The Rosemere geographical location and boundaries are on the West side is 1-5, to the South is Fourth Plain Blvd., to the East is Grand Blvd and to the North is Hi-way 500. A highly dense populated area.
"We also discovered a great spiritual 'darkness' within the boundaries of Rosemere. We discovered that it has been a 'pastors graveyard' for many years. We discovered that occult activity was rampant That alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual immorality, gang violence, family deterioration and general povetty were al/ signature characteristics of Rosemere.
Glad Tiding Assembly of God Church
Built around 1948. Dedicated October 22, 1950. Originally build as Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church. They moves to a new location on Mill Plain Blvd and Andresen Road. Two business partners bought the facility and turned it into Uncle Milts Pizza Parlor. After a number of years they shut down and the building sat vacant. Eventually it was sold to Rite Aid then sat vacant again for a few years until it was purchased and it became New Life Friends Church unto this day.
Beginning November 2016, I felt the Lord nudging me to write out, in chronical order, concerning the data I had collected over the years concerning the Rosemere area (now known as Rose Village). The result is "My Journey into Rosemere -An initiative of God for renewal in Rosemere"
I readily acknowledge the prayers of all the saints who have prayed for the Rosemere neighborhood through out the years and especially those who were heart-sick when Glad Tidings Church sold the facility in 1972 to move to their new building on the corner of Mill Plain Blvd and Andresen Road.
Sometime after the move a retired Vancouver Fire Chief by the name of Jim Brown, who was a member of Glad Tidings, had a dream that he saw a young man preaching once again in their old facility that had became Uncle Milts Pizza Parlor. This was told to me by Vern Smith who knew Jim Brown and heard it from him.
God has used many people over the years to bring about His purpose for the Rosemere community. I believe Gods plan and purpose is to bring a genuine Holy Spirit revival the likes we haven't seen in our area in our lifetime. Weather I am alive to see it or not, I believe it is going to happen and God will receive the glory and honor due His holy name. This document/report is my experience in seeing an ongoing process in rebuilding, restoring and rejoicing in all God has done and will do in the days ahead.
1987 - 1988
During these two years a number of things took place. I was happy and busy doing church work at Walnut Grove Church working hard to gain the title of "Associate Pastor", (it seemed important to me then). While at Walnut Grove I was told of a German evangelist by the name of Reinhard Bonnke was coming to Port-
land for a one night meeting. I had never hear of him before but since I had lived in Germany for a year and a half (in Hamburg) I was interested and decided to go. Through a series of miraculous provisions the Lord had me attend the first ever Euro-Fire Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, August 1987, hosted by Rinehard Bonnke. It was there I learned the importance of and the need of prayer for effective evangelism. Upon returning back home to Vancouver my heart was burning to see God do something great in our area. One day while in prayer God spoke clearly and said, "impregnate the city of Vancouver with the word of God". How Lord? TV? Radio? Newspaper?
After a period of time the Spirit impressed me to plant the seed of the word of God house to house using the gospel of John with a specially prepared church brochure. Thus was birthed the "Go&Sow!" strategy for planting the seed of the gospel from house to house in Vancouver. During this same time I developed and incorporated "NW Assault Ministries" a prayer focused ministry to do effective evangelism using Matthew 1 1 : 12 as a base.
Also during this time I began meeting with L.D. & Cecil Roth who moved their ministry, LaPhare Hot Line and youth ministry "The Corel" to begin praying for the local area youth. Their ministry was at 2525 Fourth Plain Blvd near Grand Blvd, in the Rosemere neighborhood.
"The kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force, (as a precious prize) - a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought for with the most ardent zeal and intense exertion. " - Matthew 11:12 (The Amplified Bible)
It was at this time, after having my weekly prayer time with L.D. and Cecil Roth when I would leave to go to my car, I would look across the street and see Uncle Milts Pizza Parlor. At first it was just a little stirring but as the weeks went on and each time I would look at Uncle Milts and the stirring would increase. Uncle Milts building was originally built in the late 1940's as Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church. My stirring increased to a holy anger each time I looked at it for this building that was originally built and dedicated to be a Lighthouse for the gospel in this community was now a Pizza and beer establishment.
