Our History
1967
1968 1972
1977
1985 1988
1995 1996
Paradise Missionary Baptist Church
was organized on July 24, 1967 at the Greater Faith Baptist Church in
North Sacramento California, where the Pastor was Rev. J.D. Griffin. The
following twenty-nine persons were recorded as being registered for
membership: E.L.Thames – Founder, J.C.Session, Frank Young, Sr., George
Washington, Sr., Hattie Washington, Johnnie Lindsey, Cowan and wife,
Barbara, Cooper and wife, Gussie, Baker and wife, Hester, Brooksie
Walker, Bettye Windon, Deborah Sanders, Viola Carter, Lula Newman, Verne
Davis, Ida Mae Shepard, Boncile Young, Mattie Sellars, Mary Cannister,
Lou Ellen Lindsay, Cleveland Henderson, Thelma Henderson, Warren and
Beatrice Giles, Joyce Russell and Oscar Robinson.
Other well wishers present were Rev. and Mrs. J.D. Griffin, Mr. and Mrs.
Harris (Greater Faith MBC), Rev. and Mrs. C.B. Holmes (Morning Star MBC),
Rev Joseph Williams (Greater Light MBC), Mr. and Mrs. Shavers, Rev. and
Mrs. H.L. Wade. Rev. Wade was Pastor of Rising Star MBC and the
Moderator of the Northern District Baptist Association.
The quorum was met and the new church was organized. Reverend Elbert Lee Thames was called to pastor the
newly formed church and Brother Isaiah Bell was appointed as chairman of the Board of Deacons. Brother
Cornace Sanders was appointed as treasurer and fifty dollars was donated and a bank account was opened in
the days following by Milton Baker. The name of Paradise Missionary Baptist Church was chosen, it was
a name submitted by Hester Baker. The church’s motto was, “In this church let no man be a stranger.”
Finding suitable housing for the new church was problematic, but by midweek after the establishment, the
Pastor found temporary housing at Bircher Chapel Methodist Church, where the Pastor was H.H. Collins.
Paradise would begin to have church services at 2:00 PM on Sunday afternoons for several weeks. As the
membership continued to grow, a need for more permanent housing arose. Soon the Paradise Church family
found housing at the Temple of Truth located on 9th Avenue, where David Perry was the Pastor.
Unfortunately the day they were set to have services there, the church was destroyed by fire. Paradise
received temporary housing at the Sacramento City Auditorium’s Little Theater. After three months at the
city auditorium, The Paradise church family was able to move back into the 9th
Avenue location.
Due much to the efforts of Pastor Thames, the property at 4260 Custis Avenue was purchased for $16,500 and was thereby the new official home of Paradise MBC. The new church was purchased exactly one year from the date of establishment of Paradise MBC. Church officers were appointed as follows: WMU President – Viola Carter, Church Clerk – Lois Hopkins, General Secretary – Christine Harris, Sunday School Superintendent (emeritus) George Washington, Sr., Sunday School Secretary – Trina Jenkins, Sunday School Supt. – Fred Baker, Jr., Financial Secretary – Bettye Windon, Director of Christian Education – Bettye Windon, Director of Music – Walter Else, Jr., President of Chancel Choir – Trina Jenkins, President of the Sanctuary Choir – Tolo Williams, Janitor – Houston Young, Deaconess President – Daisy Bell, Sr. Usher Board President – Boncile Young, Pastor’s Aide President – Estella Conley; Brotherhood President – George Williams, Funeral Director – Verna Davis, Budget Committee - Bettye Windon, George Williams, Isiah Bell, C. Session, also, WMU officers, Circle leaders, BTU officers, and Sanctuary Choir officers were appointed.
Paradise remained at the Custis Avenue location for almost three
years. The church grew by leaps and bounds and space was becoming limited. Pastor Thames was eventually
led to an existing building at 3651 27th Avenue and Strawberry Lane. The sanctuary was opened
to the congregation in February of 1972. Several months later, final arrangements were made to complete
the transaction. During the first five years of the church’s existence, more than eleven hundred person’s
united with the church under the leadership of Pastor E. L. Thames.
