History - 1930's - 1950's

The church's activity spread rapidly through the work of the lay members. Following the relocation of Elder A.K. Watkins, Elder Milton M. Young, Sr. was appointed as the shepherd of the flock until his untimely death in 1936. The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, volume 113, no. 54, October 29, 1936, gives record in the section headed "ASLEEP IN JESUS", the following obituary notice of Elder Young, Sr.:

While en'route to General Conference at San Francisco, [sic] California, he was stricken with heart trouble at Indio, California and died shortly after his arrival at the local hospital.

Elder A.R. Caruthers accompanied the body of Elder Young on the train from California to his birthplace in Memphis, Tennessee.

Elder M.M. Young, Sr., was succeeded by Elder J.N. Fisher, who served as pastor-teacher until the coming of Elder Stanley Huddleston in 1942. Pastor-Evangelist R.T. Hudson, described as having the ability to persuade large crowds on points of doctrine, was a dramatic evangelist who arrived as the next pastor. He was replaced by Elder A.B. Humphrey. Between 1946 and 1949, Elder J.H. Williams conducted a series of evangelistic meetings on Hall Street, adding more souls to the church. Then came Elder Walter W. Fordham with another crusade in 1949, adding 70 members by baptism. Pastor Fordham, who was also the conference president, moved the membership from Beulah Seventh-day Adventist Church on South Haskell Avenue to 3711 Oakland Avenue, now known as Malcolm X Boulevard. The new church and elementary school, and the Southwest Region Mission were built by contractor E.A. Lewis for $42,500.

The Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook quotes the following regarding the Southwestern Mission:

December 16, 1946, the Negro Constituency of the Arkansas-Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texico conferences were combined and organized into the Southwestern Mission, effective January 1, 1947. . . . This new mission was a unit comparable to a conference, with its own officers, committee, and departmental secretaries, and headquarters at 3711 Oakland Avenue, Dallas, Texas. The first mission officers chosen by the constituency were Walter W. Fordham, president; Vincent L. Roberts, secretary-treasurer and home missionary secretary; J.H. Jones, publishing secretary; Helen Wiggans Beckett, Sabbath School secretary. At the end of two years as a mission, the membership was 1,939 and total net worth was $35,824.85.