THE HISTORY OF THE

CHURCH OF GOD
IN CHRIST
FOR ALL SAINTS

The Beginning under Elder John Thomas, 1925 - 1928

Around 1924, Elder John N. Thomas opened a storefront called the Water Street Mission, which was located at 72 Water Street, in Morristown, near Roosevelt Lane, next to Pat Richie’s Saloon. He was the first pastor of The Church of God in Christ For All Saints, but there is very little information concerning him. The Water Street Mission was officially listed in the 1925 Morristown City Directory. The mission moved its location down the street to an empty storefront next to Vic’s Market, which was located at 79 Water Street and across the street from Union Baptist Church at the intersection of the now Spring Street and Martin Luther King Avenue.

As the new members became saved, the congregation held its water baptism service at Pocohontas Lake, a few blocks away on Clyde Potts Drive. The saints marched from the Water Street Mission in their white baptism attire to Pocohontas Lake while singing “Take Me to the Water.” A picture, taken in 1926, captured the saints standing at Pocohontas Lake as they prepared to start the baptism service.

The Leadership of Bishop B. M. Keith, 1928 - 1965

Elder Billie Matterson Keith was a Baptist minister, who founded and pastored Rose Hill Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. After becoming saved, baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit in September 1926 in Providence, Rhode Island, Elder Keith returned to New Jersey in November 1927 and was led to the Morristown/Madison area. Some of his friends tried to discourage him from coming to a “hick town” way out in the sticks. Little did they know that Morristown would become the hub of numerous corporations in years to come.

Elder B.M. Keith opened a mission over a garage on Central Avenue in Madison, a town adjacent to Morristown where he and a small number of members devoted themselves to fasting, praying, witnessing, and consecrating themselves. Included in this number were his Sister V. Keith, the Elder & Sister Gilmore, the Austin Family, Sister Mary Thomas, Daddy and Mother Bush, and Missionary Crockett. These were the first members of the Church of God in Christ in Madison. Elder Keith was ostracized, criticized, and even shot at, but he and the other members persevered in the work of the Lord.

Elder Thomas left for Plainfield, New Jersey, in 1928, and Elder Keith brought the saints from Madison and combined the two congregations there on Water Street. Elder and Sister Gilmore moved to Patterson, New Jersey, to start a COGIC church there. Elder Keith became the second

pastor of the Church and identified it as the Church of God in Christ, which is how the church began to be listed in the city directory.

The Lord blessed, souls were saved and added to the Church. Through the growth of the Church, the saints were able to purchase a lot at 3 Rowe Street in Morristown, a few blocks from their Water Street location. From 1930-1934, the men of the church built the basement of the Church. Daddy Bush, with his long mustache, was one of the leaders of this construction project. The sound of Pentecost continued to attract new members, who were curious about what was happening there on Water Street.

The power of God was on great display and operation in this early phase of the Church. Great evangelists came and preached, such as Elder Chapman who had a healing ministry. Elder Benjamin F. Broadie ran a great revival where nineteen souls were saved. People were leaving other churches to join this holiness church. In fact, Mother Lena Rogers, then Lena Coleman, was a member and organist of Union Baptist Church, where her father, Reuben Coleman, was chairman of the Deacon Board and her mother, Georgia Coleman, was a deaconess. The Holy Spirit drew Sister Lena Coleman to the mission to find out about what the early saints were experiencing through the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Even though her father forbade her to go to the Mission, her brother, Eugene Thompson, persuaded their father to let her go, and there, she became saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost.

With the completed construction of the basement in 1934, the Church moved to its present location at 3 Rowe Street where they worshipped sitting around a pot-belly stove in the winter. The local newspaper, the Daily Record, reported on 9/25/1934 these headlines – “4th Negro Church Is Dedicated: Ninety Years Since First Local Colored Church Organized.” The three other Black churches were, in the order of founding, Bethel AME Church, Calvary Baptist Church, and Union Baptist Church, all of which are still functioning today. The newspaper article described the Church in this way:

“So far the congregation has graded the lot and put up a concrete basement with a front on the side street level and stairs leading down to the auditorium, the whole covered with a temporary roof. The main room is attractively fitted up and has a kitchen in the rear. The structure is but a stone’s throw from Calvary Baptist Church on Willow Street.”

