Rev. Vanderhoof and FBCS

Part Five

Leaving Bryan Ranch as a Colporter-Missionary

On November 1, 1915, Verner was commissioned a Colporter-Missionary by the American Baptist Publication Society. Apparently Rev. R.P. Pope, at that time also a Colporter-Missionary was instrumental in Vanderhoof receiving the appointment. Rev. Sam Bridges was the fifth pastor of FBCS at the time. On November 28, 1915, Verner A. Vanderhoof, the first person baptized in Scottsdale, was licensed by the First Baptist Church of Scottsdale to exercise his gift as a gospel minister. He returned to his Colporter-Missionary ministry and on September 16, 1919, was called in from the field, ordained by the church, and thereafter referred to as Reverend Verner A. Vanderhoof.

Building the first church edifice

Chaplain Winfield Scott, for whom Scottsdale was named, died October 19, 1910. His property then passed to his wife, Helen. On an unknown date following his death, but before 1916, Verner and Jane Vanderhoof purchased a 6-acre tract of land from Mrs. Helen Scott with the understanding that when a church was ready to be built, the Vanderhoofs would donate 2 lots to the church as a building site and she would allow them $175.00 off the purchase price. Thus Helen Scott donated the lots on which the original church stood at the corner of Brown Avenue and Indian School Road. She also gave Verner the Chaplain’s Prince Albert coat saying, “It will be all right to have the Chaplain’s mantle fall on you.”

(click to see large version)

This is the deed showing the transfer of property by Verner and Jane Vanderhoof to the church for this building in keeping with their agreement with Mrs. Winfield Scott.

Between November 28, 1915 and September 16, 1919, however, America became involved in World War I. As a result, in 1917, Verner was “laid off” as a missionary for eight months and spent that time in Scottsdale

Since June 12, 1912, services of First Baptist Church of Scottsdale had been held for five years in The Little Red Schoolhouse. The membership decided it was time to build a church to hold their services. For that purpose a committee of three, Hans Weaver, T.H. Coldwell and V.A. Vanderhoof, was appointed. It was decided that since the Colporter-Missionary had nothing to do, he should take charge of the building program. Verner took all the pledges, collected all the money, employed all the workmen, hauled all of the materials except sand, and paid all the bills.

Original church building is started in November 1917.

A frame building was first considered. Missionary Vanderhoof made a special trip by wagon into Phoenix to inquire as to the price of materials. He found that the price of lumber was advancing but that of cement was not. The result was -- a cement block building, the blocks being made at the church site. The labor problem was simplified by the fact that everybody involved, including the architect who drew the plans, donated some time. Verner donated all his time and he and Jane pledged $100 and then gave an extra $100.

The building project is coming along in November and December 1917.

On April 4, 1916, Verner and Jane deeded the two lots for the church from the six acres purchased from Helen Scott. Mrs. Scott forgave the Vanderhoofs $175 from the purchase price. The practicality of this part of the transaction was that Chaplain Winfield and Helen Scott were the donors of the land on the southwest corner of Brown and Indian School Road on which the original First Baptist Church of Scottsdale was built.

A Phoenix contractor had asked to submit a bid on the construction of the building. Vanderhoof later said, “I told him I could beat his bid $200.00, which I did, by supervising the construction. I found a Methodist architect who donated the plans and specifications. We built the church during November and December of 1917 and January of 1918.”

Rev. R.P. Pope, the seventh pastor, was again called as the tenth pastor and had the distinction of serving as the first pastor in the newly built church. The brand new “home made” First Baptist Church of Scottsdale, free of debt because of Verner’s tenacity, was dedicated on March 3, 1918.