History - 1920's - 1930's

In January 1920, Elder R.L. Bradford, Sr., arrived in Dallas from Wichita Falls, Kansas to assist in the proclamation of the advent message. In the spring of 1923, Elders E.M. Gates and R.L. Bradford, Sr. pitched the first camp meeting tent on North Central Avenue at State and Washington Streets . . . this was our first camp meeting. At the close of this meeting, our church home moved from Montezuma and Hawkins Street to Mrs. Hall's building on State Street. It was here that the vitality of the members were crushed and began to disintegrate, dwindling down to two members. Sister Naomi H. Turner writes, "our hearts were made sad to see our little group to fade away by migration, apostasy and death."

Sister Naomi H. Turner reflects on a sermon preached by Elder R.L. Bradford, Sr., when they were going through the crisis. " . . . It was preached, I am sure to strengthen the new believers. In this sermon, he compared the church as a tree that had much fruit and little by little as the winds blew and the storms came much of the fruit was beaten to the ground, but the very top of this tree remained unshaken . . . there were just two parts that remained. I was too young in the faith then to understand clearly what the sermon meant, but later our whole company fell away . . . an elderly lady about eighty years old and myself were the only ones left . . . I then understood the sermon."

Beginning in the spring and ending in the fall of 1926, Pastors J. Gershom Dasent, Henry J. Miller, A.K. Watkins, and B. Lyons came to Dallas to run another meeting. They pitched their tent in the Christian Park area on Thomas and Washington Avenue, in North Dallas. The church was officially organized with these charter members: Katie Baker, Hazel Bell, Crawford Cooper, Hanna Carr, Gladys Halston, Laura Moore, H. Murphy, and Naomi H. Turner. Church activity spread rapidly through the work of enthusiastic lay members.

In 1928, another tent was pitched on Haskell Street. Handwritten on North Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists letterhead, correspondence dated September 4, 1928, addressed to the City of Dallas, stated no objection to the Colored Seventh-day Adventist people building on the northwest corner of Forman and Haskell where their tent has been since May 24th. A.K. Watkins is listed as the leader of the Colored District of Beulah, Corsicana, Jefferson, Mosier Valley, Waco, and Isolated Territory. A letter addressed to the Mayor and Board of Commissioners of the City of Dallas, S.E. Gillespie, the building inspector informs the gentlemen that A.K. Watkins requested a permit to build a church. Accompanying the handwritten letter, Elder Watkins attached signatures favoring the building of the church. A petition was received that protested the building of the church since it was a segregated issue. The request was referred to the committee for recommendation. Praise God! On October 30, 1928, City Plan Engineer, Forrest L. Park responded with a favorable letter giving guidelines for the construction of Beulah Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In 1929 we move into our first church building, erected on the corner of Haskell and Day Streets, under the Pastorate of A.K. Watkins, with a seating capacity of 200. The church was named Beulah Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1526 South Haskell Avenue - the first Seventh-day Adventist Church for Negroes, in Dallas. The Dallas City Directory advertised David Hardie Seed Company; Waldorf Hotel, near the Santa Fe station, rates $1.50 up; city Ice Delivery. The directory listed churches by denomination. The heading of Seventh-day Adventist only listed 2 churches:

Seventh Day Adventist Church 2900 Live Oak
Seventh Day Adventist Mission (Mexican) 2732 McKinnon

Separate from the different denominations listed is the heading:

Churches - Colored
Beulah Seventh Day Adventist Church 1526 S. Haskell av

Hebrews 12:1, Clear Word: "Therefore, seeing we are surrounded with such great men and women of faith, let's rid ourselves of everything that hinders us from having this same kind of faith, especially the sin of not trusting God that can so easily grip every one of us. Let's run the course that is marked out for us with the same determination as those who have run in the Olympics."