[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 22 (Wednesday, March 2, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       A TRIBUTE TO THE FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE OF PASADENA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 2005

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the First Church of 
the Nazarene of Pasadena, California. During the months of February and 
March, the First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena will be celebrating 
its 100th Anniversary.
  The church began in 1905 and was led by Founding Pastor Dr. John W. 
Goodwin with 54 members that met in each others' homes. As the 
congregation grew, the church moved to Mary Street in 1906, then 
Raymond Avenue, Mountain Street, and finally Sierra Madre Boulevard, 
where it resides today. Today the church has over 2000 members, which 
includes a congregation with nine different cultural backgrounds.
  First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena had several notable Pastors, 
including Pastor James Dobson, Founder and Chairman of Focus on the 
Family, and his wife Shirley, who were members for over thirty years. 
Other Pastors were J.W. Ellis, Earl G. Lee, H.B. London, Dr. Stephen 
Green, Dr. Jeff Crosno and the current Pastor, Jay Ahlemann.
  The church has many programs that serve the community. The 
Compassionate Ministries program consists of: Helping Hands--a food and 
clothing facility on the church campus, Church in the Park--service to 
the homeless on Sunday mornings, EI Centro Trabajo--an advocacy 
organization for day laborers, and a South Central Los Angeles food 
distribution center. Compassionate Ministries fed and clothed more than 
22,000 people last year.
  Other programs include PrimeTime which provides fellowship for 
seniors and Loveline, a phone ministry for homebound seniors. In His 
Image serves families of special needs children on a weekly basis, 
providing Sunday School classes, parent connections and support groups, 
respite events for the parents, an all-inclusive sports program for the 
entire family, and special events like the Special Olympics Unified 
Basketball event, San Gabriel Valley Region. Parent Education Seminars, 
Support Groups through the Recovery Ministries, Sunday School, Sunrise 
Preschool and Academy of the Arts are also among the many services that 
the First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena offers to its members and 
the community.
  I am proud to recognize the First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena 
for its 100 years of offering a place of loving care and joyous worship 
to the people of the San Gabriel Valley and I ask all Members to join 
me in congratulating the congregation for their remarkable 
achievements.

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