Christian church to mark 140 years

DOWNEY - More than 140 years ago - Jan. 3, 1869 to be exact - William Justice preached at the first worship service for what is now the First Christian Church of Downey.This Sunday, the venerable congregation, located at 4th and New streets near downtown, will celebrate nearly a century and a half of proclaiming the Gospel message to the local community and literally throughout the world. The church has celebrated its 140th anniversary throughout 2009 and the celebration culminates Sunday with special services and a barbecue luncheon open to the community. The English service begins at 10 a.m., followed by a Spanish service at 1 p.m. Scott Martin, senior high pastor at Huntington Beach First Christian Church, will be the guest preacher at the English service. Martin was raised in the Downey church and later served as its youth pastor before accepting his current position. He has been at Huntington Beach for seven years. Lunch catered by Chris & Pitts will feature hot dog and hamburger meals with corn on the cob, baked beans and potato salad. Lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and is "economically priced." For more information on the anniversary celebration or the church in general, call the office at (562) 862-2438.

********** Published: November 20, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 31