The new location of the Church was met with some hostility by neighbors. One Sunday night, some neighbors blocked the doors with trash so that the saints could not get out. One of the brothers climbed out of a basement window and removed the items blocking the door so the saints could go home. The new building, owned by the Church, provided a needed refuge for the members to experience the presence of God and support from one another. Even when the Spirit of the Lord came upon the saints, as they worshipped around a pot belly stove especially in the colder months, none of them got burned.

From 1934 to 1941, the men of the Church constructed the upstairs sanctuary, using second-hand wood. During these years, the sound of Pentecost continued to spread through the community. The Rogers Family lived in Mendham, a small town 5.2 miles west of Morristown, and Luther and Mary Rogers brought their family on Sundays to Bethel AME Church on Spring Street. One day, Mary Rogers heard about the Church, and the Rogers Family became members of the Church, which included their eldest son, Gordon Rogers who graduated from Morristown High School in 1936. On November 22, 1938, Gordon Rogers married Lena Coleman with the

wedding ceremony officiated by Elder Keith. On Sunday, September 28, 1941, the saints marched into their new sanctuary for morning worship.

On March 31, 1942, the Church officially became incorporated as the “Church of God in Christ For All Saints” in Morris County, New Jersey. The first trustees signing the incorporation papers were Elder Billie M. Keith, William

Jackson, and 22-year-old Gordon Rogers. From 1940 through 1965, the Church grew at a steady slow pace with souls being saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost. People from other churches would come to the Sunday night service to see what was happening when the power of God moved upon the saints and dropped them to the floor. The saints were given the name “holy rollers” and were mocked throughout the community.

Yet, the power of God was mightily on display. Sister Bessie Jackson had a tumor about the size of a basketball, which made her look nine months pregnant. One day at the Church’s Noonday Prayer, Elder Keith prayed for her, and the tumor dissolved, and the sisters had to hold up and pin her clothes because they were falling off her.

The Church started a well-known, live radio broadcast in the late 1940s over Station WHBI, the Gospel Station of the Nation, on Sunday afternoons right after the morning service. Sister Lena Rogers was the radio announcer. For each broadcast, the Church would come on the air singing, “Jesus said if you go, I’ll go with you.” People would come as far as from New York City to be in the broadcast service. They would come not only to experience the broadcast in-person but also to be healed. A woman came from New York with one leg shorter than the other. Elder Keith had her sit on the front pew and stretch out her leg. He prayed for her, and the shorter leg was lengthened. One eyewitness to this event was Rev. Marilyn Rogers Lambe, the oldest child of Elder and Sister Rogers, who with all the other young female children sat on the front pew while the young boys sat with the deacons.

The saints received sound instruction through the teaching ministry of Elder Keith on Sunday morning, Sunday night service, and Tuesday and Friday night services. Sunday night and Friday night services were given to kneeling in prayer, Bible instruction, and tarrying for the Holy Spirit. Elder Keith would have two brothers bring a red, soft leather, comfortable chair from his study for him to sit in on the sanctuary floor in which he would teach Bible verse one after another for at least an hour on how to live a holy, sanctified life. Then the saints would seek the Lord in prayer.

Bishop Keith believed in the stewardship of God’s time and was devoted to being on time for God’s service. He continually exhorted the members to be on time for every church service. During weeknight services, if members were late, Bishop Keith would have them stand up in the congregation and say, “I disregarded God’s time.” Of course, this provided an extra incentive for members to be on time. Being on time for church was instilled in all the members.

As the Church of God in Christ grew as a denomination throughout New Jersey, Elder Keith was appointed District Superintendent of the Northern District and Chairman of the Board of Elders in the 1929 by State Bishop A. J. Reid. He was appointed as Assistant Bishop to Bishop A. J. Reid in 1940. Bishop Reid died suddenly in the pulpit in 1948 and Bishop James Wells was appointed State Bishop and Bishop Keith as Assistant Bishop by Bishop Mason. In the early 1950’s, Elder Gordon Rogers became Assistant Pastor to Bishop Keith. In 1956, Elder Gordon Rogers was appointed District Superintendent of the Northern District. On February 23, 1961, Bishop Keith was elevated to the office of State Bishop of New Jersey, following the passing of Bishop James Wells. Bishop Keith appointed Elder Esau Courtney as the Assistant State Bishop. In January

1962, Bishop Keith appointed Elder Chandler D. Owens as the pastor of Wells Cathedral Church of God in Christ.

