home but later moved to the church. Mother Julia Montford was the first Missionary President in the Lincoln Park Church and served in that position until she married and moved to Chicago.

Elder Lawson returned to San Antonio in 1916 and brought with him the first pastor for the Lincoln Park Church of Christ, Elder Dunlap Chenault. Late in 1918, Elder Chenault married Sister Effie Harrison. To that union four children were born. The elder was a dynamic minister and very handsome. Under the leadership of Elder Chenault, Mother King re-organized the Missionary Department. The officers were: Sister Emma Jackson, President, Sister Sylvia Phillips, Vice President, Sister Ruby Dukes Secretary and Mother Ola Lane, Treasurer. In 1925, Elder Chenault, Mother Ola Lane, Sister Elisa Bell, Mother Brittan went to Seguin, Texas and ran a revival that lasted three months. Over three hundred were baptized in Jesus Name and most of which received the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Elder Chenault appointed his first group of deacons, Brother Fred McElvane, Brother William North, Brother Wallace, Brother Soloman King and Brother George Washington.

After Lincoln Park Church was formally organized many souls were added. The membership reached over three hundred. They were the first Pentecostal Church to broadcast in San Antonio. The Radio Choir was under the direction of Brother Ezekiel Chris and his mother, Sister Clark. Sister Gabriel was alternate pianist. It is also noted that Elder Chenault and his congregation was the first Pentecostal Church in San Antonio to worship at non-Pentecostal Churches.
Bishop G. T. Haywood came to San Antonio in the early twenties along with Elder Chenault, they organized the Southwestern District Council.

 

Many the members lived on the far West side. They rode the streetcar to Alamo and Commerce Street and walked muddy streets to worship and praise God. Many had husbands who dared them to come to the House of God. One man had planned to kill Bishop Lawson. When the man aimed the gun and pulled the trigger, he began to shake uncontrollably and only the prayers of the saints and Bishop Lawson saved the man from shaking to death. The man could not speak nor could he turn the gun loose. They prayed for him until God loosed him.

 

Connelly Street…

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In 1932, the Church split over some disagreement and interpretation of the scriptures. Elder Chenault left the church with a group of members and organized another church on Connelly Street. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us”. Rom 8:38. Elder William Wilkerson became the second pastor of the Lincoln Park Church of Christ. He was an excellent teacher of the Word. He and his wife were very quiet and humble people. They loved God and successfully lead the church until he became ill and he moved back to St. Louis, Missouri to live with his son. Our hearts were bleeding, and it seemed that we had been forgotten. Does Jesus Care when my heart is broken? Does He care we are in pain? O yes, He care, I know He cares.
Mother Rosa D. St. Clair stood up and proclaimed. “All is not lost” for there is a highway to heaven, none can walk up there but the pure in heart.” While Mother St. Clair was pasturing the church, she was led to purchase a large building on Wyoming, which we all referred to as the “Saints Home”. She served as third Pastor; she would serve until we could find a pastor.

Elder John Sanders, of Fort Worth Texas, was called to the lead the church on for a few years, thus he became the fourth pastor. He and his wife were happy and loving people. Elder Sanders was a very forceful minister. Many souls were saved under his leadership. They had five children, four sons and one daughter. He later moved to Gary. Indiana. Elder Chenault returned to our church and served as pastor number five. This was a very short term. After it was agreed upon, Elder Chenault would resign as pastor for the second time. The deacons: known as the “Mighty Seven “served as a governing body, while they were looking for a new pastor. They were namely: Brothers George Washington, Will Thompson, Wade O’Neal Sr., J.A. Johnson, Roosevelt Stanfield, Volley Jackson, Lee A. Hilliard, with brothers; Woodrow Jackson, H. B. Bridges, Sr. serving later. The scripture says, “And let these also be proved: then let them use the office of deacon, being found blameless.” 1 Tim 3:10. This was an awesome group of men who loved God and His house. They proved it by giving their time and finances and made sure that the house of God was a first-class place.

 

In 1955…

In 1955, Elder Charles Watkins, who chaired the National Pentecostal Young Peoples Union, came to the aid of the Lincoln Park family. Brother Woodrow Jackson, the Texas State Young Peoples President was very instrumental in extending the invitation to Elder Watkins to come to Texas. Elder Watkins made his entry during the Texas State Young Peoples Meeting. The members of LPC of C were elated to welcome Elder Watkins and his family to Texas and under his leadership the membership grew rapidly once again. He Loved God’s house also and lead a project to remodel the church. Sister Annie Davis donated a new pulpit set to the church. The Missionary department purchased property for parking.

