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| Our Church's History | |||
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Many years ago the valley was divided by mutual consent between the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches. The Presbyterians had the southern section, and the "Community Church" was located at the southeast corner of Palmdale Blvd. and 8th St. E. Services were held in the morning, and in the evening the Pastor ministered in Littlerock. Once monthly services were held in Lake Hughes. There were no prayer meetings, except on special occasions. There was also a "Full Gospel" group meeting in Frahm's hall, now a second-hand store on 8th St. East on the north side between Q-6 and Q-7. Jack Aronald had a small building at 11th St. E. south of Palmdale Blvd., the "Sons and Daughters of God", where the County Welfare had a depot. The first meetings of our Palmdale Church were held in one of the two single-room buildings behind the Palmdale School. We had joined the Presbyterian Church, but joined the new Church before the signing of the Charter. The Van Hoorebekes are now the only others in the present congregation who were charter members. There was really joy in that little assembly. It was not long before we were meeting in the school auditorium, and our Sunday School classes met in the school classrooms, a private room for each! This happy arrangement was broken up when the auditorium burned. The real groundwork for the Church was laid by Milon Whittier of Palmdale, a consecrated young Christian working for the Civil Aeronautic Administration. He did a good deal of preliminary visitation, really getting the work going before the Lancaster Baptist Church entered into it. He was one of the first deacons, and promoted the coming of Pastor Wyma after Pastor Johnson's illness. Of course his wife, Flora, was very active in the church for many years. They now live in Eugene, Oregon. The sanctuary was built by men of the congregation who spent long hours there and rejoiced finally in a completed building. There was some help also from outsiders who contributed some work; I believe that Mr. Roseberry, a cement contractor living on "R" Street donated a good deal of the labor on the slab. The first V.B.S. session was well attended and a great success, even though the students circulated through the unfinished wall, passing between the studs. Asphalt tiles for the sanctuary were scooped off the floor of a church "down below" by a friendly pastor, and many long evenings were spent by members and friends cleaning them up. We sometimes worked until midnight. Dedication of the sanctuary was a notable event. (Mrs. Ingrid Johnson probably remembers the names of the notables on the platform, as well as many other details we have missed. June is writing to her now and will ask her to send you such information as she can. Of course you may have already contacted her.) Very early we had a small bus (16 passenger, I believe) that gathered up S.S. pupils from far and wide. Later we had a 60-passenger bus bought from the school district, which served for some time, but was rather untrustworthy and was finally disposed of, after standing immobile in the Church yard and serving as a S.S. classroom. Ivan George spend many a night-hour repairing it. But about that time the city had grown so much that a bus served mostly to train people to send their children to S.S. on it, rather than come themselves, so its loss was not mourned. At least three former Church members are in full-time missionary work: Ken and Jerry Milhous with the General Baptist Conference, serving in Wakayama, Japan. (Kenneth was in young people's work with the Church.) George and Margaret Littman in Okinawa, with the Far East Broadcasting Co., and Jake and Katherine Flaming in Mexico, with Grace International. Rosa Newberry is engaged in Jewish Missions. |