About Us

This congregation, West Oakland/Twenty-Third Avenue Church of God, had its beginning by Elder Joe Eddens and his wife Emily in their home at 945 Campbell Street, Oakland, California, in the early part of 1943. The few members soon moved their meeting place to a storefront at 1699 Eighth Street, Oakland, California. In 1944 Pastor Eddens resigned because of failing eyesight. Elder Moses E. Scott, residing in Hanford, California came to our aid and pastored until 1945. He too, shortly afterwards, resigned because of failing health.

Elder Elton Pointer and his wife Sarah E. Silas-Pointer from Prescott, Arkansas Church of God were called to Pastor in June 1945. During the first years of his pastorate our meeting places were not stable, but he had a faith that was steadfast and unmovable. After moving from several small storefronts and because the congregation had a vision, our pastor along with the trustees pursued the search of finding a vacant lot to build a church. They found a large lot on the corner of 10th & Myrtle Streets, Oakland, California. The lot was 95x95 for the price of $4,600.00. The

steadfast small congregation pooled their money and paid the lot off in full in a very short time; thus making it possible to secure a loan from Church of God headquarters at Anderson, Indiana. Construction of our permanent church home began in 1950.

Under Pastor Pointer’s leadership, nurturance and guidance, the West Oakland Church of God congregation, often called the “mother” church of Northern California Church of God congregations, grew steadily and became the root from which many of the local churches sprouted, including: Marin City Church; All Nations Church, San Francisco; Vista Hills Church, Richmond; All Nations Church, Isleton; Community Church, East Oakland and the church at East Palo Alto. Pastor Elton Pointer and his wife, Reverend Sarah Pointer retired from their pastorate in 1967 after 22 years of faithful, dedicated service.

In 1967, the area around the church at 10 th and Myrtle streets was targeted for redevelopment by the City of Oakland and, after 17 years, we were again forced to seek a new church home.

Reverend Curtis & Sister Daisy Barge were called from Evanston, Illinois and took up leadership of the congregation in 1968. In 1969 under the guidance of Senior Pioneers and Pastor Barge, our faithful congregation relocated to its present facility at 1940 23rd Avenue, Oakland, California. In 1978, after ten years of his pastorate, Pastor Barge and his wife, Sister Daisy, retired and returned to their home base in Illinois. In this new location, with a new name, Twenty-Third Avenue Church of God with its various outreach ministries, grew and prospered in the Lord as it worked with the people of Oakland’s San Antonio and Fruitvale areas.

For a time the congregation had various guest speakers and interim pastors which included Reverend Matthew Moore and Reverend John Hughes. In July 1982 Reverend Robert Marshall and his wife Joyce accepted the call of the congregation to the pastorate and served faithfully until his resettlement to Topeka, Kansas in 1995. 

In January 1996, Dr. Cynthia James and her husband, Reverend Alvin James accepted leadership of the church, continuing to lead Twenty-Third through its ministry until their relocation to Texas in 2012. Reverend Demetries Edwards took on pastoral leadership in 2013, continuing to lead Twenty-Third through its ministry activity chosen and directed by the Lord.

We are now in our 80th year of ministry since the first organized meeting of The West Oakland/ Twenty-Third Avenue Church of God congregation. By faith, we will continue in outreach to the people of Oakland and beyond. Throughout our history, we have been a church willing to make evident our faith by hard work and dedicated service. Today, our very existence is a tribute to the faith and faithfulness of countless believers who have preceded us in this fellowship. So we eagerly anticipate the future…as we face it with certainty of God’s continued blessing, prayerfully and steadfastly that others will join us as we spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout this great city and state.