Our slogan, as we returned to the airway once again, “The Church in the Heart of the City with the People of the City in its Heart.” As President of National PYPU, Elder Watkins extended an invitation to the Young People to bring their Mid-Winter Session to Texas. They accepted and thus we entertained the National Young People in the Great State of Texas. Elder Charles Watkins was a very personable person, and he became involved with the other ministers of the city. Being a choir director, he directed a very well-trained choir, which sang at a different church almost every Sunday. Pastor Watkins took busloads of young people to the National Youth Convention. Elder Watkins was the first black student to attend Trinity University where he received his master’s degree. He took a group of brothers from the Lincoln Park to integrate the Earl Abel’s restaurant. Pastor Watkins and his wife were the proud parents of four children, three daughters and one son. And so, as the wheels of time turned, Elder Watkins was called to pastor a Church in Cleveland, Ohio. So, he and his family packed up and moved on.

Elder Woodrow Jackson was appointed as the acting pastor and held the stern of the ship of Zion. This old ship keep’s reeling and rocking—but stay on board, for it has landed a many a thousand. Elder Jackson loved his Church and gave all he could to keep us together. Elder Jackson served as acting pastor until the members agreed to accept Elder Alfred Perry as the new pastor.
Elder Alfred Perry was called to San Antonio to lead the weary members of the Lincoln Park Church. He served as pastor for a very short tenure and when he left, he took about thirty members with him, thus split the church one more time.

 

William Anthony Ellis…

In 1968, Elder William Anthony Ellis and family left cold Chicago to join the Lincoln Park family. When Elder Ellis came, he had to deal with a group that had been through rough times. But he let God work through him and revived the church one more time. Under his leadership, we paid off the mortgage, purchased land to build a new church. Many souls were saved and soon we were forced to put additional chairs down the isles each Sunday. Our congregation grew and the pastor and deacons decided that it might be better to buy a church that was already completed, rather than go through the building process. In 1975, while his membership was growing, he was also growing as he was appointed the position District Elder. Pastor Ellis was surrounded by a group of new and hard-working young people who were very active and dedicated and they were excited about their mission of raising funds to purchase a new church.

The church had been at this location since its beginning. Many of the older members could not vision the church moving to another location. The younger members were working with the pastor to move and the older ones were set not to move. Well, the day finally came when enough money was raised and a down payment was made on the new church. The purchase was made, and the moving date was set. On the first Sunday in July 1979, a great motorcade was organized at the old Lincoln Park Church, and former Dance Hall. We would leave from that location, 817 Iowa Street, for the last time. Needless to say, we left behind many of the older members who refused to leave their roots. Another small split but the old ship of Zion just keeps on rocking. The Old church is yet standing as it was sold to Porter Memorial AME church.

At the new location, God really blessed, and the house was filled. We took on a new name, and we were called “The Greater Lincoln Park Temple.” Soon after we moved into the new church the church began to grow. Extra chairs were needed each Sunday to accommodate the seating. Pastor Ellis, a man who loves the house of the Lord, always wanted it to look beautiful, he decided to remodel and enlarge the church.

 

Well, he undertook the great task of remodeling the house, which became an extremely hard undertaking. Many things went wrong, and many began to leave. The old saying is “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Well, through it all pastor Ellis and the Lord worked it out and the big day came for rededication of the remolded church, know as “Greater Lincoln Park Temple Institutional Church.” Our membership began to grow once again. Pastor was elevated to the office of Bishop. After twenty-seven years at the helm of the old ship of Zion, Bishop was called to pastor another church. Well Bishop and mother left us, and our hearts were broken one more time. Although they live in Chicago, they are never more than a phone call away. Again, we lost someone revered and loved as he and Mother Ellis left us here, but they did not leave us looking for a leader.

 

Pastor Jonathan D. Ellis…

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Instead, they left us a leader in Pastor Jonathan Ellis. A son of Lincoln Park Temple, born and blessed in the church, never belonged to another Church. Pastor Jon Ellis has been at the helm for several years and is growing deeper and deeper in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Pastor Jon came in and took over, walking in his father’s footsteps. He spearheaded the project of purchasing a community center, the “William A. Ellis Community Center”, which we all enjoy. He changed the name of “The Greater Lincoln Park Temple Institutional Church” to “The Conquerors Assembly.”

On October 10, 2004, Elder Jonathan Ellis; launched a campaign celebration event called Conquering Christians Changing lives through commitment. The stewardship campaign is an undertaking of Pastor Ellis, to incorporate into every member of the Conquerors Assembly, over a three-year period, the principles of biblical stewardship as pertaining to time, talents, service, and resources. Further, the campaign will help us to partner as a steward in prayer and in fellowship and participate in all campaign endeavors as required, and to register a monetary commitment over and above that of your tithe and offerings.
Although we have experienced many ups and downs, we can say like Paul in Romans 8:38-39; “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heights, nor depths, nor other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.”