Dunlap Baptist Church: Star Connections Continued

Dunlap Baptist Church, Seattle, Washington, 8445 Rainier Avenue South, Rainier Beach District, only it's not Dunlap Baptist anymore. Now it is Medhane-Alem Evangelical Church, an Ethiopian congregation. When Dunlap Baptist began, it was a few blocks away in a white wooden traditional church building, complete with a steeple. That is the building where I first attended Sunday School, and where Royal Brougham gave me some change to put in the offering, a move that for some reason stopped me from crying. I was just two when my mother first brought me, my two brothers and my two sisters to Sunday School there. The year was 1950. The new, more modern building was opened in 1952, and there was a big celebration for that event. I was just four years old.

This church building represents so much to me. This is where I asked Jesus into my heart at Vacation Bible School, and this is where I was baptized when I was nine years old. The baptismal was up above the choir loft, as seen in the picture above. That picture is so old, I don't recognize any of the people on stage or out in the congregation. But that is the piano I started playing when I was in junior high school, and in 1967 I started playing the organ as well. I sang for contatas up in that choir loft. When I moved away and left the church, my mother took over playing the piano and did so until her death in 1982. In fact, she suffered a heart attack on a Sunday morning while playing for church, although she survived that and did return as the pianist. This is the church where my children were dedicated, and this is where my mother's funeral was held. I played the piano at her funeral. I would like to add that the Bethel Valley Girls, bless them, came to support me that day.

Aside from Seattle sports journalism icon Royal Brougham, Dunlap Baptist didn't have any star connections until Jimi Hendrix' father started bringing his young adopted daughter, Janie, to Sunday School. They lived a few blocks away from the church, as did my family. I have already written about the fact that Jimi Hendrix' funeral was held at Dunalp. Maybe I didn't mention that my hands played the piano on a Sunday morning, then Miles Davis played the piano at Jimi's funeral on Thursday, and I was back to playing the following Sunday. I think the whole Miles Davis things did impress my children, even though they continue to get nauseated when I mention Jimi Hendrix as if we were old buddies.

It was long-time Pastor Gordon Vance Johnson who baptized me. After his death Pastor Allen arrived, and after him, Pastor Blackburn. He is the one who officiated at Jimi Hendrix' funeral as well as dedicating my children. He was deeply appreciated by us but lambasted in Miles Davis' autobiography for being a 'white' pastor who understood nothing of the black culture. Davis was so vitriolic, I have long wondered if that had anything to do with Pastor Blackburn leaving not only the church but also the ministry.

After Pastor Blackburn left, in came Pastor Collins. He turned out to be the uncle of one of my closest friends, Julie Collins, who sang all of the songs I ever wrote back then. I was her accompanist, and she sang at my mom's funeral, with Pastor Collins officiating. Julie's cousin Dan, Pastor Collins' son, turned out to be a singer with the Maranatha Singers in California and was also a record producer. It was pretty exciting when I heard he was marrying Christian singer Jamie Owens, daughter of Jimmy and Carol Owens who wrote some of the youth musicals that were so popular in Christian music at the time. Jamie was well known as a soloist and was a good friend of Keith Green and all singers/musicians who were part of what was called the Jesus Movement. Dan and Jamie were married in the backyard of Ralph Carmichael, who is known as the 'Father on Contemporary Christian Music," and as noted in previous posts, I had a connection with him. I do wish I could have attended that wedding! I was pretty upset with my old friend Julie for passing up her opportunity to go. I offered to take her place, but I don't think she ever took me seriously.

Jamie Collins became Jamie Owens Collins, and she and Dan would come up to Seattle to vacation with his parents. Every time she would sing at our church, for free, not advertised, even though she traveled around as a singer. This is how I got to know her and Dan, thanks to Julie. Then years later, when we were living in Hawaii, they came to sing there. And where did they stay? With my brother and sister-in-law on the North Shore! We heard Jamie sing at Calvary Chapel in downtown Honolulu first, and then on subsequent trip she sang at our church, New Hope Christian Fellowship. That time my brother and sister-in-law, Jamie and Dan, my niece Jan, and my husband and I went out to dinner at Zippy's after the Saturday night service.. I brought all my old LP's Jamie had autographed when she sang at Dunlap Baptist---and old tapes and old song books, not only for Jamie's music but also her parents' music. It was so fun talking do Dan and Jamie about their careers. Jamie's music can still be purchased through Fairhill Music. This info is from their website:

About

Fairhill Music, Inc began in 1983 as an administrative publishing company for Jimmy & Carol Owens and Jamie Owens Collins‘ songs.
Jimmy and Carol Owens began writing songs for the church in the mid 1960s. In the 70s and 80s Jimmy and Carol inspired and unified Christians around the world with their musicals “Show Me,” “Come Together,” The Witness,” If My People…,” and “Heal Our Land.”
Jamie began writing as a teen and has given us memorable songs such as “The Victor,” “You Have Broken The Chains,” “Seasons Of The Soul,” and her best-known song, “The Battle Belongs To The Lord.” She has traveled extensively throughout the world singing and teaching. For more information about Jamie refer to her page.
Other administrated songs in the Fairhill catalog include songs from Barry McGuire, Terry Talbot and children’s songs from Gospel Light Publications.
Fairhill copyrights are licensed internationally and administrated outside of the United States and Canada worldwide by Coltman International.
For a listing of the songs owned and administrated by Fairhill music please refer to our catalog.

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What are the odds that one simple church in South Seattle would have such diverse star connections? But you know what I think is the most important thing that ever happened there? I MET JESUS!