Bridges Digital Archive: Audio and Video Recordings

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Document Type

Oral History

Publication Date

7-13-2022

Abstract

Jennifer Tilton interviews Raymond Turner, a pastor in the Inland Empire. Turner began the interview by talking of his childhood, how he had been the eleventh of fifteen children, and that he grew up in a segregated world. After spending many years in military service, he worked as Director of Veteran Affairs at the Marin Community College District and then at Chaffey College. Once in a religious family, he later renewed his faith when leaving the military after learning about the opening of the Loveland Church. He began to work there as a deacon and became a temporary preacher at Temple Missionary Baptist Church, which then turned into a thirty-year occupation. There, he saw many wise clergy and he himself grew wise and respectful in the church. Before and during his time, his own church had financial struggles that, with sacrifices and donations, he and the congregation were able to find a solution for. When talking about the long history of his church, Turner also talked about political work and civil rights. He spoke of helping the Westside of San Bernardino, especially with attempts and fails in the church’s attempt to aid those with warrants and working with other organizations. Turner discussed community mothers and important leaders, such as Amina Carter and her husband Ratibu Jacocks. When speaking about his own preaching, Turner explained that his own sermons came from direct Bible references, but is also more charismatic in funeral services. Turner mentions that, due to his own views of faith and actions, he had never gone to the Southern Baptist Convention even while affiliated. He wanted to spend more time on local religious services. The topic then moved to that of Civil Rights and how, while he was in the military, had missed a lot of change and was given censored news. Once he came home, he felt more like a spectator than a participant and grew to appreciate the changes that Civil Rights leaders had created. The interviewee spoke about how he saw students grabbed by commercialism and that certain movements would work better if the focus were more on other helpful areas. The interview ends with Turner’s advice for the next generation, which was to know who one is, to look towards faith, and to put energy into what one believes in.

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