The Heritage of the
Apostolic Lighthouse Church
April 18, 1906 — Special Edition headlines states that a great earthquake shook the city of San Francisco to its roots yesterday and caused a fire to sweep over the ravaged city. When the holocaust had ended, 28,000 buildings were destroyed and 452 lives were lost. The disaster caught the city totally by surprise with the earthquake being one of the largest ever recorded on the Richter scale.
Oldsmobile, a newly formed automotive corporation announced that sales on the new three horsepower, curved dash automobile have increased. President Ransom Eli Olds predicted continued growth in sales, possibly as high as 425. This record sales will make Olds the first successful commercial automobile producer in America.
The Ford Motor Company proudly presents the 1906 Model T automobile. This horseless carriage features Ford’s latest edition, a horn. This horn is a shiny silver cone with a red bubble on the end. Squeeze this rubber bubble and it honks to all people as to say “LOOK OUT, HERE I COME!”
Azusa Street Church .... Quite uncommon .... Much strange phenomena was witnessed by a reporter at the Azusa Street Mission yesterday, as he was there for the Sunday morning worship service. The sight that greeted his eyes as he entered the small building seemed to be commonplace enough. The old wood slatted pews seated about twenty people, mostly from the lower scale of the social ladder. There were a couple of parishioners that seemed to be of the wealthier class, however. All of them faced the black man standing behind the slender wooden pulpit. The worship began with prayer; prayer that was conducted in a manner totally strange to him. All hands were uplifted and the parishioners began to audibly speak the requests interspersing them with many cries of “Amen”, “Hallelujah”, and “Praise the Lord”.
The singing was also different, as loud, boisterous numbers were sang in place of the conventional hymns. He was shocked to my Sunday School roots as the people left their seats and began jumping up and down and running around the church building. At one point during the sermon, a hush fell over the congregation and an elderly man began to utter strange guttural sounds. This, of course, was the much—discussed “glossiolalia”, the supposed speaking in tongues as the outward evidence of the Holy Spirit.
Surprisingly enough after the sermon, the people seemed normal enough, socializing and speaking of everyday life. He found the pastor, Brother Seymour, to be a very affable fellow. What was his conclusion? Well, the worship was shockingly different, unlike anything he had ever seen before. It would be easy to say that it is conceived of by Satan himself. However, since the reports of happenings at the Azusa Street Mission are spreading like wildfire all over southern California, he said, “we shall let time be the judge”.
In addition, spread it did, from California to Texas, to Louisiana, then going north to Ohio and a growing city north of the Ohio River. A city called Dayton. A city that held hundreds of people searching for the truth of God, searching for a better, holier life that was spoken of in the Word of God. They were searching for the promise that was stated in the book of Acts, Chapter 2, verses 38 and 39: “Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus for the redemption of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”, “this promise is to you, and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
On a short street in Dayton, Ohio, a preacher by the name of Rev. Riber purchased a house. The street was known as Crane Street. Rev. Riber started his church under the name of the Apostolic Tabernacle. Pastor Miller, who continued in the apostolic faith, later purchased this church and property. Eventually, this church purchased a piece of property, on Mertland Avenue in Dayton, and construction began on a new building, most of the work being done by the members of the church. The year was 1947. The first new members of this church were Mr. & Mrs. Duncan. Bro. Donald Jacks was a member of leadership during this time. He suggested that the name of the church be changed to The Apostolic Lighthouse. His suggestion was accepted and to this day, we are still known as The Apostolic Lighthouse Church.
Soon after, Bro. Carlos Grant took over the pastorate of the Lighthouse. Later, it was passed to Bro. Leroy W. Ragon, whose son, John, acted as Assistant Pastor. From there the pastorate was passed to Bro. Robert L. Mitchell, who pastored the congregation until 1974. In 1973, property on Harshman Road was purchased and plans for a new church building were put into play. Before the new church was built, a tent revival was held in the field on the Harshman Road grounds. A preacher from Texarkana, Texas came through and preached a revival that would start a fire in the hearts of the congregation that still burns today. This preacher was threatened with death for preaching the Word of God, but preach he did under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. This preacher, by the name of Huss Shearer”, went back to Texas to his wife and children and his own church. Yet, the fires of revival still burned in his heart.
Again it came time to build and construction started on the new facility at 2221 Harshman Road, Dayton, Ohio, using men of the congregation as they did on Mertland Avenue. In 1974, the new church was finished, the congregation, singing, hymns, marched from Mertland Avenue down East Third Street to Woodman Drive, turned left heading for 2221 Harshman Road. The older saints that tired easily were picked up and driven by van to the new facility with the rest of the congregation marching behind. Many were the onlookers; horns honking, yelling, some encouraged, others scoffed. The march continued, eventually being escorted by Dayton Police, until they reached their destination . ... The Apostolic Lighthouse.
Not long after returning to Texas, Rev. Shearer felt the Lord directing him to accept the pastorate of the Lighthouse. Rev. Mitchell was relocating to a church in the South, leaving the Lighthouse without the proper leadership it needed. In 1974, the Rev. Huss Shearer and his reluctant but obedient wife left Texas to start a new life in a new church with new people. Reluctant? Yes, you see, the church they pastored was free of debt, with money in the bank.. When Bro. and Sis. Shearer arrived in Dayton; they found a struggling church. The church was in debt with no money in the coiffeur, teenagers looking for direction and a whole city to conquer. However, Rev. Shearer came to lead, and lead he did! It was not long before the mortgage was burned, the debts were wiped out and teenagers responded to leadership.
Lighthouse Christian School was finished in 1981, where again. The church always seemed to have the right tradesmen... Like an electrician, a carpenter, a painter, and a woodworker. God always knew what was needed, and provided such as the needs arose.
A new era began when Bro. Shearer passed away in May of 2002. At that time, Bradley D. Smith, of Maine, took the Pastorate, along with his wife Tiffany and their two boys. Pastor Smith brought with him a deep love of holiness and truth. His fiery Spirit and desire for Revival echo’s the Spirit of Bro. Shearer.