Rev. Clyde Joseph Haney

Born into the passionately Christian family of Levi and Sophie Haney on May 14, 1912, Clyde was the third child to come into this union. His mother had received the Holy Ghost a few years before his birth, and by the time he joined them, the family, along with Brother Harry Morse, had followed the revelation of the Oneness of God and Jesus Name baptism.

When Harry Morse moved to begin a work in Oakland, California, Clyde’s father, Levi Haney, took over the leadership of the work in Stockton. This church, along with a group of churches that came together, experienced unprecedented revival in 1921.

When Clyde was fourteen, his father decided to leave the family. At this time, Clyde was very pleased when the chance came to work with his sister and brother-in-law on their ranch up in the foothills above Stockton.

When Clyde became ill, the doctor’s dire prediction was that he was going to die and that no doctor or medicine could help him. It was then Clyde surrendered his life completely and totally to Jesus Christ and he was instantly healed. He began to follow the Lord with a sincere desire to minister in some effective way.

In 1933, he met Olive Gray, whose parents were dedicated missionaries to the country of Japan. She had traveled to Stockton, to further her Christian training. Married in July of 1934, their family was complete when several years later, four children were added one by one to the circle; Kenneth, Shirley, Evangeline and Joleane.

In their early married life and during the depression years, Clyde and Olive traveled from Arizona, to Missouri, and back, helping churches and pastors along the way, while sacrificing themselves at every turn.

Upon returning to Stockton, they worked seasonally picking fruit and also helped in the church, Harmony Chapel, pastored by Brother Van Buskirk. Feeling the need for more formal education, they moved to Oakland, California, to attend Pentecostal Training School led by Harry Morse. Determined not to waste this opportunity, it was here that Clyde Haney learned the value of ministerial and Biblical training.

In 1938, after moving his family to the foothills to be closer to his work, Clyde got a job building roads and was soon asked to be the preacher at a small community church in the nearby gold mining town of Paloma, California. Although they eventually moved back to Stockton to resume helping Brother Van Buskirk, they faithfully continued to visit and hold services for the group in Paloma.

In 1940, feeling the leading of the Lord, they moved to Pasadena to not only pastor the people there, but to also experience great growth and erect a new building during wartime when it seemed impossible to do so. That church is still standing today.

However, it seemed that Brother Haney’s home, Stockton, was to be his destination as six years later he was summoned by telegram to return and take the work there. He pastored there for twenty-five years, built two more church sanctuaries, two Sunday school wings and an overflow building on site.

Brother Haney founded a Bible College in 1949, in the basement of the Harding Way Church. Over time, he built nine buildings to facilitate it. In its sixty years of existence, over 6,000 students have passed through the doors of what was first known as Pentecostal Bible School, and then was later christened Western Apostolic Bible College. Today this institution still stands and is known as Christian Life College.

Adding a high school and eventually an elementary school, he worked hard overseeing and assisting in the construction of a total of fifteen buildings during his ministry. His devout service record included a stint as Youth Director of the Western District of the UPCI, and he founded the first Western District Youth Convention held in Carlsbad, CA. He capably filled the roles of assistant pastor, evangelist, pastor to three fine churches, and Bible College founder and president.

Clyde Haney passed from this life on October 14, 1971, at the age of fifty-nine, following a tragic automobile accident while hunting. His memorial service was held in the final church he built on Cherokee Road in Stockton.

Once again, he made the trip to the foothills he loved so much. Such fitting surroundings for this man with an inherited pioneering spirit, whose life and teachings helped to strengthen and ground this great organization, the United Pentecostal Church International.