$325,000 Donated to Repair Churches

Checks totaling more than $325,000 for repairing earthquake-damaged church buildings were mailed recently to 20 San Fernando Valley-area congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

“The pastors of the churches are calling us and saying the checks were a real shot in the arm,” said the Rev. Robert Fernandez, a church administrator based in Panorama City.

Denominational officials in Louisville, Ky., had set up two disaster relief funds after the Northridge temblor and distributed the money in recent weeks to Southern California presbyteries, or regional units.

The pre-Christmas mailing of $327,574 was preceded a couple weeks ago by $49,000 sent by donors who designated particular churches, Fernandez said.

The largest check in the recent mailing, $105,074, went to North Hollywood First Presbyterian Church, whose sanctuary had to be demolished in the fall. The congregation continues to hold services in other buildings on its property.

“North Hollywood Presbyterian still needs to remodel or repair their remaining buildings,” Fernandez said. “It’s going to take a lot of money for them to get back on their feet.”

The second-largest amount, more than $80,000, went to St. James Presbyterian Church in Tarzana. That congregation recently voted overwhelmingly to continue toward a fund-raising goal of between $600,000 and $700,000 to repair the sanctuary building that is now structurally unsafe to enter, said the Rev. Ken Baker, senior pastor.

“This was a very encouraging Christmas present for us,” Baker said. “We are still going to have to launch a capital fund-raising campaign.”

San Fernando First Presbyterian Church received $15,000 in addition to $20,000 that was sent earlier from the national collection.

“The San Fernando church worships in its basement fellowship hall, but the congregation hopes to be back in the sanctuary on Jan. 22, depending on the completion of repairs,” Fernandez said.

Other recipients included Presbyterian churches in Canoga Park ($25,000), Woodland Hills ($14,000) and Encino, Reseda and Sherman Oaks ($10,000 each).