History of San Jose Ephesus

In 1955, the Ford Motor Company moved their assembly Plant from Oakland, CA to Milpitas, CA., a city of approximately 6000 people.  Among their employees was a young woman by the name of Mary Newson, who was 32 years old.  Mary had to make a decision, and she decided to move to San Jose with the plant, along with her husband Leonard.  Once the NEwson's moved to San Jose they started attending the 5th Street in San Jose.  While there, Mary had a desire to see a black church n the San Jose area.

Mary was invited by a friend to attend a Tupperware party, and through that, she was impressed to have her own get together, but focused more on bible study.  As time went by, Mary started scouting around in her neighborhood, looking for people interested in Bible Studies and she met Sister Alma Whitworth and her Sister-in-law.  She also met and became friends with Bro. & sis. Epting who were renting a room from Sis. Ludena Brock, a Member of the 5th St. SDA Church. Mary invited her new fried and with the aid of a Projector and the 20th Century Study Lesson, they ,et.  Mary Studied with her friends for a number of weeks and as the subject matter got deeper and the questions became more difficult she called on her good friend John E. Collins to help her.  "Come over to Macedonia and help us" was the cry.  Mary and John had been baptized together and had developed a bonding friendship.  Together they studied at Mary's home on San Fernando Street and as the interest grew John encourage Mary to branch out into a Store Front Building.  They did and as John Collins puts it, "they launched out into the deep."

John had a friend - Harvey Williams who was also on fire for God.  He invited Harvey to join him, with Mary & Leonard Newson and the four of them started Meetings at the Santa Clara Street Location in 1956 after being encouraged to do so by Elder Russell W. Nelson who at that time was Pastor of the Oakland Market Street SDA Church.  They also received support from Larry Whiteside who would give his time and lend his Talents whenever he could.

The first convert was Sis. Alma Whitworth and on April 27, 1958 was baptized along with the new converts and the organization of a new Church was in place.  Sister Florence Harris helped us to bring in Sis. Dorothy Thomas.  Sis. Ludena Brock, Sis. Patricia Anderson and Sis. Juanita Butler who were attending the 5th Street Church joined them to establish the nucleus of the Membership.

Immediately after the baptism at the 5th Street Church., the official organization of not a Company, but a full-fledged Seventh Day Adventist Church, with a complete Roster of Officers with 19 members was established.  "REDEEMED!  REDEEMED! HIS CHILD AND FOREVER I AM," was sung in chorus by overjoyed members of  the San Jose Ephesus Church and all those present.

The first man in leadership in San Jose in 1958 was Bro. C.C. Arburthonot a Layman from the East Coast, he served without pay as Lay Pastor.  The first Conference appointed Pastor was Ted Jones, The Young Man with the Horn.

At the Santa Clara Street location there were at one time approximately 80 plus people attending the meetings in that Store Front.  The Church quickly outgrew the Store Front and moved to 901 South 12th Street, which was an old school complex, then on to Grant Street.  In May 1964 the church family moved to it's current location at 102 North Ninth Street in San Jose, and June 20, 1964 was the official opening wth Elder W.S. Lee in attendance.  Elder Lee was the Union Director of Black Ministries at the time.  The Church building was dedicated on November 1978.