Emmanuel Wesleyan Church had its beginning in a tent meeting held during the summer of 1928 conducted by Rev. W. R. French. From this beginning, a Sunday School was organized and held in a building on the south side of Division Street between 87th and 89th Avenues.
In September, 1929, preaching services were begun in the Sunday School. Rev. Leon Belles, Conference Preacher from Central Wesleyan Methodist Church in Portland, acted as pastor from then until January, 1931.
In August, 1931, Rev. W. R. French held another tent meeting, and through these meetings a decision was made to organize. Property was purchased on the southeast corner of 89th and S.E. Division Street, and a new building was started. Shortly afterwards, the present sanctuary was begun. The basement was finished first, and covered by a flat tarpaper roof. This became the place of worship for nine years while the sanctuary was being built above. By December 15, 1940 the sanctuary was dedicated.
In 1958, the church purchased property adjoining the church lot to the east. In 1962, the parsonage was expanded and remodeled. In 1964, the church built a fellowship hall on the property bought in 1958. In 1970, an extensive change of the church structure was planned. This change resulted in in a new foyer and entry way, expansion of the classrooms in the basement and an expansion of the sanctuary.
Thirteen men served as pastors from September 1929 to 1975. Rev. Herman Smith served for nine years, from 1975 to 1984. He led the congregation in the purchase of an additional lot to the south of the facilities that became the parking lot. He was noted for his preaching on holiness and sanctification.
Rev. James E. Hughes ministered from1984 to 1998, and emphasized revival and personal evangelism, and several new families were added. He observed that the demographics of the Southeast side of Portland were changing. People of a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including many of the Pacific Rim nations, were moving in. He hoped to include as many of the various groups as possible.
After James Hughes left in 1998, Rev. James Rosentrater, a retired pastor, kept the church going for two years until Rev. Robert Meade arrived in 2001 and served for about one year.
Rev. William Woods came in April, 2002. He preached strongly on victorious living through the guidance and enablement of the Holy Spirit. He had a tender heart for the homeless in the neighborhood, and was continually dispensing benevolence from the parsonage back door. He held Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless. By 2005 the middle class white congregation was shrinking, and Rev. Woods was called to serve at Desert Hope Wesleyan Church in Phoenix, Arizona in June 2005.
In July 2005, Rev. Melvin Baliton brought his Filipino – American church plant, Hope of Glory Wesleyan Church, to merge with the Emmanuel Wesleyan Church, which became Emmanuel Hope of Glory Wesleyan Church. Young families and children brought the church alive, with delicious Filipino potlucks, child dedications, and parties. People came from as far as Toledo and Vancouver, WA, Scappoose and Beaverton, Oregon. Rev. Baliton welcomed other ethnic groups as renters of the facilities. He quoted Isaiah 56:7b: “for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people,” which continues to be the church’s attitude toward our rental congregations.
In August 2009, Rev. George Garcia came as Associate Pastor, in charge of worship. After Rev. Baliton left in November, 2012, George became Pastor. His wife Ruth is the children’s ministry coordinator. Their oldest son, Joshua, is enrolled at Boston University, majoring in post-graduate Biblical studies. Their second son Jordan plays the keyboard and guitar for the worship team, and their daughter Emma sings on the worship team and is an enthusiastic greeter to everyone who comes in the door.
At the present time, Emmanuel Hope of Glory has five renter groups sharing the facilities: Russian, Ukrainian, Hispanic, a Filipino-American ladies’ prayer group, and Oasis Ministries of Portland, a blended congregation. Both Oasis and Emmanuel Hope of Glory advertise free monthly potluck dinners on the church signboard, which has been attracting our neighbors.