Phineas F. Bresee - A Prince In Israel - Media Sabda Org

The First Assembly
The first meeting known as an "Assembly" of the Church of the Nazarene, met in the tabernacle
on Los Angeles street, October 16, 1899. After a very blessed season of prayer, Dr. Bresee called the
meeting to order, Brother W. S. Knott, the secretary of the delegated meeting held a year before,
called the roll, and thirty-three delegates responded, of whom eleven were ministerial and
twenty-two were lay delegates. Dr. Bresee, the General Superintendent, who had been re-elected a
year previous, made a brief statement in reference to the work, and considerable time was profitably
spent in hearing and considering reports from the various localities in which local churches were
organized. A committee of seven was appointed to report on the best method of incorporating the
"Nazarene" into the framework of the church, and Dr. Bresee was unanimously re-elected as General
Superintendent for another year.
A Notable Assembly
The third annual Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene, was held at the old tabernacle on Los
Angeles street, on October 16,1900. Dr. Bresee presided, and a half hour was spent in prayer, after
which there was preaching, followed by a testimony meeting and an altar service. On the following
day the Assembly reconvened, and there was a time of great spiritual refreshing at the sacrament of
the Lord's supper. An interesting report was presented from the Board of Directors of the Nazarene
Publishing Company. Dr. Bresee reported as pastor of the First Church, that since its organization,
933 persons had been received into membership, of whom thirty-one had died, and fifty-six had been
dismissed by letter or otherwise, leaving a membership of 846, which included the congregations at
Elysian Heights and Mateo street, Los Angeles, and the charge at South Pasadena. Mrs. Lucy P.
Knott and Mrs. Alice P. Baldwin made very interesting reports of the work of Company E, and the
Boys' Band, respectively, and Miss Emma S tine (now Mrs. Colburn), told of the progress of the
Brotherhood of St. Stephen. There were reports from Elysian Heights, Mateo street, South Pasadena,
Cucamonga, Redlands, Berkeley, and Oakland. Brother Shaw, Superintendent of the Sabbath school
of the First church, stated that three-fourths of the scholars in the school were converted. A
commission on church building and work was appointed, consisting of Dr. Bresee, Col. B. Duncan,
W. S. Knott, C. E. McKee, and C. H. Edwards. This action was taken in view of the need of a larger
and more commodious building for the First church, and with the object also of helping other
churches in the denomination. Dr. Bresee was again unanimously chosen as General Superintendent
for another year.
Missionary Efforts Of Dr. Bresee
Although Dr. Bresee spent most of his time in Los Angeles and its immediate vicinity during the
early life of the Church of the Nazarene, he did some traveling in the interests of the work. In 1897,
he organized churches in Berkeley and Oakland, and in February of the following year, in company
with Brother Moncton, he again visited those cities, and held rousing evangelistic services in both
churches, greatly strengthening and augmenting their membership. At a meeting conducted by him
in West Berkeley, a woman gave herself to God, and her husband became so greatly angered that he
threatened to commit suicide, and absented himself from home for several days. During this trip the
saints were blessed and edified, and a goodly number sought the Lord for pardon and sanctification.