Slide 1 2. Today, April 13th, 2008, is the 50th Anniversary of Sunrise Baptist Church. This church had a humble beginning. In the spring of 1957, the Sunrise Mountain area was surveyed by early Baptists and a need was seen for a church in this area. Slide 2 5. Nellis Baptist Church, shown here, sponsored the new mission and chose M/Sgt Virgil Clubb to be the new pastor. Slide 3 3a. The first meeting of the new mission was June 30, 1957. This is a picture of the mimeographed handouts passed out advertising the event. Slide 4 3. The church met in a machine shop on the southeast corner of Meikle Lane and Nellis Blvd. Virgil Clubb, his wife and children, the Fulkerson family, and Hazel Barigar were among those present.
Slide 5 9. The mission did well and in the spring of 1958, Eugene Mockerman was selected as the first full time minister. On April 13th, the mission was constituted into a church. There were 74 present in Sunday school that day (not including Pixie, the burro). Later that summer, in the middle of Bible School, the church moved to a temporary location in the Nellis Plaza Shopping Center. The church stayed in that location for several months until property could be purchased. Slide 6 13. This shows a view of the property purchased by the church. Slide 7 18. A shed on the property was converted into our first church building. This building, 16 by 32 feet, was to be the home of the church for the next 2 years. The house on the right side of the picture became the pastor s home and was used for additional Sunday school space. If these buildings could talk they would tell of the more than 150 people who made professions of faith here. They would also tell of the day that Billy Graham and his evangelistic team visited here and knelt in the dust of the yard asking God to bless this church. Slide 8 21. This is a glimpse inside of the tiny building where Gene and Maxine Mockerman hosted a birthday party after a prayer meeting in October of 1958.
Slide 9 66T. These people have gathered for the Ground Breaking Ceremony for Sunrise Baptist Church. Slide 10 27. A building program was started. The Little Theater Building in Boulder City was purchased for a bid of $1.02. It was dismantled and enough wood to construct the first units of our church was obtained. The footings for the new building were poured in January of 1960 and by December the congregation was meeting in the building. Slide 11 36. The labor on this building was all done by our members. Earl and Brenda Snow represent the many volunteers who helped build the first unit of our church. Slide 12 29. The people of the church did take time out for recreation. This is a 4th of July picnic at Lee Canyon.
Slide 13 33. Betty Holton seems to be enjoying her cake as Dennis Vaughn watches. Slide 14 41. Reverend Mockerman and his wife, Maxine, resigned on July 5, 1964. Dr. E. L. Pennington and his wife, Marcine, arrived in Las Vegas and he became the pastor on September the 6 th. Slide 15 45. This is the outside of unit one in 1964. Slide 16 48. The building of unit two and the parsonage was contracted to Lawrence Hickey and Sons of Arizona.
Slide 17 63. Construction was started in February and finished in April of 1965. Slide 18 50. The choir proudly wears their new robes in March of 1965. Slide 19 73. Mike Holton is explaining the plan of salvation during Training Union. Mike is an example of the many people from the church that has entered the ministry. He is currently an Associate Pastor at Wedgewood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Slide 20 81. On April 25th, 1965, Sunrise Baptist Church celebrated its seventh anniversary and dedicated the completed educational building. Shown here are the first three pastors of Sunrise, Virgil Clubb, Gene Mockerman, and Dr. E. L. Pennington.
Slide 21 53. Shown here are Dr. Penny and his wife, Marcine. In the summer of 1966, Dr. Pennington resigned. Slide 22 191. On Sunday, September 11, 1966, our new pastor, Everett Moore, his wife Vera and their children arrived around 9am. He preached his first sermon at Sunrise that morning. Slide 23 211. Revivals were an important part of the early church. Everett Moore is shown with evangelist Ben Rogers in April of l967. During the revival 89 people professed their faith in Jesus. Everett Moore resigned in the summer of 1970. In the fall, Don Oliver became the Sunrise pastor and served until the spring of 1972. Milton Gage, the director of missions for the Lake Mead Baptist Association, served as the interim pastor until the fall. Slide 24 311. In September of 1972 Stanley and Florence Unruh came to Las Vegas and he became the new minister.
Slide 25 254A. In 1984 the church had saved enough money to start building. On March 25th, a ground breaking ceremony was held for our new sanctuary. Modell Talbert, as the only charter member present, dug the first shovel of dirt. Stanley Unruh and Ralph Curry watch. Slide 26 258. Stanley Unruh and John Chandler, a church consultant from the Sunday School Board confer on the new building. Slide 27 259. The foundations were poured. Slide 28 261A. The men of our church did most of the work.
Slide 29 261B Slide 30 262B Slide 31 262C Slide 32 265. On this workday, Sandi and Doug Brackbill enjoy an informal candlelight dinner in the unfinished Sanctuary.
Slide 33 267A. The completed sanctuary. Slide 34 267G. which was dedicated on September 22, 1985. Slide 35 290. After fourteen and a half years, Stanley Unruh resigned as pastor. On April 11, 1987 a retirement dinner was held in his honor. Slide 36 292. Stanley is holding a gift from the Southern Nevada Baptist Association.
