Pentecostal Church of God Ownership (1973–1980s)
When the Newman Brothers department store closed its doors in 1972, downtown Joplin lost more than a major retailer. It lost a landmark institution that had been a cornerstone of commerce for over six decades. The massive seven-story building at the corner of 6th and Main stood vacant for only a short time before a new owner stepped forward. In 1973, the Pentecostal Church of God, an international Christian denomination with its headquarters in Joplin, purchased the property and ushered in a very different chapter in the building’s history.
The sale took place in September 1973 and marked the first time the building passed from commercial retail into institutional ownership. Founded in the early twentieth century, the Pentecostal Church of God had grown into a worldwide organization with congregations throughout the United States and abroad. Church leaders saw the former department store as an opportunity to bring their administrative offices, leadership, and ministry support services together under one roof.
The upper floors were quickly converted into headquarters space. Offices for the denomination’s executives, staff, and support personnel filled entire levels. Meeting rooms were established for conferences and training events, and archival space was set aside to preserve church records and historical materials. The lower floors retained a mix of commercial tenants, including shops and service-oriented businesses that still served what was left of downtown’s customer base. This arrangement helped offset the costs of maintaining such a large building while keeping the property integrated into the daily life of the city.
Life in the building during these years was a blend of sacred and secular activity. On any given day, leaders of the Pentecostal Church of God might be meeting in one part of the building while a storefront on the ground floor operated as a Bible bookstore or housed small businesses that served the public. The upper floors contained the Pentecostal Publishing House, which produced Sunday school materials, denominational magazines, and other religious literature distributed to congregations across the country. A portion of the third floor was home to KPCG Radio, a small station run under the church’s oversight, where broadcasting equipment and studios occupied one section while the remainder of the floor retained its original open department store layout, complete with display areas and architectural details from its retail era.
Occasionally, large gatherings such as denominational conferences or leadership seminars brought visiting ministers and congregants from across the United States, filling the building with conversation, music, and fellowship. The mix of radio broadcasting, publishing work, retail activity, and church administration created a steady hum of daily operations. While downtown Joplin faced economic challenges in the 1970s and 1980s, the Newman Building remained active and occupied, serving as both a headquarters for an international religious organization and a link to the city’s historic commercial core.
The 1970s and 1980s were difficult decades for the city’s core. The opening of malls and suburban shopping centers steadily pulled shoppers away from Main Street, and many historic structures were left vacant or demolished. The Newman Building avoided this fate largely because of the church’s occupancy. While not immune to the financial demands of upkeep, the Pentecostal Church of God kept the lights on, maintained the building, and ensured that one of Joplin’s most recognizable landmarks remained a living part of the streetscape.
Maintaining a structure of this size and age was no small task. Many of its systems dated back decades, and the church invested considerable resources into repairs and upgrades for the elevators, heating, and plumbing. Even with these efforts, the expense of keeping such a large and historic property functional was a constant challenge.
By the mid-1980s, the church’s priorities were shifting. The need for a different type of headquarters space, combined with the ongoing maintenance burden, led to the decision to sell the building. Once again, the property was poised for a transformation.