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.

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73

Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73 Caption: Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo. Special to The Post Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love i

Published

20 hours ago

June 17, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love in the comfort of her home. To her children, she was royalty, grace, strength, and unconditional love embodied.

Debra Diane Edgar was born on May 28, 1952, in San Francisco, California, to Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar. She was raised alongside her younger brother, Charles Edgar Jr., affectionately known as “Little Brother” or “Lil Bruh.” She also shared close bonds with her older siblings Carol Edgar-Lang, Maryann Edgar Calloway, and Lonnie Lewis Sr.

A proud product of San Francisco’s historic Fillmore District, Debra attended Andrew Jackson Elementary School, where she met her lifelong best friend and adopted sister, Lynn Green, in the fifth grade. She later attended Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School, Roosevelt Junior High School and Thomas Jefferson High School.

Debra’s mother transitioned when she was only 17 years old, and her father transitioned when she was 23. Despite these profound losses, Debra remained grounded through the love and support of extended family and lifelong family friends,

In 1971, she married Harold King. On Sept. 24, 1972, they welcomed their first son, Dajuan Artese King, affectionately called “Pop” or “Poppa.” On Aug. 5, 1976, they welcomed their second son, Dante Dupree King, affectionately called “Tay” or “Taboocoo the Baby.”

After her divorce in 1982, Debra assumed full responsibility for raising her sons.

She supported Dajuan’s passion for football by purchasing sports equipment and attending games faithfully. She supported Dante’s love of music by enrolling him in the San Francisco Boys Choir, Oakland Boys Choir, and the Castlemont Castleers.

Professionally, Debra built an exceptional career. She worked at Blue Shield of California from 1973 until 1994, earning multiple promotions.

She later joined the Oakland Unified School District, initially in a temporary role before being promoted into management within the Labor Relations Department. She retired from OUSD in 2015 after years of distinguished service. During her years at OUSD, she built meaningful friendships with her colleagues.

Faith was central to Debra’s life. During the 1980s, following personal hardship, she joined Love Center Church under the leadership of Bishop Walter Hawkins, where she brought her children regularly. She later became a member of Triumphant: A Church Without Walls Ministries under Pastor Dr. Larry Short, who became a beloved spiritual mentor.

After Triumphant closed in 1992, Debra joined Cosmopolitan Baptist Church in Oakland under the leadership of Pastor Larry Ashley, where she remained for the rest of her life.

At Cosmopolitan, she worked in numerous ministries. She served on the usher board, sang in the choir, participated in the AIDS ministry during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, helped feed and support unhoused community members, and mentored and supported a group of young girls.

After retirement, she cared for older adults in her church community, driving them to appointments, cleaning their homes, managing finances, preparing meals, and helping families navigate funeral arrangements after loved ones transitioned.

Even while battling Stage 4 cancer herself, she continued caring for others.

Debra was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar; her brothers, Lonnie Lewis Sr. and Charles Edgar Jr.; her sisters, Maryann Edgar Calloway and Victoria Stephenson Knight; and her adopted mother, Clara Oliver.

She leaves to cherish her memory her beloved sons, Dajuan King and Dante King; grandson, Tiyler Dajuan Artese King; sister, Carol Edgar-Lang; goddaughters Monique Belle and Ricketa Matthews Jones (Leonard); daughter-in-love Quiona Sullivan; son-in-love Marcel Walker; sister-in-law Delores Lewis; adopted sisters and lifelong friends Lynn Green, Barbara Stephenson Hill, and Sarah Fine; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces, great-nephews, extended family members, her church family and dear friends.