Bay Area

Help Save North Oakland Missionary Baptist Church, the 2nd oldest Black Church in Oakland

North Oakland Missionary Baptist Church (NOMBC) located at 1060 32nd St. is the second oldest Black church in Oakland, at 118 years. Having served the community for nearly 32 years, Reverend Sylvester Rutledge leads the church as its 5th pastor. For Rutledge, it has been an honor to lead a congregation, share his faith and be a resource for the community.

Published

3 years ago

March 6, 2023

Oakland Post

While paying annual city taxes, church administrators believed all taxes were current, until the County advised the church they were in arrears by 5 years. Rutledge says church administrators worked with the county to get the bill reduced but COVID interrupted some of the communications and processes.

By Carla Thomas

For Rutledge, it has been an honor to lead a congregation, share his faith and be a resource for the community. The church shepherds 65 units of senior housing, feeds the homeless three times a week and has assisted some of the most vulnerable citizens of the city. Now, Rutledge is in need of the community’s help to save the church from a forced courthouse sale on March 17.

Currently the church owes $43,000 in back taxes owed on the parking lot on an adjacent property bought by the church. The church has been unable to make the payments. With a two-week deadline, the situation has placed a high level of stress on church members and its leadership.

Rutledge, age 86, explained that prior to becoming pastor, houses on the property were removed to create a parking lot, with taxes exempted. While paying annual city taxes, church administrators believed all taxes were current, until the County advised the church they were in arrears by 5 years. Rutledge says church administrators worked with the county to get the bill reduced but COVID interrupted some of the communications and processes. “With offices closed and no continuity during the pandemic, it created more barriers than solutions,” said Rutledge.

With no alternatives, the church is hoping to raise the funds needed to keep the church. Without a church home, dozens of congregants would be displaced.

For Dr. Wayne E. Gaddis, president of the California Missionary Baptist Church State Conference, the matter is both urgent and personal. “Last August, our California Missionary Baptist Church Conference anniversary celebration was held at North Oakland Missionary Baptist Church because our conference was birthed there,” said Gaddis who just found out about NOMBC’s crisis last week.

“We cannot afford to lose another Black church. We’ve set up donation accounts through Givlify and CashApp. My executive board and I plan to use the donations to issue a check and present to the Office of the Alameda County Assessor’s Office next week.” Gaddis says through his organization, funds collected can not only help save (NOMBC), but other organizations that may have a similar need if donations exceed the initial need. Donation vehicles include CashApp: $CMBSC for North Oakland Release Fund and Givelify: California Missionary Baptist State Convention. Cash or in-person donations can be sent to CMBSC Headquarters, 8704 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, California 90003.

Reverend Rutledge says he will be grateful for any and all donations to save the church.

Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb immediately visited Pastor Rutledge and offered a $1,000 challenge donation that would be paid directly to the county. Cobb called several pastors and immediately received commitments from Rev. Gerald Agee, Rev. Lawrence Van Hook, Rev. Ray Williams, Rev. Raymond Lankford and several other ministers.

He expects to raise the remaining $25,000 on or before March 10.

“Ironically, several ministers and the Post had just completed a planning session to create a faith-based city-wide one-hundred-million-dollar trust fund for the purposes of saving church properties, building affordable housing for their seniors and other members, renovating, upgrading and making energy efficient “green sanctuaries.”

Cobb also announced that he and five ministers would ask several Asian community leaders to petition the mayor and the governor to provide a continual racial healing help grant of one million dollars to the 12 Oakland churches that provide food up to three times weekly to all visitors.

“Because North Oakland Baptist is a beacon of light for hope and cooperation, because it is located between the “Ghost-town” and “Dog-Town” neighborhoods and it is heart-warming to see the early-bird Asian neighbors patiently and fearlessly waiting in line alongside their young Black neighbors,” Cobb said.

Rev. Van Hook and Rev. Agee are encouraging donors to make checks to the County Assessor’s Office to prevent the foreclosure of historic North Oakland Baptist.

NOMBC has a long-standing history. Prior to becoming North Oakland Missionary Baptist Church in 1922, the first congregation was organized in 1904-1905 as Richard Clark Memorial Church.

The church body had first met in the homes of members until the church made its home at 843 29th Street near San Pablo Avenue.

By 1921, the church expanded to include the building at 32nd and Linden which had been home to St. Paul’s English Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1930, the church building burned, but the congregation soon rebuilt.

The old building on 29th is now home to the True Gospel Missionary Baptist Church.

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Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

Published

1 week ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

Published

1 week ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.