This fall, the Alhambra church celebrated a milestone a century in the making. Since 1926, believers in Alhambra have been committed to reaching their community for Jesus. From different church homes, led by different pastors, to different ministries and programs, and different phases of its history—God has brought Alhambra church through a century of ministry. The weekend’s theme was “Marching on to Zion.”
But Alhambra’s history isn’t only about the congregation that worships at 220 S. Chapel Avenue today. In just the first 50 years of Alhambra’s history, they had purchased two facilities, planted another congregation, and opened a church school. The church school opened by the Alhambra congregation in the 1930s, originally Alhambra church school, later became what is today San Gabriel Academy. And around 1955, members felt moved to plant a church not too far away—that church plant grew into what is today Temple City church.
The centennial program booklet included many letters of gratitude and memories from members of the church through the years, as well as congratulatory letters from the executive officers and L.A. Metro Region director of the Southern California Conference.
Three Alhambra church pastors shared short messages for the morning. Elizabeth Talbot shared memories of her two years at the church, starting in 2005. Her message centered on Jesus being the Alpha and the Omega—the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet. “There’s nothing you can go through as a church or as a person that is not covered between A and Z,” Talbot said.
Donald Smith, who pastored the church from 2007-2021, shared the second short message. “What are your convictions today?” he asked. “As we journey to Zion, it’s all about knowing and caring—knowing Jesus and caring about what Jesus cares about. Having God-crafted convictions helps us to integrate our souls.” The entire weekend was a time for celebration and ministry, with a Sabbath afternoon concert of praise and thanksgiving and a free community health clinic the very next day. “We don’t have to be afraid of the future,” Celeste Harrison, the current Alhambra church pastor, said. “We don’t have to step into it cautiously. We don’t have to keep turning around and looking at those memorial stones. We get to look forward to faith. We get to continue to march forward. Alhambra, let’s march.”