|
James and Rowena Lark
Hist. Mss. 1-566
James Henry
(1889-1978) and Rowena Winters (1892-1970) Lark
Papers, 1944 - 1978
1 Box (Large)
Biographical
Sketch
1888 James Lark was born May 4, 1889 in Savannah, Georgia. He was
the only child of Lela and James Lark. He lost his mother when he
was five and his father a year later. As a boy Brother Lark
attended a Baptist Church and was baptized at the age of sixteen.
Relatives and friends made it possible for him to attend a Quaker
Institute for College Youth at Cheyney, Pennsylvania, now called
Cheyney
State College. He graduated in 1916 and taught for a time at the
Florida Baptist Academy in Jacksonville, Florida.
1918 He married Rowena Winters. They had six children.
1934 The Lark family has their first contact with
Mennonites at Rocky Ridge Mennonite Church in Quakertown, Pa. The
church began in 1931 as a mission of Franconia Mennonie
Conference. The workers were young people. The church
building was eventually built (1949) adjacent to Lark’s farm. At
this time (1934) Rowena was teaching in Washington and only came home
on weekends.
1935 The Larks moved to Cottage City, Maryland to be closer to Rowena’s
work and joined Brentwood Mennonite Church. This church had been
established in 1922 as part of the Lancaster Conference.
1936 Rowena is asked to help in summer Bible School in Harrisonburg,
Virginia.
1944 August 21-September 2 the Larks assisted in Bible School work at
the Mennonite mission in Chicago, Illinois.
1945 The Larks returned to Chicago to serve in the leadership of the
mission February 18. While in Chicago, the Larks also started the
Dearborn St. Mission. It eventually closed in 1950.
1946 October 6, James Lark was ordained minister. The mission
became Bethel Mennonite Church.
1949 Lark purchased 10 acres of land at Hopkins Park, Ill. for a camp
for Sunday school boys and girls. The first Sunday school service
began November 13. It eventually became the “Rehoboth Mennonite
Church.” On December 21 the Lark’s home in Chicago burned down
and they were forced to move to Rehoboth.
1954 James Lark ordained Bishop September 26. At the same time
new facilities for Bethel Church were dedicated.
1956 That summer James Lark and Victor Esch traveled
to St. Louis to make a survey and confer with the St. Louis Federation
of Churches for the purpose of establishing a Mennonite witness
there. In November the Larks moved to St. Louis. They were
sent by Mennonite Board of Missions to do evangelistic work in that
area. This work was done in cooperation with the Metropolitan
Federation of Churches.
1957 In November the “Bethesda Mennonite Church” was established at
2600 Howard Street, St. Louis. MBM sent Hubert and June
Swartzentruber to take over the work there.
1958 The Larks moved to Fresno, California. This became their
permanent address through their retirement years. While living
there he bought a church building and began services. He later
sold the building because Southwest Conference could not provide a
pastor.
1960 In August Rev. Lark became interim pastor at
“Calvary Mennonite Church” in Los Angeles. Leroy Bechler calls
this a crucial time because the church was going from predominatly
white to predominatly black.
1961 In January Leroy Bechler and family arrive to take over the work
at Calvary Church.
1970 Sister Rowena Lark passed away March 5.
1973 Brother Lark became interim pastor at Zion Mennonite Church in
Wichita, Kansas. It was a six-month term ending October 18.
After October 18 he was asked to remain interim pastor on a part-time
basis up to no later than June 1, 1974. He initially accepted,
but shortly after resigned.
1976 Allensworth, California was brother Lark’s last effort. He
was heavily involved with the community and instrumental in having a
school built there.
1977 Brother Lark died January 10 at West Side Hospital in Chicago, age
90.
During his lifetime the Lark’s vision also helped start black
churches in:
a) Sarasota, Florida
b) Youngstown, Ohio. First service held Nov. 2, 1947 and was
sponsored bhy the Leetonia Mennonite Church.
c) Saginaw, Michigan. Started by VS unit in 1949.
d) Los Angeles, California. Opened in 1940 and closed mid-50’s.
