Palo Alto
California
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Covenant Presbyterian Church
History:
Palo Alto is the northernmost city among the four counties making up the Presbytery of San Jose of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto celebrated its centennial along with the city in 1994, and has been serving God's people well in the old part of town north of Oregon Expressway. But after World War II, the grazing and farmlands and orchards south of that were snapped up by developers to provide housing for those who were choosing now to settle in this area, and the Presbyterians were early to see the needs of the many families moving in.
In October of 1951, The Rev. Arthur C. Brown Jr., Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian, and twenty-three members who lived in the southern part of the area were commissioned to establish a new church, which they came to call "Covenant." The Presbytery officially chartered the church in February 1952 (63 members) and the present site was secured. Under the direction of our architect, Alfred Johnson, the Fellowship Hall was designed and built. By October 1952 we moved to this location. We used the Fellowship Hall for Church School classes and then reset the room for Worship each Sunday. In 1953 our Church School enrollment had grown to 267. More than 30 men of the congregation spent 1500 hours of volunteer labor to build our first three classrooms. In the following year, the men again joined together and volunteered over 1000 man hours in building the Fireside Room. This was ready for use in October of 1954 on our third anniversary.
Our founding pastor The Rev. Brown and his wife Inez guided and encouraged us for twenty-three years as we acquired the facilities necessary for our ministry in this place. The construction of the sanctuary in 1966 completed the physical plant. With this done, and more space, we employed the Rev. John Huenink to be Assistant, and then Associate Pastor from 1968-1974.
Our next pastor, from 1975-1991, was the Rev. Donald E. Mason, who continued Art Brown's philosophy that lay persons should be the church leaders, locally as well as taking responsibilities on the level of Presbytery, the Synod, and the national church. Don and his wife Donna were well known in church educational circles and were active in community ecumenical, international relations, and social service groups. The Rev. Carol Wickersham was Assistant/Associate Pastor from 1982-1988. More recently, The Rev. Rebecca King was pastor, from 1992-1997, followed by the Rev. John Kelso as Interim Pastor from 1997-1999.
We continued in the directions set by our previous leaders under The Rev. Dr. Isaiah Jones, Jr. until he retired for health reasons at the end of May 2007. Our Associate Pastor The Rev. Alison Harrington took over all duties during Pastor Isaiah's illness until our stated supply The Rev. Paula Kelso began on July 1, 2007.
Palo Alto is the northernmost city among the four counties making up the Presbytery of San Jose of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto celebrated its centennial along with the city in 1994, and has been serving God's people well in the old part of town north of Oregon Expressway. But after World War II, the grazing and farmlands and orchards south of that were snapped up by developers to provide housing for those who were choosing now to settle in this area, and the Presbyterians were early to see the needs of the many families moving in.
In October of 1951, The Rev. Arthur C. Brown Jr., Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian, and twenty-three members who lived in the southern part of the area were commissioned to establish a new church, which they came to call "Covenant." The Presbytery officially chartered the church in February 1952 (63 members) and the present site was secured. Under the direction of our architect, Alfred Johnson, the Fellowship Hall was designed and built. By October 1952 we moved to this location. We used the Fellowship Hall for Church School classes and then reset the room for Worship each Sunday. In 1953 our Church School enrollment had grown to 267. More than 30 men of the congregation spent 1500 hours of volunteer labor to build our first three classrooms. In the following year, the men again joined together and volunteered over 1000 man hours in building the Fireside Room. This was ready for use in October of 1954 on our third anniversary.
Our founding pastor The Rev. Brown and his wife Inez guided and encouraged us for twenty-three years as we acquired the facilities necessary for our ministry in this place. The construction of the sanctuary in 1966 completed the physical plant. With this done, and more space, we employed the Rev. John Huenink to be Assistant, and then Associate Pastor from 1968-1974.
Our next pastor, from 1975-1991, was the Rev. Donald E. Mason, who continued Art Brown's philosophy that lay persons should be the church leaders, locally as well as taking responsibilities on the level of Presbytery, the Synod, and the national church. Don and his wife Donna were well known in church educational circles and were active in community ecumenical, international relations, and social service groups. The Rev. Carol Wickersham was Assistant/Associate Pastor from 1982-1988. More recently, The Rev. Rebecca King was pastor, from 1992-1997, followed by the Rev. John Kelso as Interim Pastor from 1997-1999.
We continued in the directions set by our previous leaders under The Rev. Dr. Isaiah Jones, Jr. until he retired for health reasons at the end of May 2007. Our Associate Pastor The Rev. Alison Harrington took over all duties during Pastor Isaiah's illness until our stated supply The Rev. Paula Kelso began on July 1, 2007.