History of the Church in Flint

In the year 1869 Melvina Harmon and her four year old son, Herbert, came to Flint from Watrousville, Michigan where she had accepted the truth and united with the Adventist Church. For six years she did not know of another Adventist in Flint, but on June 11, 1875, Elder Lamson called at her house and told her of Brother and Sister Bump and their daughter, Sister Ida Dullam. He also said he and others were in the city to open a series of tent meetings that night.

On July 5 Melvin Harmon wrote in her diary, "About twenty five gave their names in to form a class of Sabbath Keepers."

On September 25 she wrote, "We have meetings in the tent until now, but cold weather has caused us to go into a new hall over Collins Market, on South Saginaw Street. Fifty or sixty have embraced the Sabbath as a result of the tent meetings."

After the tent meetings were discontinued, a camp meeting was held with elder D.M. Canright and Uriah Smith doing much of the preaching. In the fist baptism 19 joined the church and another 16 were baptized by Elder A.T. Jones on October 23, 1875. It was on this date the church was organized.

Elder Lamson (father of J.G. and Mary Lamson) and Potter continued to promote the fast developing church in Flint. A Church building program was suggested, and Brother Bump "a wealthy man" donated a lot at 790 Stockton Street where a "meeting house" was built, "not large, but good sized, and neat and plain."

On December 29, 1878 when the new church was dedicated, Sister Harmon wrote, "Brother Smith, Jones and Lamson were present. We had good meetings and the church was well filled."

As the church grew, a need for a school developed. A room was constructed on the rear of the church where, in 1910 with Miss Agness Everett (Webber) as teacher, the school was opened. Later as growth continued a basement was added to the church. With the arrival of Elder and Mrs. Dower in 1939, a new structure was planned.

Property was purchased at Detroit and Pasadena where an Auditorium seating 600 was built. A wing on the rear accommodated the church school, Sabbath School and social functions.

Both the church and school prospered with the membership passing the 500 mark. The 10 grade school reach an enrollment in excess of 100 students.

Former Pastors