Friendship Baptist Church - Venice, Ca

06/11/2025

THANK YOU SO MUCH Zach Armstrong for taking the time out to interview us on our beloved Friendship Baptist Church - Venice, Ca we are so thankful to our community and we ask that you guys continue to SUPPORT AND SHARE our message and efforts! I speak for friendship when we say that our FRIENDSHIP truly is forever and there is no power on this earth that will stop us from FIGHTING until our home and sanctuary is BACK OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 🫶🏽💙

Descendants and supporters rally against alleged unlawful sale, seeking historic status and legal action.

https://yovenice.com/2025/06/10/congregation-and-family-fight-to-stop-sale-of-historic-venice-church/

04/21/2025

Happy Easter Friends and Family we want to wish you all a blessed day and hope that you got to spend your day with friends and family.

Here are some of our Favorite Easter Sundays at our beloved Friendship Baptist Church 💙
Besides the chocolate the Easter bunny delivers Easter Sunday represents the day our lord and savior and his resurrection so we gather to honor him and give thanks to the most high for his formidable sacrifice to bring life upon his people 🫶🏽

Today we should have been able to do just that in our house of the lord Friendship Baptist Church so we ask that you continue to follow us and support us in our fight to open the door of our HOUSE of the Lord again ! 👏🏽

If you haven’t already please SIGN and SHARE our Change.org petition linked in our BIO 🫶🏽

02/14/2025

Vernon Brunson, Santa Monica born in 1908 to parents Charles Brunson and Selena McDonald Brunson. The Brunson's were one of the first Black families to settle in the city.

Though discrimination prevented him from fully pursuing his passion for aviation, he became an electromechanical designer, working for Hughes Aircraft, and was a founder of the Black Wings Flying Club.

We Are

12/16/2024

Thank you to all of our Venice community for showing us endless love and support as we fight against the UNLAWFUL sale of our beloved Friendship Baptist Church

As of right now FRIENDSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH at 606 Broadway, Venice Ca has currently been on the market for over a hundred days and for a staggering 6.M dollars under the fake ownership of a FIRED Friendship Trustee WHO has is claiming ownership of the property

The trend of selling black spaces in our community has been going on forever and has finally hit our front steps and we will not fall victim to this trend being a staple in the oakwood community like the First Baptist church, CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH, SANTA MONICA etc Have always been the backbone and nucleus of black families in Venice/Santa Monica 🫶🏽
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If you have any questions or information regarding this PLEASE feel free to dm/inbox me personally 🫶🏽 and if you also want to help us join the fight against this sale PLEASE DM/inbox me with your thoughts and ideas 🫶🏽

💙We ask that the support from both our Oakwood Santa Monica family to continue to spread our story along with following us on all our platforms 🫶🏽 and if you haven’t already please SIGN the Change.org petition linked in our bio if you haven’t already. We are very CLOSE TO REACHING our next goal 💙 -your Friendship Baptist Church Family

https://www.change.org/p/halt-the-unlawful-sale-of-friendship-baptist-church-help-preserve-another-venice-legacy?recruiter=1356000281&recruited_by_id=71e431c0-93ec-11ef-9339-833fdbf9f600&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink

12/04/2024

🌹 We are asking you that you help us wish our beloved Rosie Lodge a Happy 93rd Birthday 🎊 we are forever grateful to have such a gentle soul be the continuous nucleus of our family 🥺

The 3rd daughter to Rev. Leonard C. Clayton & Mother Bessie M. Clayton 🕊️ The Clayton Sisters being the heartbeat of Friendship Baptist Church 💕 They’re beautiful melodies forever sketched in the hearts of our congregation 🩵. When we ask for your support please know that it is for preservation of our memories of the ones whose always meant the most for us and to continue the melodies that carried us through our life and all it has to throw at us 🕊️

11/15/2024

Thank you to all of our Venice community for showing us endless love and support as we fight against the sale of our beloved Friendship Baptist Church ❤️ We ask that you continue to spread our story along with following us on all our platforms 🫶🏽 and if you haven’t already please SIGN our Change.org petition linked in our bio if you haven’t already. ❤️ -your Friendship Baptist Church Family

10/30/2024

Thank You Yo Venice for reaching out and listening to our story! We appreciate all the support as we endure this fight 💙 We love all of our Venice/Santa Monica family that has supported us for all these years!

We ask that you continue the overflowing love and support

remember to sign our CHANGE.org petition 💙 https://chng.it/75DrkvqVpx

Congregants were recently made aware that the church property at 606 Broadway Street was listed for sale.

https://yovenice.com/2024/10/30/petition-launched-to-stop-sale-of-venices-friendship-baptist-church/

10/27/2024

Hello Friends & Family,

We are coming to you with heavy hearts to announce the ALERTING NEWS that our beloved house of worship of 70+ years is currently being unlawfully sold under our congregation.

Friendship Baptist Church located at 606 Broadway, Venice, CA 90291 was founded and organized by Rev. L. C. Clayton who led his congregation alongside his wife Mother Bessie M. Clayton, and their five songbird daughters known as "The Clayton Sisters" who continued the legacy of their father for five decades.

The doors of Friendship were closed in July 2023 under the influence of a once trusted and valued staff member, One year later July 13, 2024, Friendship was put on the market where it has remained for 105 days. It recently came to the knowledge of the congregation when it was told that the property may possibly have already been sold.

Our plan is to remain firm in our stance against ANY PENDING SALE of Friendship Baptist Church and we ask for your undying support as we have quite the fight ahead of us. We come to you asking for your prayers and support by following us on all platforms, along with signing our change.org petition that will be linked below!

Along with awaiting any UPCOMING EVENTS that will be held, we look forward to banning together and showing how STRONG not only our Friendship Baptist Family but our Venice and Oakwood Community truly is.

Follow US on Instagram
and PLEASE sign the petition >>> https://chng.it/75DrkvqVpx

We thank you and appreciate your support as always.