OUR HISTORY
HOW LIVING HOPE CHURCH OF YUCCA BEGAN
I was asked recently for a brief history of Living Hope Church, originally Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley. I had fun gathering the information, so I thought this would be a good place to share it.
The church began as a Bible study in the home of Ralph and Millie Brownell; their first official meeting was October 11, 1959. They received their charter with the Evangelical Free Church of America on April 22, 1960. The first church "sanctuary" was Brownell Hall and it was completed in 1961. I had a sit-down a few years back with the contractor, Frank Garske, who built Brownell Hall. And, of interest to me, he pointed out that the large beams that support the ceiling were from recycled oil derricks.
The church grew quickly and the need for Sunday school rooms became apparent, so a wall was added to the west side of the Hall and partitioned to make four Sunday school rooms. Today we use them for our library and storage. The church continued to grow and so in 1962 the education building was completed. The current worship center was built in 1965. Our gymnasium was completed in 1997 and was built over the top of the education building.
Desert Christ Park belongs to a local, nonprofit foundation. Some of its works are on our property. That goes back to a time leading up to October 11, 1959, when the current church property was then owned by a man named Eddie Garver, a bi-vocational pastor who came to Yucca Valley in 1946 to plant a church. According to Frank Garske (the contractor who built Brownell Hall) the sculptor, Antone Martin, asked Pastor Eddie if he could place one of his statues on the property, and then another, and then another. Not too long after that (according to Garske) Martin tried to acquire the title to the property from Pastor Eddie. But before the artist could execute his plan, Pastor Eddie sold the property to the newly chartered Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley for $1. Martin then purchased the property adjacent to the church and relocated many of the sculptures to the present site of Desert Christ Park. Today, the church and Desert Christ Park have a wonderful, synergistic relationship.
Our current worship center auditorium was remodeled in 2007. But above all the buildings and statues and historical landmarks were the many people in this church who faithfully shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with their neighbors and the community at large. I’ve met so many individuals over the years who came to Christ through Pastor Johnson or Will Gerrard or any number of others from this fellowship for whom sharing the love of Jesus was more than a passion, it was a way of life! God has, throughout our fifty-eight-year history, blessed richly the faithful witness of His children at the Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley. And our witness for Christ is more important today than ever. May He continue to bless as we continue to share.
Yours for making disciples of every nation, Pastor Bill
OUR HISTORY
The Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley began in the home of Ralph and Millie Brownell on October 11, 1959.
Seventeen people attended that first service. By April 22, 1960, Evangelical Free Church received its charter from the Western District Conference at the Fullerton Free Church. Pastor Oscar Johnson accepted the call as its first pastor and served until 1970.
The Brownells would ultimately donate their home, on the hillside above the church, to the church to be used as a parsonage. During those years, EFCYV experienced many changes. Brownell Hall served as its first sanctuary and was completed in 1961. February of 1962 saw the completion and dedication of the Sunday School building.
Easter of 1963 was celebrated on the newly-poured foundation of the Amphitheater, which would be added onto in 1964.
That second Easter service held in the Amphitheater brought 1200 worshippers together to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
The greatest accomplishment in 1965 would be the groundbreaking and development of the present sanctuary.
In the late 70's the congregation would vote to expand the sanctuary and attach it to Brownell Hall. Since that renovation, EFCYV has built a gymnasium that is used by the congregation, youth groups, the local schools and parks department.
In 2021 EFCYV became Living Hope Church Yucca Valley. We continue as a member church in the Evangelical Free Church of America.
I was asked recently for a brief history of Living Hope Church, originally Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley. I had fun gathering the information, so I thought this would be a good place to share it.
The church began as a Bible study in the home of Ralph and Millie Brownell; their first official meeting was October 11, 1959. They received their charter with the Evangelical Free Church of America on April 22, 1960. The first church "sanctuary" was Brownell Hall and it was completed in 1961. I had a sit-down a few years back with the contractor, Frank Garske, who built Brownell Hall. And, of interest to me, he pointed out that the large beams that support the ceiling were from recycled oil derricks.
The church grew quickly and the need for Sunday school rooms became apparent, so a wall was added to the west side of the Hall and partitioned to make four Sunday school rooms. Today we use them for our library and storage. The church continued to grow and so in 1962 the education building was completed. The current worship center was built in 1965. Our gymnasium was completed in 1997 and was built over the top of the education building.
Desert Christ Park belongs to a local, nonprofit foundation. Some of its works are on our property. That goes back to a time leading up to October 11, 1959, when the current church property was then owned by a man named Eddie Garver, a bi-vocational pastor who came to Yucca Valley in 1946 to plant a church. According to Frank Garske (the contractor who built Brownell Hall) the sculptor, Antone Martin, asked Pastor Eddie if he could place one of his statues on the property, and then another, and then another. Not too long after that (according to Garske) Martin tried to acquire the title to the property from Pastor Eddie. But before the artist could execute his plan, Pastor Eddie sold the property to the newly chartered Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley for $1. Martin then purchased the property adjacent to the church and relocated many of the sculptures to the present site of Desert Christ Park. Today, the church and Desert Christ Park have a wonderful, synergistic relationship.
Our current worship center auditorium was remodeled in 2007. But above all the buildings and statues and historical landmarks were the many people in this church who faithfully shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with their neighbors and the community at large. I’ve met so many individuals over the years who came to Christ through Pastor Johnson or Will Gerrard or any number of others from this fellowship for whom sharing the love of Jesus was more than a passion, it was a way of life! God has, throughout our fifty-eight-year history, blessed richly the faithful witness of His children at the Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley. And our witness for Christ is more important today than ever. May He continue to bless as we continue to share.
Yours for making disciples of every nation, Pastor Bill
OUR HISTORY
The Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley began in the home of Ralph and Millie Brownell on October 11, 1959.
Seventeen people attended that first service. By April 22, 1960, Evangelical Free Church received its charter from the Western District Conference at the Fullerton Free Church. Pastor Oscar Johnson accepted the call as its first pastor and served until 1970.
The Brownells would ultimately donate their home, on the hillside above the church, to the church to be used as a parsonage. During those years, EFCYV experienced many changes. Brownell Hall served as its first sanctuary and was completed in 1961. February of 1962 saw the completion and dedication of the Sunday School building.
Easter of 1963 was celebrated on the newly-poured foundation of the Amphitheater, which would be added onto in 1964.
That second Easter service held in the Amphitheater brought 1200 worshippers together to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
The greatest accomplishment in 1965 would be the groundbreaking and development of the present sanctuary.
In the late 70's the congregation would vote to expand the sanctuary and attach it to Brownell Hall. Since that renovation, EFCYV has built a gymnasium that is used by the congregation, youth groups, the local schools and parks department.
In 2021 EFCYV became Living Hope Church Yucca Valley. We continue as a member church in the Evangelical Free Church of America.