Bishop Keith served as State Bishop until his death on June 19, 1965, after a long illness. The homegoing service for Bishop Keith was held at Wells Cathedral Church of God in Christ in Newark, New Jersey, on June 24, 1965, at 11:00am. Bishop D. A. Burton and Supt. Chandler Owens presided over the service. Mother Alice Walker represented the district missionaries in her remarks. Supt. C. W. Johnson represented the District Superintendents. Mother Annie L. Bailey, National and State Supervisor of the Women’s Department, also gave remarks. Rev. James Coleman, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Morristown, exhorted and encouraged the saints in his uplifting remarks. Madame Ernestine Washington sang the sermonic solo and Bishop F. D. Washington gave the eulogy.

The Leadership of Pastor Gordon Rogers, 1965 - 1995

Upon the death of Bishop Keith, Elder Gordon Rogers was appointed as the third pastor of the Church by Bishop Esau Courtney. The Lord blessed the Church to continue to grow as Elder Rogers instituted new programs. These included Sunday 9:00am Prayer, Children’s Church, Youth for Christ Choir, Daytime Shut-in, Operation Love at Christmas, N.A. Meetings, Evangelistic Street Service, Education Committee to offer financial support of church students going to college, and others. As Morristown grew as a corporate hub, this brought new members to the Church, such as the Calvin & Gail Darden family, the Ledbetter family, Bishop Edwin Bass & family, Elder Andrew Towns & family.

Around 1966, Pastor Gordon Rogers and Pastor Charles Marks of Union Baptist Church organized the United Holy Week Service during which the local Black churches joined together in worship service each weeknight and at 6:00am Sunrise Service on Resurrection Sunday to commemorate Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, and resurrection. The services were held at a different church each night with a pastor from another of the local Black churches preaching along with his choir singing. After the Sunrise Service, the kitchen and hospitality ministries from all the churches worked together to prepare and serve breakfast. United Holy Week became an annual tradition to which local church members eagerly awaited and attended faithfully with a full church at each service. The United Holy Week Services have continued to the present day.

With the deterioration of the original facade of the Church building, Elder Rogers had the front of the building replaced with brick and a new entrance in 1970. With the original structure from 1941, members had to exit the building to enter the basement where the bathrooms were located, but the remodeled front allowed access to the lower level from the inside. In July 1973, new wall air conditioners were installed. Two years later in 1975, the sanctuary was embellished with new pews, carpeting, and a fiberglass baptismal pool.

God blessed the Church to purchase two houses, a two-family house behind the Church at 25 Lincoln Street in 1979 and a single-family house next door to the Church at 1 Rowe Street in 1987, which provided affordable housing for members. The Church further purchased a vacant lot across the street from the Church and converted it into a parking lot. Elder Rogers had the vision and architectural plans for renovating and expanding the Church building, but the Town’s moratorium on new construction halted the implementation of those plans. Yet, the Town’s moratorium did not deter Elder Rogers from planning for the future expansion of the Church building by setting aside Church funds and mostly his own personal funds for when the moratorium would be lifted.

One of the highpoints of the Church calendar was the Young Adult Choir Anniversary held annually on the third Sunday of February. Each anniversary was packed with choirs and people so that there was only standing room. People came from as far as New York City to attend the anniversary. The anniversary began with a procession of all the choirs present. Following the opening prayer and scripture, the opening hymn was the Negro National Anthem. Then the Young Adult Choir offered their two selections. The Children’s Choir and Senior Choir also participated on the program. Visiting choirs included those from the local Black churches and COGIC churches in northern New Jersey, such as Cotton Temple (Jersey City), Zion Temple (Newark), Greater Harvest (Newark), and Smith Memorial (Newark). The Young Adult Choir traveled regularly to sing at many choir anniversaries at other churches near and far. On the fourth Sunday of February, the choir went annually to Cotton Temple in Jersey City for their choir anniversary.