Administrative
Information
Collection processed by Mary Amstutz August 26, 1980. Updated by
Monica Zimmerman August 22, 2001. Previously typed into computer
and posted on web. Files numbered by Nelda Nussbaum April 15,
2004.
Inventory
Listing
Box 1
(Large) - Church Activities
1/0a Biographical Sketch
1/0b “A Mother’s Love,” by Linda Lyons (granddaughter
of James and Rowena), 2001
1/1 Rehoboth Mennonite Church, Illinois, and
camp,
1949-71
1/2 Rehoboth Church Guest Book, 1947-69
1/3 Minority Ministries Materials, 1968-72
1/4a Church Bulletins: Bethel (Chicago), 1954-73
1/4b Church Bulletins: Bethesda (St. Louis), 1969-74
1/4c Church Bulletins: Calvary (Los Angeles), 1969-74
1/4d Church Bulletins: Rehoboth (St Anne, IL),
1969-74
1/4e Church Bulletins: Miscellaneous, 1962-73
1/5 Negro Membership in the Mennonite Church, 1953
1/6 Illinois Mennonite Conference papers , 1953-54;
1969
1/7 Bethel Mennonite Church: Corresp. with
Mennonite
Board of Missions, 1949-73
1/8 Mississippi Work,1966-70
1/9 Mennonite Board of Missions Correspondence
1953-70
1/10 Wichita, Kansas, Educational Outreach &
South Central Conf. corr., 1972-73
1/11 Conservative MBM papers, 1962
1/12 National Negro Evangelical Association, 1967
1/13 Travel
itenerary, 1969
1/14 Southwest Conference, 1967-70
1/15 St Louis work photos, clipping, 1954, 1957,
1967 (Photographs moved to Hist.
Mss. 4-364 Lark Photograph Collection)
1/16 Bethesda Mennonite Church, 1969-73
1/17 Calvary Mennonite Church (Los Angeles), 1969-73
1/18 Zion Mennonite Church planning, 1973
1/19 Mennonite Board of Missions Correspondence,
1973
1/20 Brown, Hubert, correspondence, 1974
1/21 Bethel Mennonite Church, additional publicity,
1951-52
1/22 Africa, 1950-53
1/23 Bethel Church Workers Meetings Minutes, 1944-48
1/24 Hopkins Park (Illinois), 1949-67
1/25 Correspondence, selected 1962-70
1/26 Resume and obituaries, 1944-78 (Long folder
placed on side of box)
1/27 Miscellaneous, 1965-73
Name and
Subject Tracing
Bethel Mennonite Church (Chicago, IL)
1/4a;
21; 23
Bethesda Mennonite Church (St. Louis, MO)
1/4b
Brown, Hubert
1/20
Calvary Mennonite Church (Los Angeles,
CA) 1/4c; 17
Hopkins, Park, Illinois
1/24
Mennonite Board of Missions
Minorities Ministries Council (MBM)
1/3
Missions, Urban
Rehoboth Mennonite Church (St. Anne,
IL) 1/1;
2; 4d
South Central Conference
1/10
Southwest Conference
1/14
_____________________________________________________________________________________
January 21, 2005/ Reformatted and posted on the Web by Martha Miller
August 10, 2004 / Updated by Helen Hostetler
File “Hm1-566.doc”
Mennonite
Church USA Archives-Goshen, 1700 S. Main St., Goshen, Indiana 46526
 Back to Personal
Collections Index
|
|
Webmaster:
John E.
Sharp [SharpRoots.com] |
Redesign: Tim Nafziger| Last updated: 7/24/2003
|
|
Minding Mennonite Memory
Mission Statement:
"God calls us to preserve our heritage, to interpret our faith stories,
and to
proclaim God's work among us."
|
|
|