HOLY LIGHT
MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Worship Service: SUNDAYS 10 am - 12 pm
Pastor: Reverend Dr. William H. Dandridge, III
1404 W. 96th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90047
CHURCH HISTORY
HOLY LIGHT MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
During the year of our Lord, Nineteen Hundred Fifty-Nine, The Reverend Richmond Brown received a vision from God instructing him to organize a church. A meeting was held in the home of Reverend & Sister Brown to discuss organizing the church. Suggested names were placed in a hat. The name, “Holy Light,” submitted by Sister Darthula Calhoun was drawn by her adopted son (nephew) Harold Wheeler.
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Reverend Brown was ordained into the ministry by the Late Reverend Robert W. Mc Craw, Pastor of the Greater Olivet Missionary Baptist Church. The Late Reverend H. D. Higdon, Pastor of Israel Missionary Baptist Church, and at that time the Moderator of the Pacific Baptist District Association of California, officially organized the Holy Light Missionary Baptist Church during a formal installation service on the Second Sunday in July 1959 with the following Charter Members: Reverend Richmond Brown (Pastor), Sister Opal Brown (1st Lady), Watson Calhoun (Deacon), Sister Darthula Calhoun, Sister Willie B. Anderson
First Worship Location
The first church sanctuary was a white store-front building located at 7607 South Main Street (near the corner of 76th Street) in Los Angeles, CA. This edifice consisted of eight rows of wooden theater seats, two pulpit chairs, six rows of choir seats and a leaky roof.
Some first officers of the church were:
Deacon Robert Frazier (Chairman of the Deacon Board), Mother Moriah Hilliard (First Mother of the Church), Sister Dorothy Pitchford (First Musician), Brother Robert Mitchell (First Choir Director), Sister Darthula Calhoun (First Church Clerk & Usher).
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In 1969, the church relocated to it’s present edifice. Since that time there have been some periodic renovations. Holy Light continues to be, “The Church Where Everybody Is Somebody And God’s Word Is Law”. Some ministries and organizations within the church are: Ministerial Staff, Mothers Board, Deacons, Deaconess, Junior & Senior Mission, Brotherhood, Sunday School, Music Ministry Department, Convalescent Homes Outreach Ministry, Education Department, Children’s & Youth Ministry Department, Dance Ministry Department Young Adult Department, New Members Orientation, and Men’s Fellowship.
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Rev. Dr William H. Dandridge III was elected as the second pastor of the church on Saturday and August 1 and was officially installed as pastor on Saturday October 17th, 2015.
The current sanctuary building (location 1404 W. 96th St. - corner of Normandie Ave.)