This past Thanksgiving holiday I was amazed to find out that
the church I used to pastor, Timmons Temple COGIC in Springfield, Missouri, was
founded in 1919 by the late Dr. Reatha Dora Herndon and her twin Leatha. I
pastored Timmons Temple from the years 1996 to 1998.
Dr. Herndon was the first
International Elect Lady of the Church Of God In Christ International
Department of Evangelism. She actually co-founded the Department in 1927 with
Bishop Lucius C. Page of St. Louis, Missouri. Both Bishop Page and Mother
Herndon would eventually spend their final years in Los Angeles, California
Reatha and her sister Leatha were both 19 at the
time that they founded the Holiness Church in Springfield. During those days
many COGIC churches did not have names; so they were just Church Of God In
Christ, the Holiness Church or the Sanctified Church.
Most of my life I had heard that “the twins” (Reatha and
Leatha) founded 75 churches; but I didn’t know, until this past week, that I
used to pastor one of them. During my college years I founded Christ Temple
Church Of God In Christ. I served there from 1993 to 1996. In 1996 it was the
desire of my late prelate (Bishop E. Harris Moore of the Western Missouri
Jurisdiction) to merge my church with the mother church (Timmons Temple) and pastor
there. We had a successful merger and I served another two years in
Springfield, Missouri from 1996 to 1998, before moving to St Louis, MO.
The twins were also quite busy in
their day establishing churches. They also founded in Missouri churches in: Saint Louis, Missouri, Joplin, Missouri and Moberly,
Missouri. Apparently this is why Dr. Herndon knew Bishop L. C. Page from Saint
Louis (and recommended him to Bishop Mason to be the first “official”
Evangelism leader.
In the year 1925 there were many ministers from the
National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. joining the COGIC. These men had
evangelistic ministries. They felt that they could utilize their gift better in
the COGIC; which was very evangelistic in nature. The concern was that these
men would come in with other doctrines; other than that of Holiness and
Pentecostalism. Thus, Dr. Herndon suggested to COGIC founder, Bishop C. H.
Mason, that an Evangelist Board was necessary to screen and credential these
men.
Dr. Herndon felt that the men would be better
suited to listen to a man vs a lady, so she suggested L. C. Page. Page was
formerly a prominent National Baptist Convention clergyman. He was preaching in
their churches from a child. He founded a prominent Baptist church in St Louis
known as Rose of Sharon Baptist Church; later called West End Baptist Church.
This church grew to 1,000 members.
However, Page was filled with the Holy Ghost one
day and spoke in tongues. His Baptist days were numbered and came to an end. He
joined up with the Pentecostals and eventually became a member of the Church Of
God In Christ. The church was located on Kennerly Avenue and is now known as
Kennerly Temple COGIC.
However, there was trouble. The state overseer,
Daniel Bostick, did not want to ordain Page as a COGIC clergyman because Page
was filled with the Holy Ghost in an "out house." And that seemed
very unorthodox. Overseer Bostick's wife was the State Mother. She had power in
the fact that she had founded many of the churches in the jurisdiction.
Mother Bostick called Page over to the Bostick
residence. She had page get on his knees. She laid hands on him and prayed over
him. Then she got Overseer Bostick's stamp and got an ordination certificate
and gave L. C. Page his ordination papers.
Finally in 1927 Bishop C. H. Mason came to St Louis
and asked Page to be over this new group of Evangelists. Page would be over the
male Evangelist Board and Herndon would be over the female Evangelist Board.
Later in the early 70's the two boards would be combined and become a
department. Page would serve as President and Herndon would serve as Elect
Lady. This organization came through Bishop D. L. Austin who was serving as
Vice President to Page. The late Presiding Bishop J. O. Patterson, Sr., had an
installation service for Page and Herndon, along with other national officers.
Elder S. T. Samuel ("Saint Samuel") was
actually COGIC’s first “national evangelist." But, it was through L. C.
Page and Reatha Herndon you have what would eventually develop into a full
fledge department.
But, Timmons Temple is yet going and growing 100
years later under a new name Sanctuary of Praise Church of God in Christ, a new
location. The picture you see here is of the former building
built by Elder J. H. Goodin and Elder Carter Timmons in 1932. This is the
building I pastored in. But, the church is no longer located here. The building
is yet standing as a community hall. You can see it in Silver Springs Park in
Springfield. Sanctuary of Praise has great pastor: Pastor T. J. and Lady Anitra
Appleby.
The twins truly did apostolic ministry. The Church
Of God In Christ has always had people who functioned in an "apostolic
anointing," although most of them have never used that title. Dr. Herndon
was truly anointed.
I first met Dr. Herndon years ago in my hometown of
Tacoma, Washington. She would come through all the time and visit the
organization (God's Pentecostal Church and the Full Gospel Pentecostal
Churches) founded by her late brother; Bishop E. F. Morris. Morris was Herndon's
maiden name.
The Morris family flowed in the supernatural. The
night they were all filled with the Holy Ghost a neighbor called the fire
department, because they saw smoke coming from the house and thought the house
was on fire! But, it was the glory of God! THE FLAME OF EVANGELISM IS YET
BURNING!
