December 15, 2006

• Rev. John Hugo

  Not sure where the pictures went when the wordpress format took over.
  

  First Baptist Church, Gladstone, Mich.

  

  The first Baptist Church of Gladstone, Michigan, was organized on August 21st, 1905, under the leaderhip of Missionary Edward Flemming of Chicago, Illinois.  In 1915 Rev. N. W. Nelson began his first term as pastor of the church. During this time some additional work was done in the church building, which raised the property value. Mr. Nelson served six years.

  For the next year the church was served by Dr. Herman Kasen, a dentist who moved to Gladstone to set up practice. He served until the fall of 1922, when the church called Rev. John Hugo, who shortly after was ordained to the Gospel ministry by the church. He served the church two and a half years.

  Cypress Avenue Baptist Church, New York

  

  The Cypress Avenue Baptist Church traces its beginning to July 31, 1905, when Rev. Erik Jansson from Finland came and gathered his countrymen to meetings. Late that summer came Edward Flemming and held meetings in Jersey City, Brooklyn and Bronx. In October 1905 the church was organized in Jersey City by 11 persons.

  Entrance to Church Auditorium.

  Flemming served as pastor until in March 1906, when G. A. Sjogren came to the city and became pastor until May 1908. John A. Kallman served that summer and fall, and Matts Mattson from Negaunee, Michigan served a few months, followed by Axel Edwards. By some misunderstanding the church was broken up, but was again organized in March 1909 by 11 members under the leadership of Rev. A. J. Stormans. There was one new charter member, Miss Anna Kronholm.

  Interior, front of Auditorium.

  Albert Esselstrom served the church for one year until 1919, when Axel Edwards again served the church a little over a year. Rev. Erik Jansson of Finland, came as a delegate to the Baptist World's Congress, held in Philadelphia, Pa., and was called and served the church for one year. In 1912 Rev. Isak Roy became pastor and served for 14 years, thus ending the quick changes of leaders, which had not established the church very well. Under Roy's leadership the church experienced a steady growth. In 1926 Rev. A. Kallman became pastor and served until 1931.

  To begin with the church held meetings in a number of homes and halls, but from 1912 to 1929 Sunday services were held in the Alexander Avenue Baptist Church. In 1916 the church bought a 45x100 lot on the corner of Cypress Avenue and 137th Street, at a cost of $9,000. An old wooden structure on the lot served as a place for the Sunday School and prayer services. On the rest of the lot eleven garages were built and rented. The income was added to the building fund.  In 1928 the structures were taken down and a six story building erected consisting of 20 apartments and a church auditorium. The cost came to $115,000, including the lot.

  In December 1931 the church had 129 members and 60 children in the Sunday School, but at that time a serious conflict split the church in two factions, demoralizing and weakening the work. Rev. Matts Esselstrom came to the leadership in 1932 and healed the breach somewhat. In 1937 Rev. John Hugo was called as pastor. He served until 1943 when Rev. Evert Israelson was called and served part time until 1946. In 1947 Rev. Harold Howard began to serve and under his effective preaching and love for the community the work has prospered. The Sunday School and Young People's work has grown in a marvelous way. The church also started a Noteholder's Campaign in September 1949, and has made a good progress to clear off the debt on the church property.

  Published in Fifty Years of Christian Stewardship 1901-1951. Prepared in commemoration of the Fiftieth anniversary of The Baptist Mission Union of America. 1951, p. 40-41.

  Cypress Ave. Baptist Church - New York, N. Y.

  The history of this church began with a group of Swedish speaking ladies from Finland and Sweden living in Jersey City, N. J. These earnest Christians formed a sewing circle to raise funds to call ministers of the Gospel to hold meetings in their native tongue. This circle is still active and known by its original name, Enighet, but the method of raising funds was changed from sales and auctions to offerings and freewill gifts. The result of the earnest prayers and labors of love of this society was the organization of Finnish Zion Baptist Church in Jersey City on Decoration Day 1905. A few years later this church was reorganized and given the name First Swedish Finnish Baptist Church. The services were held in Bronx, N. Y., since the members moved away from Jersey City for better employment in the Metropolitan area. In 1938 the name of the church was changed to Cypress Avenue Baptist Church, as the services were held in English.

  The charter members were eighteen, and of these only Mrs. Victor Mattson of Gardner, Mass., is still alive. G. A. Sjogren, John A. Kallman, Axel Edwards and Albert Esselstrom rendered their service to the church filling the pulpit from 1906-1911, when Rev. Erik Jansson from Finland came as a delegate to the Baptist World Congress in Philadelphia, Pa., and took up the pastorate for one year.

  In 1914 Rev. Isak Roy accepted the call of the church. During his 14 years as the pastor of the church the New York City Baptist Society began to give substantial support to the church, partly financing the pastor's salary.

  Following pastors continued the work at Cypress: Rev. John A. Kallman 1926-1932, Rev. M. Esselstrom 1932-1937, Rev. John Hugo 1937-1943, Evert Israelson 1946-1946, Rev. Harold Howard 1947-1952 and Rev. Roland Gustafson 1952-1956. Visiting pastors, missionaries as well as laymen filled the pulpit from 1956 until Rev. Richard Moberg accepted the call of the church in September 1959.

  Published in Sixty Years of Christian Stewardship 1901-1961. Prepared in commemoration of the Sixtieth anniversary of The Baptist Mission Union of America. 1961, p. 37-39.

  

  Rev. Hugo and Family

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