There stands a little brown church on Monte Diablo Avenue which has been transformed at least three times, literally picked up and moved once, and even been firebombed. Yet St. James African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church continues to stand at the heart of San Mateo's North Central district. It remains the oldest church to serve the African-American community in San Mateo.
In 1919, Reverend J.B. Holmes, from Cooper Zion Church in Oakland, came to San Mateo. Along with a University of California theology student named Bond, Holmes began conducting door-to-door "cottage prayer meetings" in the homes of early participants. Those participants included Kelley Mack, father-in-law of current city councilmember Claire Mack; real estate businessman S.L. Stanton; Marilyn and Jesse Selby, the latter of whom later became a minister himself; Robert R. Holmes, whose house would be situated across the street from the church; Harry Cox, a carpenter who would construct much of the church interior; and Mary J. Boutee, who, at the age of 95, served as esteemed historian at the church's 75th anniversary in 1995. These were among the first leaders of St. James A.M.E. Zion Church. The first rendition of the St. James sanctuary emerged in 1927 under the leadership of Reverend L.R. Kinnard. Located at 803 Monte Diablo, the site of today's Martin Luther King Center, the church arose as a simple A-frame structure topped with a gable roof. It featured arched windows on the sides and flanking the front door, with a diamond window under the gable of the shingled front facade.
The church remained at 803 Monte Diablo until 1938, when the San Mateo city fathers decided to expand the recreation facilities at what was then called East Side Park. Under famed minister Reverend Rufus Cooper, the congregation built a basement social hall at the new site. The entire church building was then reportedly lifted up, placed on rollers, and ferried the block and a half to its new site. Photographs from the time period confirm the story, showing a remarkable similarity between the original 1927 church, and the relocated church at 825 Monte Diablo Avenue, where it stands to the present day.
The sanctuary underwent its final transformation under the direction of Reverend William J. Hunt. Reverend Hunt, who had a background in construction, added the imposing tower and turret at the southwest corner of the edifice, along with a refurbished facade featuring a glass enclosed entry way, vertical windows under the gable, double wooden doors, and an awning prominently depicting the name of the church. Hunt also brought an organ to the sanctuary.
Beautification chair Ada Lax says efforts continue to both modernize and preserve the venerable structure. The interior of today's sanctuary features a blend of wood tones, red carpet and upholstery, and beige walls. The combination exudes a warm and welcome glow, conveying comfort and community to service participants.
Recommended for you
Jean Wilson, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee for the Board of Trustees, has been a church member for more than sixty years. Ozzie and Dorothy Mack, son and daughter-in-law of original founder Kelley Mack, have been congregants for more than 45 years. They remember with pride the important role St. James has played in the community. They also remember the hard times.
Amid the civil unrest of December 1968, as the nation still reeled from the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, the church fell victim to an arsonist's firebomb. Fortunately, says Wilson, the fire damaged only the structure behind the church and not the sanctuary itself. Some blamed the militant, anti-establishment group "Us, Too" for the bombing.
"It doesn't matter anymore," says Wilson. "God has taken care of us, and we have moved on." In 1969, Reverend Cooper, reinstated at St. James after a stint as a U.S. Army chaplain, would lead the campaign to name East Side Park after the slain civil rights leader.
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion church has historically been the first religious entity established in a burgeoning African-American community. Such has been the case of St. James, now celebrating its 80th year. The St. James congregation regularly reaches out cooperatively with other congregations in the city. It shares holiday services with next door neighbor Pilgrim Baptist Church, as well as Trinity Baptist Church on E. 39th Avenue. The congregation also hosts a lunch for the homeless on alternating Saturdays.
Wilson attributes the success and longevity of St. James Church, now under the guidance of Reverend John Fomby, to "the dedication of the people to the work of Jesus Christ." The prevailing sentiment surrounding the little brown church might be best expressed in the words of George Eliot, taken from the 75th Anniversary commemorative booklet: "We make a living from what we get. We make a life from what we give. What we have done for ourselves dies with us. What we have done for others is immortal."<
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.