Another highlight of the Church calendar was the fellowship services held with other COGIC churches. For example, Pastor Rogers was a frequent guest preacher at several usher anniversary service, such at Trinity Temple (Elder Norman Prescott), Englewood (Elder Hiawatha Henderson), New Brunswick (Elder William Bynes), and Hackensack. In addition to celebrating each other’s usher anniversary, Elder Prescott and Trinity Temple would come to Morristown to celebrate Pastor Rogers’ pastoral anniversary. We enjoyed ongoing fellowship with Zion Temple to celebrate Elder Upshaw’s pastoral anniversary. We further enjoyed the fellowship with Saints Temple in Brooklyn, New York, where Elder Calvin Williams was the pastor and he would bring a bus to Morristown for the service here and we would take a bus to Brooklyn.

Pastor Gordon Rogers continued to serve as District Superintendent of the Northern District with as many as ten churches under his leadership. These churches included Morristown, Reid Temple, Range’s Temple, Hartley Street (Montclair), Zion Temple, Caldwell, House of Prayer, Progressive, Trinity Temple, and Morning Star. Missionary Iola Hartsfield served as his first District Missionary and Mother Johnnie Reid, the wife of the late Bishop A. J. Reid, served as his second District Missionary. After Mother Reid passed, Mother Olive Brown served as District Missionary.

Supt. Rogers further served the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as Chairman of the Pastors & Elders Council and as a member of both the Ordination Board and the Trustee Board. He was stickler for being on time, being expeditious with time, and letting the Lord have His way. In addition to being the Pastor’s wife, Mother Lena Rogers served as Church Mother, Deaconess, Evangelist Missionary, Sunday School Teacher, and pianist. She served the First Jurisdiction as the Teacher of the Evangelist Missionary Training Class and President of the Church Mothers Board. She further served the National COGIC Church as President of the Church Mothers Board under General Supervisor Mother Willie Mae Rivers.

The Leadership of Pastor Robert Rogers, 1995 - Present

After the passing of our beloved Pastor Gordon Rogers on June 25, 1995, his son, Elder Robert Rogers, was appointed pastor by the COGIC Presiding Bishop Chandler D. Owens at the Homegoing Service on July 3, 1995. Pastor Robert Rogers built upon the vision of his father by implementing the construction of a new church building and breaking ground on Sunday, September 28, 1997, which was the 56th anniversary of the Church marching into its new sanctuary in 1941. On October 1, 1997, the original church building was leveled, and the new construction began. During the new construction, the Church worshipped at Lafayette School in Morristown. Tuesday Night Bible Study and Friday Night Prayer Service were held in the chapel at Calvary Baptist Church. On Friday night, June 5, 1998, the doors of the new church building opened to welcome the congregation. Two weeks later, on Saturday, June 20, 1998, the Church was officially dedicated in a service led by Bishop Martin Johnson and Bishop Norman Prescott.

Pastor Robert Rogers focused the Church on fulfilling the purpose God has given us as a royal priesthood, ambassadors for Christ, ministers of reconciliation, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, and the Body of Christ. This has included teachings on the Biblical identity of the Church and the implementation of the various Church’s ministries. Regarding the Body of Christ and every member having a part in ministry, Pastor Rogers often asked, “Can I see all the hands of the ministers in the house?” This was further implemented by offering leadership training to ministry leaders and the development of new leaders. Priority continued to be given to the Church’s teaching ministry with Sunday School offering additional classes along the traditional Sunday School lesson and Bible Study on Tuesday nights.

Pastor Robert Rogers has led the Church into new dimensions of community empowerment, where the Church continues the ministry of Jesus in the world by empowering people, addressing community issues, bringing people together to work on issues, combatting social and racial injustice, bringing resources to community people, and sharing the Good News of salvation and liberation through Jesus Christ. Some of the programs included:

