SHILOH SDA SPRINGFIELD MA

The Church’s History
Since its inception, Springfield’s Shiloh Seventh-day Adventist Church has come a long way through struggles and trials.

     August 8, 1925 black members of the Central Street Seventh-day Adventist Church ventured out into the black community to share their knowledge of the Remnant Church of God. These members had a vision to teach the Three Angels Message to a people in darkness. The Central Street church was affiliated with the Mission Statement.

    Southern New England Conference in South Lancaster, Massachusetts. The Conference allowed Brother and Sister Redd, Sisters Myers, Hoose, Robinson, Strums, Keyes, and Brother Jackson to form a mission. 

     In 1926, Pastor Herbert Greene of the Berea SDA Church in Boston, Massachusetts held an evangelistic tent effort in Springfield. Sisters: Vera Edwards Chaffin, Arvilla Beeman, and Eudora Orr Henry, along with others, accepted the faith and were baptized. Pastor Green instructed them to “learn and live” the Bible (Isaiah 58: 13 & 14). These newly baptized members joined the mission.

    Brother and Sister Myers, leaders of the Mission, worked diligently to hold the group together. Meetings were held in members homes for study, worship services, training, prayers, fasting, and Bible studies. The dreams and prayers of the members were answered and the little mission grew into a church. The first pastor of the church was A. Wellington Clarke, a dynamic man of God, who hailed from the island of Jamaica.

    As the years went by, the membership increased so that homes were inadequate to hold meetings. They rented store fronts in various areas of the city, however, their dream was to purchase their own church. These faithful few marched on during the days of the depression when money, food, and jobs were scarce. God did not fail them, because they claimed His promises and kept His Commandments. They graduated from renting store fronts to renting churches as membership grew.

     Small in number, but united in person, the wonderful vision and genuine efforts demonstrated by these early pioneers, and the sacrifices made were blessed by God in the early 1940’s. God graciously opened the door for them to purchase two adjoining lots with houses on Union Street in Springfield. The building at 650 Union street was remodeled into their first church which was given the name Shiloh.

     Being Beacons of Light in the City of Springfield, they made great strides in the new church and the membership once again began to grow.   They needed a larger church building and began to look for another place to worship. Serving the Lord with gladness their prayers were eventually answered and they entered into the gates at 368 Bay Street into the doors of a beautiful church in the early 1950’s,which they named Bay Street SDA Church. Increasing its membership and out growing its accommodations, the members once again began to look for larger quarters.

     Under the Pastorate of William D. Felder, a building fund was established to purchase a new church building. God continued to pass out blessings when Hope Congregational Church was up for sale. The new Pastor Ralph Williams and building committee members offered a cash bid which Hope Church Board members could not refuse. The name Bay Street SDA church reverted back to their former name, Shiloh Seventh-day Adventist Church. The new church property included the sanctuary, a gym, classrooms, two kitchens, and an apartment building. It was a great day in Zion!

  Sister Lulu Strums and Sister Vera Chaffin-Edwards were the only charter members who lived to worship in the new church.

 

May Christ live in all the hearts of Shiloh’s Pastors and members. May they continue to serve Him and reach their ultimate goal “HEAVEN”. God’s blessings to all who read this

PASTORS ~ FORMER & PRESENT

Starting 1926                        to                           Present 2008
A. Wellington Clarke                                      Jerome James
E. Jones                                                           Earnest Flowers
L. H. Campbell                                               Ralph Williams
Frank Peterson                                                George St John
Edgar Lockett                                                 David Glover
Norman McLeod                                             Hector Mouzon
John Greene                                                    W Fitzgerald Kerr
Frank Fletcher                                                 Doctor J. Smith
James Edgecombe                                           Bernard Penn
Charles Eaton                                                  Joseph F. Aaron
  Alvin Goulbourne                                                                            
  William Felder