EUGENE, Ore. — On Sam Reynolds Street in Eugene, St. Mark CME Church stands as a lasting symbol of faith and perseverance for one of the city’s pioneering Black communities.
St. Mark CME Church housed the first Black congregation in Eugene, with parishioners in the 1940s spiritually preparing for the battles they would face as they fought to overcome racism. Current pastor Deleesa Meashintubby said the church’s founding was not the work of one family alone.
“It was a community effort. I do know that, because once they were transplanted from Ferry Street over to here, and it allowed them to have a church here,” Meashintubby said…