It is interesting to note the beginning of the Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The first place of worship was a rented room located on 8th street and Central Avenue. From there, we moved to the home of our dear sister Rose Clark - Tita’s Grandmother, which was located at the end of B Avenue, but, as the group of members grew we decided to buy our first board building located in the area of Camino de Ganado, (now known as Ancon Avenue). Church services began at this location in the year 1912.
Another small group met at the Mandinga Church in the old townsite of Empire on the west bank of the Panama Canal during the construction of the canal. When the canal was opened for business in August 1914, the town of Empire was abandoned and the members joined the church in Camino de Ganado Avenue.
At Camino de Ganado, members had the earnest desire to buy another spot to build a larger church which by then was known as the PANAMA CENTRAL SDA CHURCH. Seen the constant growth of the Central Church’s membership, the actual place of worship proved to be too small.
Our then secretary and treasurer of the West Caribbean Conference, H.C. Kephart, submitted a letter to the General Conference Committee Meeting held on January 22, 1920, presenting the urgent necessity of a new building for the Panama City Church, stating that Elder Sype felt confident that a good sum of money could be raised locally.
So, the spot of the land was purchased on the edge of the city in Cabo Verde (now known as National Avenue), where a building was erected to the honor of God. The same carried the name: PANAMA CENTRAL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH.
At the completion of the new Panama Central SDA Church building (1926), Elder Elmer Ellsworth Andross, president of the Inter-American Division, held a series of Sunday night meetings. The seating capacity of the church was taxed to its utmost, and practically all available standing room was occupied by several hundreds who listened attentively each night. As a result of that effort, quite a number promised to obey the truth.
Central Church flourished with the blessing of the Lord. Sunday and Wednesday night meetings where well attended and Sabbath to its capacity crowded.
We also had a Church School which was conducted by Teacher J.A.Maynard of which there is no doubt there are still those who remember. On November 12, 1953, the Ministry of Education granted operating permits to Cabo Verde Adventist School in Panama City which later became the República de Costa Rica School, now the Metropolitan Adventist School.
During the 1930’s, a Sabbath school class in Spanish was started by brother Frederick Murray and brother Gabriel Molyneux, who then joined another group who started to meet at the Cabo Verde building every Sabbath, out of which came the first Spanish Church bearing the name: Castellana Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The Castellana (Spanish) church still flourishes beautifully in Panama City for the honor and glory of God. So, today the Central Church is considered the mother of many Spanish and English churches in Panama City.
Around 1942, Brother Barrington Russell, Sr., moved to the West side of the Panama Canal and with great effort started sharing God’s Word. A new English church was established there also to the honor of God.
Eventually, the Government saw it fit to put an avenue running in front of the Cabo Verde Church to relieve the increase of automobile traffic, taking away some of our frontages. Several years later they decided to widen the road and requested that the church be located somewhere else.
We sought and found the present location and had intended to purchase a plot of land for the construction of a church building only. However, the former owner of the land encouraged us to purchase the entire property which would allow room for future improvements. After much deliberating, the entire property was purchased.
The members came together and cleared the land for the building project. A Building Committee was formed and blueprints were made for the building of a church, school, and a gymnasium. This was about the year 1961. A fund raising drive was initiated and great sacrifices were made.
During that time, Pastor Robert R. Drachenberg was the president of the conference and at one of our committee meetings, he advised us to concentrate on constructing the gymnasium with classrooms first, so that all students from both Adventist schools (English & Spanish) could have a place to study and the members a place of worship, then they will continue with the construction of the temple. This was done so.
After the sale of the old property on which the former church stood, the members labored for years to raise the additional cash required to construct the present building. The worship services were held in the gym since its construction in 1961 until the new temple for the Central Church was inaugurated in 1967. The new edifice occupied just a part of the land, where there was ample space for further growth and expansion both for the school and the church.
On July 9, 1967, C.L. Powers, president of the Inter-American Division, addressed the more than 1,000 members and guests who listened attentively to the new building's dedication sermon. Another distinguished visitor was the Minister of Government and Justice, Colonel Jose D. Bazan, who gladly consented to lay a stone plaque commemorating the event, and then stayed through the entire service. Other participants were conference president Mario Robinson, who led out in the Act of Dedication, Osiris Weiss, conference MV and educational secretary, who offered the dedication prayer, Pastor A.Ward, pastor of the CENTRAL CHURCH, and several local church officers.
Thanks be to God, the new Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church Building continues to be a beacon in Panama City, for the honor and glory of God.
"Ebenezer... thus far has the Lord helped us". 1Sam. 7:12