Community Health Day in partnership with Atlantic Health System
Vacation Bible School
Outdoor Services at Caldwell Playground
Prayer Walking in the community
Voter Registration & Souls to the Polls
Hallelujah Night for community children.
Host Site for Wind of the Spirit Latinx Citizenship Support Group
Tutoring Program in partnership with Morris School District
Creation of the Controlling Our Destiny Coalition of Black churches, community organizations, sororities, and sororities to establish a Black community agenda
COVID-19 & Flu Vaccination Clinics
Project FEED Community Prepared Meal Distribution Site
SEED Cancer Awareness in partnership Zufall Health Center
The Church was a co-founder of the Afro-American Wellness Coalition on Black Women’s Cancer Risks.
AIDS Ministry at Eric Johnson House
Homeless Solutions Partner Church housing homeless families
Winter Coat/Clothes, & Food Box Distribution Site
Construction of a two-family house as affordable housing for Section 8 households
Co-sponsored Introductory Lacrosse Clinics for Black & Latinx youth
Created Youth Tennis Club providing free instruction to Black/Latinx children & youth.
Initiated the Interfaith Build Project by Habitat for Humanity to rebuild the house across the street from the Church.

In addition, Pastor Rogers has promoted wellness in every dimension of one's life - physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, social, financial, and environmental - emotional healing and healing in relationships, and liberation from dysfunctional and destructive behaviors, through such programs as:

Senior Citizen Virtual Support Group to combat loneliness and isolation.
Domestic Violence Awareness
Bereavement Support Group
Workshops on Managing Grief During the Holidays
Women’s Healing Circle Group with Empower the Village Organization
50 Days of Transformation Series examining the seven dimensions of wellness from a Biblical perspective.
Five-A-Day Program with Morristown Medical Center to encourage members to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Marriage Enrichment Seminar co-sponsored with the African-American Clergy Association of Morris County.

The Church celebrated its 90th Anniversary at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey, in September 2015 where Missionary Elaine Gamble and Missionary Doreen Ernandez served as Co-Chairs. Pastor Robert Rogers recommended to the Town of Morristown Mayor, Tim Dougherty, to name Rowe Street after Pastor Gordon Rogers. Mayor Dougherty announced at the luncheon that he would work with the Town Council to pass an ordinance renaming the street to Rev. Gordon Anthony Rogers Way. On October 11, 2016, the Morristown Town Council passed Ordinance 0-41-2016, to rename Rowe Street to Rev. Gordon Anthony Rogers Way. The new street sign was unveiled on a Sunday after the morning worship service in early November.

In September 2019, at its 94th Church Anniversary, the Church honored some of its senior citizens, including the beloved Deacon Jobie Parker and Mother Lena Rogers. The Lord called Deacon Jobie home on January 27, 2020, and Mother Rogers on February 1, 2020. Then the Lord called home our beloved Elder George Falconer on February 13, 2020. Then the COVID- 19 pandemic hit the Church very hard with the following members going home to be with the Lord:

Supt. Hubert Burwell (March 20, 2020)
Agnes Boyd (April 19, 2020)
Missionary Elaine Gamble (April 19, 2020)
Mother Johnnie Barefoot (July 30, 2020)
Noel Samuel Clarke (July 30, 2020)
Deborah L. Phinisee (July 31, 2020)
Portia Robinson (August 4, 2020)

Like other churches dealing with the consequences of the pandemic, the Church experienced both decreased attendance and giving. Yet, we thank God for those who have remained and persevered striving to be the Church that God has called us to be and to fight the good fight of faith. Pastor Robert Rogers continues the sound teaching tradition of the Church by seeking to deepen the Biblical foundation of the faith with underscoring the significance and importance of sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit and emphasizing their relevance and practicality into daily living in contemporary society. Pastor Rogers is further giving priority to developing and nurturing the faith of our children, youth, and young adults as the Church of today through children’s sermons, having programs geared to these age groups, involving these ages in our worship services, connecting the youth and young adults to our Jurisdictional and Regional Auxiliaries in Ministry (AIM) Departments, and meeting and teaching the young adults on a periodic basis.

We honor and thank God for our previous pastors and pioneers, who have laid the foundation for The Church of God in Christ For All Saints these past 100 years and who persevered in prayer, fasting, sacrificial giving, using their gifts and talents, and letting their lights shine in this community. Most of all, we give all glory and honor to God for faithfulness, favor, grace, and mercy He has showered upon our Church during these years. By His grace, mercy, and power, we will seek to continue the ministry God has given us and fulfill our calling as the Body of Christ in the years to come.

THE HISTORY OF THE

CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST FOR ALL SAINTS

CHURCH OF GOD
IN CHRIST
FOR ALL SAINTS