Later that same year (1934) John Fairs Nichols, a strict fundamentalist recently graduated from Abilene Christian College as a bible major, became the first full time preacher of the Oakland church, continuing until 1936 when it could no longer support him full‐time.

In early 1938 Evangelist Warren A. Henry became its ond full‐time preacher, continuing until July, 1939 during which time good progress and growth resulted. Brother Henry had been converted from the Nazarene church, for which he preached, a few years earlier. It was during the ministry of Evangelist Henry that interest began in starting a new congregation in nearby McKeesport, PA. with members from the Oakland church, which will be discussed more fully in a later "McKeesport Church" heading.

In September, 1939 Evangelist John C. Graham began laboring full‐time with the Oakland church to conduct a profitable ministry until December, 1941. It was during the ministry of Evangelist Graham than interest began in starting still another new congregation in nearby Coraopolis, PA, also with members from the Oakland church, which will be discussed more fully in a later "Coraopolis church" heading.

Succeeding John C. Graham in December, 1941 was Evangelist Oram J. Swinney (whose father in the early 30's preached part‐time for the Estella St church) moved from Texas to Pittsburgh and labored full‐time with the Oakland church until December, 1944. It was at this time that Baptist church owners of the building at McKee Place & Louisa St sold the property to the City of Pittsburgh who demolished the building so it could erect on the site a police‐fire station. The Oakland church then moved into a large public meeting room in the city‐owned Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall adjacent to the University of Pittsburgh's campus, where it continued meeting until April, 1952.

From December 1944 until June 1949 the church had no regular preacher when, on the latter date, Evangelist Caleb J. Kirkpatrick, a former member of the congregation, upon graduating from David‐Lipscomb College as a bible major, came with his family to labor full‐time with the Oakland church, continuing until early 1954.

Coming to the realization in December 1944 that it could not hope to gain any real progress meeting in a public hall with its usage limited by the city only to Sundays, the Oakland church began in earnest to accumulate and promote a building fund with which to purchase a suitable building site and thereon to erect its present meeting house at Fifth Ave and Beechwood Blvd. Erection began in July 1951 with completion and the first Lord's Day worship service on April 20, 1952 in this fine building seating 320 including the balcony. It needs to be said that the erection of this fine building was accomplished jointly through contributions of a generous brotherhood and it's generous local membership, the engineering skill of Cliford H. Swensen, one of its then elders who designed and supervised its erection, and the business ability of C.J. Kirkpatrick who was then laboring with the congregation as its full‐time preacher.

Successive full‐time preachers laboring with the Fifth & Beechwood church were Robert J. Roe from October 1954 to June 1957, Don Gardner from July 1957 to January 1960, Byron J. Thrasher from February 1960 to January 1962, Victor Fridena from March 1954 to October 1954. Robert J. Roe returning from June 1962 to January 1969, and Gerald F. Ransom from June 1970 to the time of this writing and continuing beyond. The ministry of all these preachers was profitable to the congregation. Over the years some distinguished preachers who have occupied the pulpit of the Oakland church other than those already mentioned, in one or more preaching services, included:‐ Cled E. Wallace, C.D. Plum, E.G. Rockliff, Charles E. Fogle, Ted Waller, Bob Truax, Odes Forshey, James P. Miller, Charley Taylor, Jess Nutter, Kenneth Adams, Tom Butterfeild, I.W. Woodrow, Earl Stephens, Leslie G. Thomas, Alton H. Maner, Carl Matheny, Otis Gatewood, C. Harold Thomas, Jimmy Wood, James Scott, Burton Coffman, George Benson, Eliza Huffard, C. Ellis McGaughey, Ted Norton, and others who labored in are congregations.

During the first ministry of Robert J. Roe a bible correspondence course began to be offered which to the time of this writing continues to be offered, and which has proven to be an excellent working tool for the congregation. Several thousand persons have been enrolled in it over the years. The experiences of the congregation with respect to this B.C.C. offering over the years would lend itself to writing at length, but suffice it to say that visible results from it have been sadly lacking, perhaps for the reason that a close, intense follow‐up of the enrollees and those completing the course has not been diligently practiced.

During the ministry of Don Gardner, an all too brief ministry, an aggressive project nominally titled "Operation Pittsburgh Program" was initiated, the objective of which was to establish new congregations in the peripheral areas of greater Pittsburgh, and to staff them with qualified leadership, plus a nucleus of members and the know‐how to develop and promote financing of ultimate building programs for them. The objectives of "Operation Pittsburgh Program" recognized that the necessity of Christians travelling long distances to meeting places of the Lord's church seemed to encourage delinquency and the loss of many Christians whose faith was weak to the Cause of our Lord, many of who compromised by deviating to denominationalism, and also the loss of many Christians moving in from out of town whose faith was not strong and who refused to travel long distances to practice NewTestament Christianity. To the date of this writing, through the objectives of the "O.P. Program" the new congregations established have been.: Allegheny Valley church of Christ, Homewood church of Christ, and Whitehall church of Christ, all three of which will be more fully discussed in this history. Additionally the "O.P. Program" has been instrumental in encouraging growth through financial and other assistance to the Lord's church in Connellsville, PA., Ligonier, PA., Monroeville‐Plum, PA., and still other area congregations to a lesser extent.

Before concluding the history of the Oakland church, now known as the Fifth and Beechwood church, we want to mention that while still meeting in rented halls in earlier years, it joined with the former Estella Street church to try and establish a new congregation in the Bethel Park area( a suburb of Pittsburgh), meeting in a volunteer Fireman's Hall. Also, on its own, the Oakland church made an attempt to establish a new congregation in rented facilities in North Braddock area (also a suburb of Pittsburgh) in the early 40's, and in a rented store room on the North Side of Pittsburgh in the late 40's. All three of these efforts failed to materialize into new congregations, due probably to a lack of a nucleus of Christians and leadership local to those areas. The "O.P. Program as it progressed profited from the experience of these failures with respect to methods of establishing new congregations

It can be said to the credit of the Fifth and Beechwood church that at least up to the time this history is compiled, no divisive elements or doctrinal issues have disturbed the peace of the congregation after healing the breach which earlier existed between it and the former Estella St church. As indicated elsewhere the Fifth & Beechwood church owes a debt of gratitude to a generous brotherhood in the late 40's and early 50's for both its moral and financial assistance in connection with the erection of the present meeting house at Fifth Ave and Beechwood Blvd. The congregation has been otherwise self‐supporting from its beginning.

Pittsburgh PA 15206