“DCFS Department of Children and Family Services Find Near Search.” This is how Compton First Southern Baptist Church appears on some local government websites. But Compton First Southern Baptist Church is much more than just a landmark. It is a place of community and faith.
Let’s step back in time. We will explore the origins of Compton First Southern Baptist Church. We will discover its role in the larger Southern Baptist movement in California.
Southern Baptists organized in 1845. They viewed California as part of their domestic missions. A pastor from Alabama started the First Baptist Church of Santa Clara in 1851. In 1853 a pastor from Arkansas founded the El Monte Baptist Church.
These early Southern Baptists worked hard in California. The Civil War caused a retreat to areas closer to the South. Baptist life saw little activity for decades.
Southern Baptist work in California started anew on May 10, 1936. Sixteen members formed the First Baptist Church in Shafter. The San Joaquin Valley became the center for Southern Baptist work.
The Southern Baptist General Convention of California began September 13, 1940. The name changed in 1988 to California Southern Baptist Convention. Thirteen churches gathered in Shafter to start the convention.
The first Southern Baptist church in Los Angeles County was the First Southern Baptist Church of Bell Gardens. It was organized November 14, 1937. Today Bell Gardens is one of over 1400 Southern Baptist churches in California. They also have nearly 400 missions.
The Los Angeles Southern Baptist Association LASBA formed September 5, 1943. It met at Prairie Avenue Baptist Church in Hawthorne California. Rev. W.W. Brister called the meeting. He acted as moderator. Representatives came from five churches. These included Bell Gardens, Bethel, Long Beach, West Los Angeles and Prairie Avenue.
Monthly meetings began October 3, 1943 at Bell Gardens. By the end of the first year the Association had nine churches. The first nine LASBA churches were Bell Gardens, Sawtelle, Long Beach, Bethel and Pasadena. Bell Gardens church also started three missions that became churches. These were El Monte, Lomita and Burbank.
The Hawthorne Missionary Baptist Church was organized June 11, 1944. The first Superintendent of City Missions was Rev. John W. Williams. After one year the first annual LASBA meeting occurred. It took place at the First Southern Baptist Church of Pasadena on September 12 and 13, 1944.
Greenleaf Avenue Baptist Church in Whittier joined LASBA in 1944. First Southern Baptist of Compton followed. Gage Avenue Baptist in Bell Gardens, Truett Memorial of Long Beach and Broadman Baptist of Huntington Park joined in 1945.
Today Compton First Southern Baptist Church continues this legacy. It is a place where faith and community intertwine. It enriches the lives of its members and the wider Compton community. The church’s history reflects a journey of dedication and service. It embodies the spirit of the Southern Baptist tradition in Los Angeles County.