Slide 37 312. Ed and Anika Jordan attended the dinner. Ed was our first full time youth pastor for several years during Stanley s ministry at Sunrise. Slide 38 324. On April 18, 1987 the children held an Easter Party and Stanley was their guest. He is shown leading the children in one his favorite VBS songs, Three Clay Pigeons. Slide 39 274A. Mike Rodriquez became the music director of Sunrise Baptist Church in the fall of 1986. He served as interim pastor from May until November of 1987 when he became the full time pastor. Slide 40 316. Mike s wife, Cheryl, worked in the nursery department and is shown on the left.
Slide 41 003T. This is a children and youth outing at Ash Springs in the summer of 1987. Slide 42 005T. The highlight of the trip was the swimming and the rope swing. In 1989 Mike Rodrequez resigned and Roger Bannerman became the interim pastor. Slide 43 065T. Dr. Bill Potts became our minister in September of 1990. He and his wife, Caroll, served Sunrise Baptist Church for 17 years. Slide 44 004T. Jim and Joyce Griffitts joined in the work at Sunrise in 1997. At that time Jim was our Minister of Music and Youth.
Slide 45 012T. Joyce has been very active in work with the children. Slide 46 009T. Jim is shown here with Marti and Leni Nordloh. Marti was Minister of Education for several years during Dr. Potts ministry. Slide 47 054T. A few of the many activities during Dr. Potts tenure include an evangelistic event in the park. Slide 48 057T. Our youth are performing at this event.
Slide 49 010T. This is one of the monthly meetings held by the Seniors. Slide 50 015T. The youth attend camp every summer. Slide 51 087. Often, the children s choir sings with the adults. Slide 52 037T. The men have two retreats a year at Temple Bar on Lake Mead.
Slide 53 033T. This is a Bible study at one of the retreats. Slide 54 034T. For relaxation at the retreats, the men enjoy fishing. Slide 55 041T. This is a Memorial Day Observance with active and former military personnel of Sunrise Baptist Church. Military families have always been an important part of this church. Slide 56 039T. Amber Ayers is an example of the many youth who have attended Sunrise while Dr. Potts was pastor and who have answered a call to ministry. Amber is studying to become a missionary.
Slide 57 019T. Byron Hancock makes a presentation to Bill and Caroll Potts in September of 2007 at the time of his retirement. Slide 58 024T. Our youth participate in Seeing You at the Pole in September of 2007. Slide 59 023T. The youth are praying for our schools and our nation. Slide 60 053T. Jim Griffitts became our interim pastor last October. The first major event of his new ministry was the fall Trunk or Treat festival for the church and the community. Over 300 people came.
Slide 61 060T. A favorite activity at the event was the hayride. Slide 62 062T. Another popular ride was the children s train provided by our Spanish mission, the Iglesia Bautista Bethel. Slide 63 10. Sunrise Baptist Church has accomplished many things over the years. One of the essentials is Vacation Bible School. From the first one in 1958 until now many children have enjoyed them. Slide 64 100. This VBS was held in 1965 at our East Las Vegas Mission.
Slide 65 224. Pastor Moore shown conducting VBS in 1967. Slide 66 242. A VBS parade in 1967. Slide 67 251. Children marching into VBS during Stanley Unruh s early years. Stanley and the church also conducted a VBS at Searchlight, NV for a couple of years. Slide 68 001T. A VBS early in Brother Bill s ministry.
Slide 69 O64T.A VBS performance in June of 2007. Slide 70 007T. Another area that Sunrise Baptist Church has been strong in over the years is missions work. Spring Mountain Youth Camp was adopted as a mission in March of 1962 and Desert Hills Mission was started by Sunrise in September of that same year. Gene Mockerman is shown on the right in this picture. Slide 71 277A. Desert Hills Baptist Church in 1986. Slide 72 95. Pastor Larry Bailes and his wife, Jackie, are shown at the East Las Vegas Baptist mission started by Sunrise in 1964.
Slide 73 278. Community College Baptist Church was helped by Sunrise in 1980 and Sunrise also started and supported Sunnyside Baptist Church from 1981 through 1986. Slide 74 279. Palestine Baptist Church, although not our mission, did use our old sanctuary as a meeting place for several years. Slide 75 280. Stanley Unruh with Linda Miller, Era Munsell and Tammy Cook are preparing to go on a mission trip to Boliva in 1982. Other countries to which mission trips were made by Stanley and other Sunrise members were Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Guatemala, Argentina, Brazil, Zimbabwe, India and Mexico. Slide 76 058T. In the 1990 s El Camino Baptist Church was our mission.
Slide 77 045T. Dr. Potts with Pastor Russ Daines at the dedication of El Camino s new building. Slide 78 020T. Shown here is Tony Forehand, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church, one of our current missions. Slide 79 This is a musical presentation at a service of Iglesia Bautista Bethel, one of our current missions. The pastor is Tom Martin. Slide 80 044T. Rushing Wind is another of our missions and Paulee Curran is the pastor.
Slide 81 051T. This is at Laughlin, NV, at the River Run where Rushing Wind did evangelistic work. Slide 82 050T. Another picture of the Rushing Wind ministry in Laughlin. Slide 83 032T. Annie Barrett, our preschool director, is holding a child who represents the future generations of this church. Slide 84 267J. Sunrise Baptist Church has been blessed by God in a mighty way over the past fifty years. And now, we look forward to God s guidance as we continue Lifting up the Son so that all may believe, know and grow in Christ.