PORT HUENEME : Westminster Church Fetes 25th Birthday

For most people in the Port Hueneme congregation of nearly 250 on Sunday, it was a day to look back on 25 years of worship and look forward to another generation of community service.

After breaking ground in 1968, Westminster Presbyterian Church on Bard Road offered its first service in November, 1969. That was 25 years ago this month.

Church members celebrated the silver anniversary Sunday morning with a special service and an afternoon reception on the lawn outside the pyramid-shaped sanctuary.

“This is our church family,” parishioner Richard Allen said minutes after the Sunday sermon by the Rev. Timothy Fearer. “There’s nothing that means more than the people here. It’s where I draw my strength.”

Fearer, who took over as pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church just 14 months ago, said he is ready for the next 25 years.

“This church has a great history and a solid ministry by my predecessor,” he said. “The way I see it, we’ve got a great location, a great facility, a fantastic congregation and a great God.”

Nearby, the Rev. Warren Porter was greeting members of the congregation he had not seen since turning over the ministry to Fearer.

“I was here when we built it and, like a good Christian, it has worn beautifully through the years,” Porter said of the church. “It was beautiful when we built it, and it looks almost exactly the same.”

In addition to regular church services, Westminster Presbyterian offers residents a variety of services, including day care, preschool and meals for senior citizens.

Outside the church Sunday, parishioners snacked on refreshments and swapped stories about the history of the congregation, which was formed in 1885.

In 1966, the Community Presbyterian Church of Port Hueneme merged with Westminster Presbyterian Church in South Oxnard. Soon after, congregation officials began planning their new church.

“I was here when we broke ground,” Port Hueneme Mayor Orvene Carpenter said. “It’s come a long way. The church is paid for, and we’re getting lots of new members.”