Excerpts from a speech given by Mrs. Judson B. Bryant on the 30th Anniversary, 1932

In our Sunday School lessons this last quarter, we have been studying about how God led the Children of Israel to the Promised Land. So it seems that He has been leading us, His Children, banded together to work for Him. There were those who had been longing and praying for years that a church might be organized in this locality. In the fullness of time our Father directed and made His plan plain for us, step by step. In October 1899, a prayer service was held at the home of Judson B. Bryant, 52 Richardson Street. There was a good attendance of Christian people who lived in this community. Surely God met with us. We continued these meetings for about 3 years. After the first few meetings we decided to take up the study of the International Sunday School Lessons closing with prayers and testimony. In December, 2 months later, we started a local Sunday School in a small room in Hoegg Block, just across the street from where the church is located now. Soon after this, a Christian Endeavor Society was organized, with Mr. E. H. Leonard our first President. Every member served on some committee and was very faithful to the task assigned to him. In the meantime, our Sunday school had outgrown its quarters in the little room in Hoegg Block, and the City of Portland granted us permission to meet in the Longfellow School House. Soon after going there, one of our Sunday school scholars, a boy of ten years, died, and Rev. Bowley Green who had just become pastor of the First Baptist Church was asked to officiate at the funeral. That afternoon Mr. Bryant had an opportunity to have a long talk with Dr. Green, telling him of the work which was being done here. Dr. Green became intensely interested and said that if we could find a place to hold church services he would be glad to come out Sunday afternoons and preach for us. As a result of this talk, Hoegg Hall was secured, and our first public preaching service was held with more than three hundred In attendance, a large number coming out from the First Church. (3-17-1901) On May 5, 1901, a Baptist Sunday School was organized, the local School uniting. After this the preaching services and Sunday school were held in Hoegg Hall, but a room had to be found in which to hold our weekly meetings. We secured a room over a stable on Stevens Ave. When we mounted the stairs it hardly seemed possible that the room could be made suitable for our use. After brushing down cobwebs, putting on heavy brown paper to cover the walls and ceiling, laying a good second floor and cleaning up in general, we felt well rewarded for all the hard work which had been done. A large stove was put into the center of the room, substantial chairs were contributed, each family bringing one or more from home; an organ was loaned which was played by Miss Eleanor Morse, now Mrs. Wallace, our present organist, for our evening services. One of our own boys, Will Tibbetts, wired the room for electric lights; then we all tried to let our light shine. Our ladies met in the afternoon to sew together and plan for the work. All of our gatherings aside from Church and Sunday School were held in this upper room over the stable that was occupied below by a horse and cow. We named the room Evergreen Hall. Soon after this the names of forty-two people were secured, who expressed a desire and purpose to form a church organization. A meeting was called for that purpose, Dr. Green serving as moderator. Our church, like our Savior, was born in a stable.