New Spirit Baptist Church is the last of the 38 churches said to have been founded or organized by the late Reverend T. J. Hollins.
On Sunday, Dec. 21, 1975, Deacon and Sister Roy Smith opened their home as a place of worship to the late Reverend T. J. Hollins and 43 laymen.
The first order of business was to elect officers and appoint Sunday school teachers. With this task completed, a mission was formed. Those present on this historical date gave no objection when the late Sister Marcie Hollins, the wife of Reverend Hollins, and Sister Frances Smith proposed the name New Spirit. Everyone unanimously agreed on this name.
Reverend Anatol Ford (one of our many friends and well-wishers) offered his sanctuary as a temporary place of worship. On Sunday, Dec. 28, and for the following month, we held services at Starlight Baptist Church, beginning at 3 p.m.
In February 1976, our congregation relocated to 713 Newhope Street in Santa Ana. We spent the following years looking for a permanent location. When the land at 701 S. Sullivan Street became available, we secured the funds to purchase the property through fundraisers, pledges and contributions. On Oct. 19, 1980, we reaped the fruits of our labor. Members in excess of two hundred marched into our new sanctuary at 701 S. Sullivan Street, led by the late Reverend T.J. Hollins and the late first lady Sister Marcie Hollins.
Under Pastor Hollins’ leadership at New Spirit, eight ministers were ordained for full-time Christian service. Among them were Reverends Lambert, Jones, Guidry, Marshall, Glen, Miles, Farley and Frierson. Pastor Hollins was a wise leader, who empowered New Spirit with a solid foundation that would sustain its members through good times and bad.
The members of New Spirit had to make many decisions about our future. The most difficult was to select a new leader after the death of our beloved founding pastor, Reverend T. J. Hollins, on Feb. 7, 1991,
On Aug. 21, 1991, the congregation (after hearing several guest ministers) voted for Reverend Mark A. Williams to be the pastor. On Sept. 13, 1991, Reverend Williams formally became the pastor of New Spirit, and he and his family relocated to Santa Ana from Oklahoma in October of the same year. Under the leadership of Reverend Williams, the church ordained six ministers. Rev. Sagel Anthony Simon, pastor of the New Covenant Church of Orange County, was one of the six.
In the year 2000, a decision was made to sell the church building and relocate the congregation from Santa Ana to Corona. There was a sizable number of members who did not desire to make the move. Although these members had to vacate the building, they sought legal recourse against the sale of the church.
Beginning on July 16, 2000, services were no longer held at the Sullivan Street address. During this legal transition, our first service was held July 23, 2000, at Community Temple Baptist Church, where Reverend Sagel A. Simon was the pastor. Subsequent services were held at Greater Light Missionary Baptist Church, at the invitation of Reverend Van Roberson. These services were conducted under the direction of our spiritual advisors, the late Reverend Charles Clark and Reverend Lawrence Hamlin, both of whom were associate ministers of New Spirit. The congregation continued to meet at Greater Light until Aug. 26, 2001.
On Sep. 2, 2001 (after a favorable verdict in our legal petition), the members of New Spirit and the city of Santa Ana witnessed what has been termed “A Miracle on Sullivan Street,” when the members marched back into our 701 S. Sullivan St. sanctuary.
After our return home, the congregation nominated a pulpit committee, which was given the charge of searching for pastoral candidates. As a result of this search, Reverend Clyde Lewis, a candidate from Baton Rouge, LA, brought the message for our morning worship service on Nov. 11, 2001, and conducted all the following week’s services. Reverend Lewis was elected pastor of New Spirit on Feb. 17, 2002.
Also, in 2002, the congregation witnessed and participated in an exciting ceremony where we burned our church mortgage. Because of this blessing, we now worship in a mortgage-free edifice.
The pulpit again was declared vacant on Aug. 12, 2003, and again Reverend Charles Clark conducted our services. Knowing that he would be traveling to the Orient for the entire month of October, Reverend Charles Clark commissioned Reverend Leon Clark (related only through Christ) to fill in during his absence. Reverend Leon Clark honored this request.
On Nov. 19, 2003, the members (by an overwhelming majority) elected Reverend Leon W. Clark pastor of New Spirit Baptist Church.
Under the leadership of Pastor Clark, one minister–Reverend Terry Anthony, and five deacons–Verdis Allen, George Boston, Raymond Byrd, Harry Flournoy and Philen Bolden–were ordained.
The church has undergone extensive renovations, including refurbishing the church, upgrading the patio, which was dedicated to Reverend Charles Clark, and installing new pews, carpet and chairs. We were also blessed to purchase a new church van.
In addition to these physical changes, our outreach ministry expanded to include the choir’s participation in many community outreach programs, such as Celebrate Gospel at Disneyland for three years during Black History Month. We also held services monthly at the Post-Acute Convalescent Home and participated annually in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Circle of Promise tea and Praise in Pink. In addition, we held health fairs and sponsored food, clothing and toy giveaways. Added to these services is our missionary contributions to Transformation Ministries in The Republic of Burundi in Africa. Our support of this group contributed to the building of an orphanage and to bringing clean water to the village. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic some of these services were suspended.
God has truly blessed us through these 48 years. He has given us a place where we can worship freely with a congregation of loving, giving people and a pastor who truly embraces God’s Word.
Each year brings us new challenges, and each year God gives us the means to meet those challenges. With the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the mandated closure of the church building, New Spirit needed new and creative ways to reach its congregation. God has given us the technology to meet this new challenge.
In spite of these new challenges, we are still Reaching People for Jesus Christ and Teaching People About Jesus Christ.
