First Missionary Baptist Church of Bellflower

About

FMBC is a Bible and family oriented church that has existed since 1928! We have services and classes in both English and Spanish, and would love for you to see us in person!

Story

FMBC Bellflower: A Story Spanning Over 80 Years

John Martin Tate was born in Jackson County, Missouri, on May 10, 1858. He became fatherless on September 6, 1863, when his father was killed during the Civil War. But this did not deter him from becoming a preacher, as he said, “I became one of the preachers, preaching my first sermon for the Missionary Baptist church in Sarcoxie, Missouri in Jasper County the second Sunday in January, 1892; my first text from Amos 4:12. I was ordained in July that year…I was then 34 years old.”

Years would pass and with failing health, John came to Long Beach, California to live with his son at the age of 69. But while staying with him Tate had an itch to start a church in his new Southern California home. There were other churches around, but as John told a Presbyterian minister who had objected to his vision, “If you had a half dozen church houses and no Baptist house, you need another.”

So Tate canvassed the rural towns around Long Beach, finding 30 people calling themselves Baptists and willing to start a church with him. John Tate’s first sermon was in an old dance hall near Gloria Gardens on Mother's Day, 1928 to an audience of 16 people, but by 1943, the church numbered over 200, and had acquired its own buildings in Gloria Gardens (in what became Gloria Gardens Missionary Baptist Church (est ‘31)).

Though Tate had resigned as pastor of the church in March of 1930, he had stayed with the congregation until 1936. Upon his resignation, J.W. Watson, served as pastor. But despite the healthy size of the church, a revolving door of pastors would follow J.W. up until Roy M. Reed became pastor of the recently renamed, First Missionary Baptist Church of Bellflower (est. ‘58), on October 14, 1962. Under his leadership the church vastly grew and established itself within the Bellflower community.

Now in 2017 FMBC Bellflower is blessed to have Co-Pastors Eric Brown and Ruben Guerrero leading the church John Tate founded. In Eric’s words, “neither one of us is…the "senior" pastor. While I primarily shepherd the English speaking members, and Bro. Guerrero shepherds the Spanish speaking members, we both minister to the entire congregation, and work toward a one church mentality...”