After a number of weeks of praying at The Corel Youth Center the Lord gave and burned a scripture into my spirit; "The scepter of wickedness will not rest on the land allotted to the righteous." Psalm 125:3. That's all it took, I began to ask God to redeem that building once again for His purpose and glory.
1989 to 1992
For a season I would regularly go to Uncle Milts Pizza Parlor each Saturday evening, walk around it seven times with a different prayer focus with each lap. Then I would go inside, order a turkey sandwich which I would eat up in the balcony seating at an area overlooking the main dining room floor below. I would continue to pray for this facility, the employees and the families that were there for the evening meal or birthday party. Once I stood up, while looking over the balcony, and said, "Lord, I don't care what kind of church comes here as long as it is a Christ centered Bible believing church
In the summer of 1992 1 had a photo taken of me standing in from of Uncle Milts that appeared in my "Go&SoW' newsletter asking those who received it to join with me in praying that this facility would be once again be used for God purpose and His glory.
1992 - 1998
Between 1992 and 1998 even though I was busy 'doing church work" I also spent about a year and a half experiencing a 'dark night if the soul'. A very depressing time in my spiritual journey as I was trying to figure out just what in the world God was doing.
Summer 1992 to me! But God wasn't waiting on me to get back on track. Billy Graham held a crusade in Portland in May 1992. In 1994 there was a Promise Keepers held in Portland as well. Prior to the Promise Keepers event a number of pastors and prayer leaders from the PortlandNancouver area met regularly at Multnomah School of the Bible for prayer and strategizing. The idea to prophetically place a prayer covering, like a tent, over the entire four country region as a prayer covering prior to the Promise Keepers event took place on May 5, 1994, the National Day of Prayer.
1998
I read in The Columbian newspaper that Uncle Milts had sold to the Rite Aid Corporation for 2.2 million dollars. I had to admit, I wondered how God was going to do it, but also knew, "nothing is impossible with God". Using my human reasoning, ( I know a mistake!) I thought 'well, maybe Rite Aid will bull doze the place down, build a brand new building, then for some reason move out'. Well, they never moved in! Rite-aid had some finical difficulties and the place sat vacant for a couple more years.
1999
1999 saw the birth of Pray Vancouver. A prayer ministry the Lord hand me begin that would meet at a different church every other month to pray for the pastor of the local church, his congregation and their community.
2000
During an early morning pastor's prayer time at Life Center Open Bible Church, a young pastor by the name of Carney Layne from Cascade Community Church, mentioned that he and some members of his church were out driving around town when they came upon the vacant and dilapidated building called Uncle Milts. At first they wanted the Lord to give it to them but later realized that wasn't God's plan but He used the facility to get their attention of the Rosemere area. Needless to say, when pastor Carney mentioned they looked at Uncle Milts property during the prayer meeting, there was a spontaneous and joyest jolt of excitement that hit a number of us simultaneously. Uncle Milts was immediately brought to the front burner of my/our hearts once again!
The year 2000 began an incredible journey for the members of Cascade Community Church. Even though they did not meet in the Rosemere area during that time, God placed it on their heart to begin praying for the area. Over a short period of time they "took ownership" of Rosemere to pray for and bless the churches and ministries any way they could. Cascade Community Church invented thousand of prayer hours into Rosemere.
2001
In 2001, the Lord lead pastor Carney to contact all the pastors and ministerial leaders in the Rosemere neighborhood to get acquainted and to share his heart with them. In July of 2001, those of a willing and queries heart came together for the first time. They decided to begin meeting once a week at a different church or ministry locations for prayer, fellowship and relationship building.
During 2001 while meeting at The LaPhare ministry office for our weekly prayer time, Pastor Dave White asked at the conclusion of our time together if we would join with him to walk around the Laughing Bird building, a New Age and Alternative bookstore to pray, asking the Lord to give them the building on the corner of St Johns and 33 rd The center and soul of Rosemere.
God gave pastor Dave his hearts request. The Laughing Bird closed it's doors (not without much controversy, see The Columbian Newspaper clippings), only to move downtown but soon to close their doors a second time, due to lack of business. The middle photo was taken as soon as the Laughing Bird book store moved out. The room in which this band of pastors and ministry prayer warriors stand was the place the Laughing Bird clientele held séances and Tarot readings among other things. Each of the above have (or had) ministries in Rosemere. The new restored building to the right is now "The Rock", A men's transition house of New Life Friends Church.