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Church celebrates 40 years
It was the time of Betamax, "Doctor Zhivago" and Sandy Koufax. The year 1965 also saw a small congregation on the outskirts of a recently incorporated city applaud the completion of their church. Worshippers had been meeting in homes and in an unheated industrial building for quite some time before the first worship service was conducted in the new King of Glory Lutheran Church on May 18, 1965. The Newbury Park congregation celebrated that day last Saturday with a tour of church grounds and the expanded preschool, a pictorial chronicle of the church’s 40-year history and an evening banquet. "To still be viable . . . after 40 years—not every church does that," said Pastor Don Moorman of the milestone. The congregation’s first pastor was William Schumacher. A folksy caring man, Schumacher was just what church members in the fledgling community needed to bring them together, according to one congregant’s account. Since then King of Glory has had several pastors. Most notable was Fred Lee, who served the church from 1970 to 1976. He helped initiate a two-week summer day camp and community involvement that included teaming up with nearby California Lutheran University on world-hunger programs. And there were Reg and Peg Schultz-Akerson, a pastoral couple who came with their two sons in the mid-’90s. The congregation chose the two pastors because they wanted to put more emphasis on the youth. Of them, church historian Corrine Bidwell wrote in a church bulletin: "Their teaching and preaching was down to earth and spiritually nourishing. They complemented each other so well." Under Moorman’s direction since 1998 education and contemporary worship services that would appeal to a larger audience have been the focus. The church’s sanctuary was renovated to house the necessary tools: a disappearing screen and computer-directed projector were installed and the choir loft enlarged to accommodate musical instruments. According to Moorman, the church has been active in the community for many years. The congregation has joined with other area churches in offering a meal for the homeless every month. The church provides a place several times a month for the local Alcoholics Anonymous group to meet. And a church member who sits on the board of a local community group that’s helping the recent tsunami survivors keeps his fellow Lutherans apprised of survivors’ needs. In 1991, the King of Glory Preschool opened. The school has been so popular that a new classroom was recently added to eliminate a long waiting list. The class quickly filled up, however, and the waiting list reestablished, Moorman said. Nearly 100 tykes are enrolled in the preschool. Moorman said the purpose of the church is to reach others with the love of Jesus and act as a resource on the journey to spiritual maturity. "We want to release people to practice their faith in larger ways that makes this community a changed place," he said. Ed Carloni, vice president of the church council and a member since 1994, said attending King of Glory makes him feel renewed. "The church is my family," he said. King of Glory Lutheran Church offers several community social programs, including the couples group Empty Nesters, a woman’s Bible-study group and retreats for women and youth. Membership currently numbers about 140, and Sunday service attendance averages about 80 congregants, Moorman said. |
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