A BRIEF HISTORY

At the 1957 Grace Brethren Northern Atlantic District Conference in Pennsylvania, Reverend Lester Pifer, Brethren Home Missions representative, mentioned that none of the graduating students from the seminary that year were willing to go out and pioneer a new work (ie. church planting). This bothered Pastor Conrad Sandy, who was pastor of the MelroseBrethrenChurch in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

After much thought and prayer, Pastor Sandy felt the Lord leading him to resign and go to California to pioneer a new work. Besides, it would be better for his wife Fern's health to be in the milder climate of California. The churches of Northern California heard of their desire and invited the Sandys to attend their summer camp at ClearLake in l957. There they met with District pastors and together were led by the Lord to establish a church in the Sacramento area, which was centrally located in the Fellowship’s Nor-Cal District. It was a fast growing community without a Brethren testimony and many who did not know Jesus.

So in September 1957 the Sandys drove into Sacramento-not sure if they knew anyone at all in the entire city. They had known an elderly lady in southern California who had moved to Sacramento, perhaps she still lived here. A quick look in the phone book revealed that she lived very close by. This call led to her home where they lived for the next couple years.

After many months of visiting and making contacts, a Bible Class began in the home of Pete and Betty Miranda on January 2, 1959. The first Sunday worship service was held on November 8th, of that year, in the brand new YMCA building on Eastern Avenue just down the street from our present location. There were approximately 35 in attendance and all enjoyed a carry-in-dinner together. Pastor Sandy would not call it a Pot-luck because what was in the pot was not there by luck. The membership began officially that morning with 5 charter members (Pastor and Mrs. Sandy, Mrs. Sandy’s mother Mrs. Monroe, Mr. & Mrs. David Edmiston). Some of those present that day included: Loren and Margaret Zook with children, Harriet and David visiting from Modesto; and Otis and Doris Scott. The Zooks knew they would soon be moving to Sacramento because Loren had recently taken a job here. The family moved up the following summer.

The church grew slowly those first years and there were many discouraging days. Some Sundays only the Sandys and Zooks were present. Even a few times there were only Pastor and Mrs. Sandy, but they kept trusting the Lord and moving ahead.

On Sunday morning, September 22, 1963, Pastor Sandy, while leading Sunday School opening time, collapsed with a heart attack. Thanks to many willing men, we were able to carry on during those days of Pastor's recovery. During that the time the Davis family started attending. The father, Chuck, was not a Christian but God is His mercy drew him to Himself. Soon he received Christ as Savior and his wife, Millie, rededicated her life to the Lord. In time God called them into full time ministry. They left in June 1969 for GraceCollege and Seminary. Chuck pastored churches in Ohio and Florida. They are currently serving with the Grace Brethren North American Missions as Regional Career Missionaries. These people were the first to be called from our church into full time ministry.

1

At the end of 1964 Pastor Sandy resigned because of his continuing poor health. At that time the church voted to go under the care of Brethren Home Missions [now known as Grace Brethren North American Missions]. They helped us to secure a new pastor, Rev. Charles Martin of Johnson City, Tennessee.

Pastor Martin’s first service here with his wife, Myra, and 3 young children was Easter Sunday 1965. Soon after his arrival we had a Sunday School contest. Pastor Martin and his young daughter went down their street to invite her friend, Barbara, to come to Sunday School. Barbara’s mom and dad decided they had better go along to check what sort of church it was. They continued coming and in time became Christians. They were George and June Ehrhardt.

We were meeting by this time in the little chapel the YMCA had built, but Pastor Martin was anxious for us to find a place of our own. A former NazareneChurch building was found on the corner of Mission and Engle which we leased for a year. It needed a lot of TLC. After much hard work we got it into shape and began services there in October 1965. At the end of 1966 the Lord directed us to our present location. Again after much work we got the old Air Force Radar Station whipped into shape and began services on Easter Sunday 1967.

In 1968, an 11 year-old named Cindy French began coming to Sunday School and church with the Zooks. Soon she prayed to receive Christ with her Sunday School teacher, Gladys Taylor, and she's been with us ever since only she changed her last name to Francisco.

In September of 1969, Pastor Martin resigned. We were without a pastor for 5 months until February 1970 when our new pastor and his family arrived, Reverend Richard Cron, his wife JoAnn and two children. They hadn't been here long, maybe 5 months, when Pastor received word that a boy who had visited his Sunday School class in Southern California was now living in Sacramento. This boy was now grown and married and he and his wife had just recently accepted the Lord. Perhaps Pastor should go to see them--and of all things they just lived down the street from the church on Eastern Avenue. Scott and Pennie Harrison came to visit and have been here ever since.

