Cypress History
The Cypress Missionary Baptist Church was organized April 27, 1951. Lonnie Magee, Flora Magee, Clifford Cooper, Mildred Cooper, Irma Cooper, Harvey Joslin and Alma Joslin went into the organization. Ordained help for the council represented the following churches: Oakland, Woodbridge, Manteca, Stockton, Riverbank, El Nido and Yuba City. The charter was left open thirty days and Bro. Willie and Sis. Katherine Duncan joined, thus becoming charter members also.
Sis. Mildred Cooper was the first Church Clerk and Bro. Lonnie Magee the first Treasurer. On May 2, 1951, the members voted to adopt the name "Cypress Missionary Baptist Church" and on May 18 called Bro. George Walton as Pastor. As Bro. Walton had just accepted the church in Stockton, on June 14 Bro. Henry Nance was called and accepted. His starting salary was set at 120 dollars per month. The church voted to give 10 percent of her offerings to missions.
Through this period of time, the church was using an old Japanese school building to meet in which stood just south of us. In October 1952, the church treasurer was authorized to write a 50 dollar check as deposit on property. This was done and by January 1953 the real estate just south of the railroad track on Bradshaw Road was paid for in full for the future home of the Cypress Missionary Baptist Church. The cost was: Purchase price 250 dollars. Title fee 15 dollars. Revenue 55 cents. Recording deed 2 dollars and 50 cents. First installment County taxes and penalty 1 dollar 79 cents. Delinquent tax 12 dollars and 50 cents. Total price 282 dollars and 4 cents.
On June 13, 1953, the first shovel of dirt was turned over for the foundation of a church building. A loan of 2,500 dollars was obtained to build.
The membership had grown to 50.
In November 1953, Cypress petitioned into the Association. On Easter Sunday 1954, services were held in the new building.
By October 1954, the membership was 65 and on April 3, 1955 they broke the record - 100 in Sunday School!
On February 2, 1957 the cypress trees at the front of our building were planted. In September 1957 the church voted to start a youth rally in the Sacramento area.
Bro. Nance resigned on advice of his physician and on January 15, 1958, Bro. Joe Spradlin was called as pastor with a salary of 300 dollars per month plus parsonage and utilities.
On March 12, 1958, Cypress voted to build a two bedroom parsonage, borrowed 3000 dollars at 6 percent interest, and once again was in a building program.
The brethren of this area were invited to discuss organizing a new association in November 1960 as the Northern District Association was so large.
Bro. Spradlin resigned in October 1961, and in November Bro. Nance returned to pastor once again. It was under his pastorate the new auditorium was added and the old section remodeled.
On January 5, 1966 Bro. Tom Counts became our pastor. By November 1967 the membership had grown to 131 and the average for Sunday School was 116. Bro. Counts resigned September 9, 1973.
Bro. Ottis Dees became our next pastor on November 21, 1973, and served the church for five years.
Bro. G.A. Williams became pastor in 1978. He led the church for ten years until his retirement in June 1988. He went home to be with the Lord on December 28, 2000.
Bro. Brian Ross was called as pastor and began his pastorate on September 25, 1988, serving the church for six years, Bro. Ross resigned effective October 30, 1994 to become a missionary to Albania as this communist country had recently opened its doors to the West and to missionaries.
Bro. Doug Pevehouse became our pastor on March 5, 1995 and served the church for almost three years, resigning on October 31, 1998. Under his pastorate, the mission in the Placerville Pollock Pines area was started.
The Lighthouse Missionary Baptist Fellowship Mission held their first official service on Sunday morning, June 1, in Placerville with 26 present, led by Missionary Jay Ross. On November 7, 1998, Lighthouse organized into a church.
Bro. M. D. Keeling became our pastor on March 2, 1999. Under his ministry the church increased our mission giving and established a building fund. Bro. Keeling was pastor for six years, and retired on February 27, 2005. We are blessed that Bro. and Sis. Keeling stayed at Cypress and are still active and faithful members.
Bro. Bob Ross became our pastor on May 15, 2005 and is the current pastor. The church has sponsored two senior ministries on Sunday afternoons - one at The Meadows led by Bro. Mark Dendy and one at Sunrise led by Bro. Danny Church.
An active youth ministry was started in 2006 called Thursday Night Live (TNL) serving young people from the Jr High age through College age. They meet every Thursday Night.
In addition to our pastor, we are blessed to have called Bro. Chris Crain as Youth Pastor, and he is doing a wonderful job with our young people.
We also have been blessed to have four other preachers in our membership: Bro. M.D. Keeling, Bro. Daniel Keeling, Bro. Rob Rigsby, and Bro. Cameron Short.
In 2007 the Church endoursed Cameron Short as our Missionary to Baja California. After a time of deputation He moved onto the field in January 2009.
Each of our wonderful pastors have left their mark on our church history. All were mission minded and taught the church well.
Throughout the years, the members of Cypress and the Missionaries she has endorsed have been used of God in a number of mission fields, both at home and abroad.
Seven New Testament churches have been organized under the leadership of Cypress:
Fruitridge, Sacramento Missionary Bro. Harold Cole
Talent, Oregon Missionary Bro. L.D. Perdue
Southside MBC, Sacramento Missionary Bro. Earl Walker
First MBC, Valley Springs, CA Missionary Bro. G.A. Williams
Rio Linda, CA Missionary Bro. Charles Trotter
Faith Landmark, Sacramento Missionary Bro. Leonard Smith
Lighthouse MBC, Pollock Pines, CA Missionary Bro. Jay Ross
We thank God for his blessings over the past 55 years, and look forward to another 55 years should the Lord tarry his coming.
Our prayer for today is that we will continue in the legacy that has been given us by those who have gone before, and that we draw even closer to Jesus Christ as we impact this generation for Him.