Paradise MBC became a member of the Northern District Baptist Association (NDBA) of which Pastor Thames
was the founder. Paradise enrolled as a member of the California State Baptist Convention USA, Inc., and
the Southern Baptist Association. The church sent delegates to attend the conventions each year. Bettye
Windon brought the idea of Serendipity to the California State Baptist Convention. Paradise MBC
was well represented and from 1980-1982 Pastor Elbert L. Thames was the president of the California State
Baptist Convention.
The Pastor set about changing the church’s program in an effort to meet the needs of the growing
congregation. Paradise had four choirs: the Sanctuary choir, the Youth Choir (Chancel), Treble Choir
(small children) and the Male Chorus. All of the choirs were outfitted with green robes trimmed in gold.
The children’s robes were donated by a couple from the church. Many Boards, Auxiliaries, and Committees
were added or revised, and some were eliminated.
In 1977, several improvements were made to the church.
The Social Hall and Sanctuary were connected with an adjoining roof. The church purchased a forty three
passenger van and thus the addition of the Bus Ministry.
Under the leadership of Pastor Thames, the Associate Ministers were Rev. Thomas Williams, Rev. Marcel
Clemmons, Rev. William Gage and Rev. Donald McKee. Later more ministers received their calling under the
tutelage of Pastor Thames. They were Rev. Jackie Curry, Rev. Melvin Rogers and Rev. Thomas F. Lytle.
On December 24, 1985, Pastor Elbert Lee Thames was called
home to be with the Lord.
Rev. Marcel Clemmons, Sr. was called to be interim pastor and on April 13, 1986, Rev. Clemmons was officially installed as the Pastor of Paradise MBC. Pastor Clemmons kept the church mandate set forth in Matthew 28:19-20. Under his pastoral period many new developments and changes were made. The Children’s Department was assigned their own director, a Birthday Celebration Committee was established and a Secretarial Staff was created to aid the church in their endeavors. Three ministers were called to the ministry: Rev. Reginald Favors, Rev. John Jackson, Sr., Rev. Erv Ashcraft, and one minister ordained, Dr. Thomas Lytle. During this period the church burned the mortgage and another van was added to the Bus ministry, and new church amenities were added, as well. Pastor Clemmons also served as the Second Vice President of the NDBA and the President of the NDBA Congress of Christian Education.
In 1988, the church secured property on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Fruitridge Road for the building of a new church sanctuary.
On January 25, 1995, Pastor Marcel D. Clemmons was called home to be with the Lord, leaving instructions to the Associate Ministers to preach, teach and baptize. On April 20, 1995, Rev. Thomas F. Lytle was called home to be with the Lord. At this time Rev. Melvin Rogers was elected to be in charge of the ministerial duties by the Board of Directors of the church. In July of 1995, Rev. Rogers lost his wife and later left the Paradise MBC family. Brother James Fuller, Chairman of the Deacon Board, remained at the helm of business transactions, answering the membership questions. A Selection Committee was formed by the Board of Directors, and after a lot of hard work and prayer by the Selection Committee, the Paradise MBC Church family met to select a new pastor for the church. On October 27, 1995, the members of the church were invited to attend a meeting to vote on the recommendation of the Selection Committee. At this meeting Rev. Alonzo G. Morris was elected to be the new pastor of Paradise Missionary Baptist Church.
The New Administration
On December 17, 1995 Rev. Alonzo G. Morris was installed as the Pastor of Paradise MBC. The church theme became, “Prayer, Training, Witnessing and Giving.” Under Pastor Morris, Wednesday Night Bible Study was revived and Saturday evangelism in the neighborhood was instituted.
1996 brought about positive change in new directions. New officers
were installed and new ministers were called to the ministry. They were Rev. Jehnon Johnson, Sr., Rev.
Maurice Harper, Rev. Kenneth Wimberley, Rev. Rueben Lewis and Rev Anthony Robertson.
Under the leadership of Pastor Morris many achievements have been made such as the purchase of additional
land on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., improvements to the church, and more ministries were added. He has
stated his primary program is “to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Bible training and outreach
ministry.” This program has proven fruitful; the membership is steadily increasing, and the spirit of the
members remains high.
