Church of the Master recently sold its church building at 5152 E. 17th Ave. and has moved its offices to First Baptist Church of Denver and currently is worshipping with FBC.

With the move to FBC, you might say Church of the Master is coming full circle. Its historical roots wind their way back to FBC in the 1860s. former COTM Interim Pastor Slayden Yarbrough recounts the church’s history:

CHURCH OF THE MASTER
THE JOURNEY FROM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF DENVER AND BACK
By Slayden A Yarbrough, Former Interim Pastor

In 1940 a novel by Thomas Wolfe was published after his untimely death at age 37.  The title was “You can’t Go Home Again.”  It’s an intriguing title and I think we all can identify with the fact that things constantly change and we can’t return to the good old days. However, I started reading (the history of Church of the Master) and came up with some fascinating information, which at least in terms of our plans for Church of the Master may provide evidence that we can go home again!

Every good venture can be traced to someone’s dream. For the Church of the Master in Park Hill, that dream is rooted in the vision of Dr. Robert Cameron, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Denver, Colorado from May, 1885 to April, 1887. First Baptist Church, which began in 1864 during the Civil War, experienced excellent growth under Dr. Cameron, who resigned after a short pastorate to devote his energy to the establishment of Colorado Women’s College.

First Baptist Church was extremely active during the 1880s and the early 1890s in establishing churches and missions in Denver. In about a decade First Baptist led in the formation of ten new churches and eight missions! A later pastor, Dr. Clarence Kemper, referred to it as “the Mother Church of the Rockies.”

Dr. Cameron believed that there was a need for Baptist work in the Capitol Hill area of Denver. He influenced James A. Miller to purchase lots at 16th and Downing for a possible church structure. However, nothing developed and Miller sold the lots for a profit.

Early in 1890, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Burrows asked for “Letters of Dismission” from First Baptist to any church of “like faith and order.” Mr. T. H. Jackson suggested to Burrows, who would serve as clerk of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church for twenty years, that he “ascertain and centralize Baptist interests on Capitol Hill, and thus carry forward the idea advanced by Dr. Cameron.” (History and Minutes of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, p. 2, “Preliminary Statement)

On February 14, 1890 an informal meeting was held in Burrows’ house and was attended by thirteen people. Discussion was general and largely informal. A motion to organize a Baptist church on Capitol Hill passed unanimously. A public meeting was held at First Baptist Church on February 20, 1890. A group of over 32 people gathered at the meeting chaired by Dr. Cameron. A committee was appointed to confer with the Missionary Committee of First Baptist.

During several future meetings consideration was given to establishing a church on lots on Park Avenue near Colfax, but opposition resulted in the failure of this plan.

Finally, in the Fall of 1891, several residents in the neighborhoods, members of First Baptist Church, and others obtained from a Mr. Perkins the use of lots on Vine Street near 17th Avenue. They erected a tent in which the “Capitol Hill Baptist Sunday School” was organized on Sunday, October 4, 1891. [Can you imagine starting a Sunday School – in Denver – In October –that meets in a tent?] The Sunday School flourished for a year with attendance reaching about 100. The group also held socials, prayer meetings, and occasional lectures.

Because of a planned building on the lots, the group moved the tent to the northeast corner of York Street and 16th Avenue. The tent structure was weakened by the move and a blizzard in early October, 1892, practically destroyed the tent. The Sunday School was disbanded for six months. The tent was dismantled, and the chairs, the fixtures, the stoves and the piano were stored for future use in a new tent or building. In April, 1893 the work was resumed in a chapel on Williams Street.

On January 31, 1893, the mission was organized into the Capitol Hill Baptist Church, of Denver, Colorado. (Capitol Hill Baptist Church History/Minutes) in a meeting in the home of George H. Angell. The church incorporated on February 7, 1893. The purpose of the January meeting was to move forward in erecting a suitable building, and to acquire title to lots 3 and 4 in Block 15 in Wyman’s addition, which had already been purchased in anticipation of use by the new corporation.

In the early months of the church, worship was sporadic. Dr. Tupper of First Baptist Church preached several times on the first Thursday evening of each month. Although the church was a legal entity, apparently it did not organize until February 15, 1894. At that time a large number of people met and adopted a committee motion to organize. According to the records of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church, 32 members from First Baptist Church of Denver presented letters prior to or during this meeting, or during the next two weeks.

A resolution declaring the group to be constituting the Capitol Hill Baptist Church was adopted and signed by 33 persons, who accepted “the doctrinal belief and church polity commonly held by Regular Baptist Churches.” In the minutes of February 28th, the source of the Church Covenant and the Articles of Faith was described as being “contained in the manual of the First Baptist Church of this city . . .” [We also know that these were Baptists because they also appointed several committees!]

Regular Sunday services began on April 15th, 1894, 103 years ago today! The Rev. Charles W. Williams was enlisted to serve as supply preacher for four Sundays. On June 13th, the church voted unanimously to call him as pastor at a salary of $1,200 for his first year. Rev. Williams accepted the call on July 5th. By the beginning of 1899 the church had grown to 100 members. On May 7, 1899, Pastor Williams tendered his resignation. In December the church called Rev. C. R. Minard as pastor, who served until September 1908. Instability in the pastorate followed, which apparently led to a divided and declining membership. This apparently resulted in a need to pursue new direction.

In May, 1913, conversations began with the Calvary Baptist Church, a mission of First Baptist Church of Denver, concerning a possible merger. On July 3, 1913, it was reported that the Calvary Baptist Church had rescinded its action to unite with the Capitol Hill Baptist Church. The records do not state the reason.

Interestingly, at the same meeting it was reported to the Capitol Hill congregation that discussions to form a new church had begun with the Colfax Avenue Baptist Church. On Sunday, October 19, 1913, the City Park Baptist Church was organized.
Dr. Asa Z. Hall and Rev. Ingram E. Bill were elected as co-pastors. Ninety-five members of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church and 69 members of the Colfax Avenue Baptist Church comprised the new congregation.

The church met at Colfax and Garfield until a decision was made during the pastorate of Dr. Buford Fordam, a retired chaplain of the U.S, Air Force, to relocate. The property was sold and construction was begun on the new church building in which we are now worshipping. This was the Spring of 1948. The City Park Baptist Church moved to Colorado Women’s College until April 17th, 1949, when it began to worship here.

With a tradition of mergers the City Park Baptist Church united with the Montclair Baptist Church in 1969. The name Church of the Master was chosen for the new group. They worshipped in the Montclair facility until 1971, when they moved back to this building.

This brief overview of the roots and history of our congregation brings us to the time for a new beginning. In an ironic way, the congregation has chosen to return to its beginning, to First Baptist Church of Denver, where Dr. Robert Cameron dreamed of planting a church in the Capitol Hill community, and from which appeared the City Park Baptist Church and then the Church of the Master. And so the dream of one man and the commitment of one church have come full circle.”