A banner on the sanctuary tower at Christ Lutheran Church, 4761 Cass St., welcomes saints, sinners and surfers to services. This weekend, the church celebrates its 60th anniversary with those who meet that description and the community at large.
The celebration begins with a picnic on Vacation Isle in Mission Bay Park Saturday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. along with a special service on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Pastor Andy Garman, son of church founder Pastor Quentin Garman, will deliver the sermon.
“You could say that since the end of World War II, Christ Lutheran and Pacific Beach grew up together,” said Pastor Richard Rollefson, the church’s lead pastor. “Pastor Quentin Garman was very much a presence in PB and was regarded as ‘our pastor’ even by people who didn’t attend the church.”
One of the volunteers working on the anniversary celebration is Louise Rock, a Pacific Beach resident since the mid-1940s. Rock is one of the church’s charter members, along with her twin sister, Betty.
“I remember my sister and I handing in our cards, saying we wanted to become members,” Rock said. “The smile on Pastor Garman’s face was just wonderful, I’ll never forget it.”
For more than 60 years, Rock has been a volunteer in just about every activity the church offered, from teaching Sunday school to working with teens in the Luther League. Usually she worked alongside her husband Andy Rock, now deceased, who played on all the sports teams.
Rock said that volunteering has been good for her.
"It has renewed my faith and made it stronger.”
Other charter members include Virgie Candor Sweet of Pacific Beach, the first choir director; Barbara Reed Price of Lodi, Calif., the first organist; Margaret Bly of Mission Valley; Shirley North Taylor of El Cajon; and North’s brother Guyton North of Santee.
The church has come a long way from its first home in a former radio repair shop at the same address. The church was officially organized June 8, 1947, and had grown to more than 100 adult members by the end of that year. Sixty years later, membership surpasses 450.
As the church built its membership, it also constructed its campus, with a chapel and classrooms in 1948, an education unit in 1951 and the present large Sanctuary in 1955. A fellowship hall followed in 1971, later named Garman Hall to honor the pastor who retired in 1981. The campus also has a partnership with Open Door Books, offering space to the non-profit, interfaith eclectic bookstore.
Building requires fund-raising, another area where the church works together. Sixty years ago, the church had begun a campaign for $75,000 to build a sanctuary. On June 1, the church kicked off a new campaign to raise $750,000 to renovate and update its facilities.
The church’s numerous projects expand beyond its walls with outreach. These activities are one of the reasons why Christ Lutheran is special to Joan Wood, who celebrated her fifth year as the church’s office manager on June 1.
“For me, it’s where I see faith and action come together,” Wood said. “It’s so amazing. They don’t just talk about helping people”they do it.”
Community outreach includes the construction and operation of Lutherview Apartments, 48 units on Cass Street for low-income seniors. In cooperation with the San Diego Catholic Workers, the church serves a hot lunch every Friday to an average of 75 people, most of whom are homeless.
The church also participates in the Interfaith Homeless Shelter program for homeless men and women in Garman Hall for two weeks each year. At Thanksgiving, the church hosted more than 800 underprivileged and homeless people for a free turkey dinner.
“When I first visited Christ Lutheran, I was impressed that, despite our relative affluence, members knew the names and stories of many of the homeless men and women who are part of life in PB,” Rollefson said.
Church volunteers also connected with the needs of an orphanage in Tecate, Mexico. More than 100 volunteers worked on Saturdays for 12 months to build a home for the orphanage director and his family.
“We have a very hands-on congregation,” said Pastor Erin Martinson, who is in charge of outreach. “They say, ‘Tell us what you need done, and we’ll do it.’ They continue to inspire me with their openness and willingness to be a part of the diversity of the community.”
The 400 children at the El Shaddai Orphanage in Kigali, Rwanda also benefit from Christ Lutheran’s outreach programs. Each year for the past three years, groups of church volunteers have provided medical care, taught skills such as sewing and built new facilities.
When thinking about the next 60 years for Christ Lutheran Church, Martinson said they want to tap into members’, and the community’s, interest in the arts with music programs in the courtyard. She said they’re also working on a program to include renewable materials in the renovation and remodeling projects.
“We’re caring for creation, and we want to be here in another 60 years.”
Services are held Sundays at 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday school is at 10 a.m. All are welcome.
For more information, visit www.christpb.org or call call (858) 483-2300.