In 1971 we began making plans to build our present building. Groundbreaking services were held in July 1972. Three retired couples with building experience came with their travel trailers from different parts of the country to help us. They parked their trailers on site. We praised the Lord for them. Again after much hard work by many willing volunteers, the building was completed. The dedication service was held October 7,1973.

In 1977, we as the church went self-supporting after 12 years of help from Brethren Home Missions.

Around 1977-78 several church families, including Gary & Barbara Sparling and family, moved to Auburn, CA. With the help of our church and Pastor Cron the AuburnGraceBrethrenChurch was formed. It became a Home Missions church in 1979. Phil Sparling, one of the Sparling children, is now the pastor of that church.

1

In the middle of Pastor Cron's ministry a young man by the name of Gary Francisco, a brand new Christian, began attending and was discipled by Pastor Cron. A while later ayoung lady by the name of Patty Nelson visited our church. She came to see her cousin who was performing with a visiting college group. She liked it so well she decided to come again and continue on with us. At AmericanRiverCollege she became a reader for the blind students. There was one special male student she read to. She brought him to church with her and later married the guy to become Mrs. Smokey Nevins.

During Pastor Cron’s ministry we began supporting our missionary Jack Churchill.

For a short time, Ollie Schantol served as an associate pastor. He and his wife left to attend seminary. In the fall of 1979, Pastor Lee Burris was hired as an associate Pastor. Pastor Cron resigned to accept an associate pastor position at WhittierCommunityChurch in December 1979.

After Pastor Cron resigned, Pastor Lee Burris became our interim pastor. In a couple of months, Dr. Roy Halberg from the Long Beach GraceBrethrenChurch was called to be our new Senior Pastor starting on Easter Sunday 1980. During his ministry we changed our name from the Sacramento GraceBrethrenChurch to RiverCityGraceCommunityChurch. Our Sunday School received the Sunday School of Year Award by the GBC National Christian Education Department at National Conference in 1982. We adopted a new constitution with an elder board and established the Missions Commission that eventually introduced the Seed Sower program. We began supporting our missionaries, the Huletts (Philippines), O’Dells & Kirnbauers (Japan). The Kirnbauers later felt called to leave Japan and accept a call to pastor a GBC in Hawaii where they would be ministering among Japanese people. They encouraged us in 1998 to transfer their support to the Kinjos (Charis missionaries in Japan).

In the fall of 1982, Pastor Lee resigned as associate pastor. Pastor Roy resigned in 1985 to accept the position of associate pastor at BigValleyGraceCommunityChurch in Modesto. He and his wife, Andrea, and family left the end of April 1985.

Pastor Tom Lynn was called to become our Pastor. Tom, Debbie and their 3 children arrived in July 1985. For one year, 1987, Phil Sparling served as an Associate Pastor, before eventually becoming Auburn’s pastor.

On Sunday, November 1991, we burned our mortgage at a special morning service. George Ehrhardt lit the match since he was the only person present who had signed the contract 19 years earlier.

Through Pastor Tom, we were introduced to Cambodia and its openness to the gospel. He was able to go to Cambodia 3 times and encouraged our financial support of Ry Saran (Charis missionary). That was the beginning of our involvement with Grace Brethren International Missions GO Teams. In June 1997, Loren & Margaret Zook went on the first GBIM GO Team to Europe. Margaret Francisco was sent out in the summer of 2001 to Cambodia as a student intern for GBIM.

After 132 years, Pastor Tom resigned in January 1999. We were without a pastor for 10 months, but the Lord blessed us again with willing workers. We thanked our elders and Pastor Lee Burris (recently retired and back in the Sacramento area) for their ministry during this transitional time.

1

We celebrated our 40th anniversary on Sunday, November 7, 1999. Our guest speaker was Pastor Greg Stoever, associate pastor of the Simi Valley GBC. From that time on the Lord led in a wonderful way in our calling of Greg to become our pastor. He and his wife, Laurie, and family joined us January 2000. A wonderful way to begin a new millennium and the rebuilding of our church.

Somewhere along the line we began supporting our NavajoMissionSchool by helping to support a child at the school. Over the years we have supported three different children. Recently the school was closed and our Brethren work is now among Native Americans in Albuquerque and Farmington, NM. In 2002, we shifted support to Arnold & Bessie Betony, the Navajo pastor of the New Life GBC in Albuquerque.

John & Amy Shirk, serving the Lord in the inner city of Chicago, were also added to our missionary support in 2002.

On November 11, 2001, Loren Zook, a member since 1960 passed through death into eternal life. Since he was a member of the Mission Commission and a life long supporter of missions, his family requested the establishment of the Loren Zook Memorial Fund. It’s purpose to encourage and assist youth and adults to participate in short term mission projects, such as Operation Barnabas and GO Teams. Emily Francisco became the first to take advantage of this fund for her 2002 Barnabas experience.

Written by Margaret Zook, 2002

1