When I think about our neighborhood’s community hubs, the first place that comes to mind is the Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church.

This is the place where neighbors gathered in 1999 to establish the Splash Pad Park as the home of what is now the largest and most acclaimed farmers market in the East Bay (instead of its becoming a Trader Joe’s or other retail space). In the early 2000s, hundreds gathered here to oppose converting the former KwikWay (most recently the Vegan Mob) into a drive-thru McDonald’s. This church was where neighbors gathered after a child was shot last year in a robbery attempt in Trestle Glen. It is also where the Grand Lake Neighbors and other community organizations meet regularly and where several candidate forums have been held.

I’ve been to many of those events, and that’s a lot of church-going for this Jewish girl, but I’ve always felt welcome, which led me to want to know more about this church. I met with Senior Pastor Jim Hopkins to learn more about him and the goals of his church.

A little history

The current Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church was founded in 1860 as the First Baptist Church of Brooklyn, located on the east side of the tidal pool that became Lake Merritt about 10 years later. At some point, the church moved to 10^th Avenue and became the 10^th Avenue Baptist Church. The congregation then built and moved into its current church in 1957 and became the Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church. “We may have had three names and three locations, but we’re one congregation and one of Oakland’s most enduring institutions,” says Hopkins.

Pastor Hopkins began his Oakland career in April 1989, coming up from Los Angeles with his wife Karen and their two young children. A third child came along soon thereafter.

“My own commitment has always been as a localist,” Hopkins said. “How do you make a difference in the world, in your own neighborhood?” With that, Hopkins cites his mentor, Pastor J. Alfred Smith from Allen Temple Baptist Church. “And Dr. Smith always said, ‘Know your turf. Know your turf. Know your turf.’”

Hopkins adds that his “hope for the congregation and for the use of the church’s buildings, is that they could be an instrument of community understanding.” He says that Lakeshore Baptist might not have a big congregation, but “we’re a feisty church.”

I was very curious to know the difference between this “feisty” church and the Southern Baptists. Hopkins gave me a quick history lesson. Southern Baptists separated from the rest of the Baptist movement in 1845 over one specific issue: could missionaries be slave holders? The Southern Baptists said yes. And others who said no became the Northern Baptists, now known as the American Baptist church. “Today, you’ll find 40, 50 different kinds of Baptists, in part because we don’t have a central Baptist authority,” he explained. “Currently, the Southern Baptists will not accept women as pastors. The Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church ordained our first woman pastor in 1972. That’s a defining difference.”

Hopkins adds that the church is proud of the diversity of its membership. “Not only the racial diversity, but we were one of the first congregations to ordain an openly gay man to the ministry in 1996. However, we were thrown out of our region for a while because of our embrace of being welcoming and affirming.”

As the largest Protestant denomination in the country, Baptists encompass a wide diversity of people. Martin Luther King Jr. was Baptist, as was Bull Connor, the sheriff who resisted him. Today, right-wing Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is Baptist, as is the Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The Church’s good works

One of the critical projects that church staff and congregants are involved with is the Hunger Task Force, raising money for programs and ministries that address hunger and homelessness. Their annual hunger walk in June has a goal of raising $20,000 each year.

Acting on its longstanding commitment to children, the church owns and operates the Lakeshore Children’s Center, which has, for 50 years, provided affordable childcare in a spiritual atmosphere of loving concern. “Currently, the program serves about 100 families from ages two and a half up through sixth grade.”  When I visited, the sanctuary and nearby rooms were festooned with marine themes for the Scuba-themed vacation bible camp. And, of course, the church hosts annual Easter/Spring parades and Halloween parties. “These are important and wonderful community celebrations.”

The church’s music program includes a choir called the “Voices of Lakeshore” and a hand bell ensemble. They also offer programs for seniors and much more. Another congregation, Kachin Baptist Church from Burma, shares the space with the Lakeshore congregation.

Another major commitment of Pastor Hopkins is to Faith in Action East Bay and its Ceasefire Oakland program. This is an evidence-driven violence reduction strategy with three goals: reduced gun violence, reduced recidivism, and improved community-police relationships. “Basically, the philosophy of Ceasefire is if you can identify those most likely to shoot or be shot, and if you can make a serious intervention in those lives, gun violence will come down.” He explains that the program invites young men to put down their guns and then helps them take a step to job training or whatever they need to recenter their lives positively.

Hopkins adds that for about five years, he was the President of the Lakeshore Avenue Business Improvement District, whose meetings are still held at the church. “I see the connection between the vibrancy of the Avenue and the vibrancy of our congregation.”

One of Hopkin’s concerns is that Lakeshore is a major thoroughfare coming off the freeway and heading up to Piedmont. “Cars race through here. We’ve got kids and seniors, so we want to keep the area safe for them. And I’m concerned that you can walk down Lakeshore Avenue and quickly run into someone who either doesn’t have a place to live or is exhibiting some mental illness.”

But Hopkins says that even with its challenges, he continues to appreciate this neighborhood. “There are lots of interesting restaurants and shops, a diversity of people, and the draw of the lake all remain a source of pleasure. I hope that Oakland and this neighborhood will be both a prosperous place and a compassionate place and that human needs will be met. Putting it simply, I hope that Oakland will be a place where people don’t have to be afraid.”