Congregants of First Christian Church pay tribute to its history, which dates to 1894, with an open house.

Members of First Christian Church of Burbank paid tribute Sunday to a tradition of fellowship that dates back 113 years.

“Today, we are celebrating the whole heritage of the congregation,” said Cinda Cates, a lifelong member. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate the congregation’s faithfulness to the community.”

In 1894, the pioneering congregants of what was to be the church met on Olive Avenue in a schoolhouse-type building, Cates said.

The fellowship hall, Sunday school classrooms and church offices were built 33 years later on Sixth Street, she said. The sanctuary was added in 1957, a 50th anniversary that parishioners also celebrated on Sunday.

About 100 members attended the event and stayed for worship services. New and longtime congregants took part in a celebration that included an open house and tour of the church.

Burbank resident Marjorie Jonkey, a 79-year member, reflected on the history of the church and reminisced about the past.

“I used to come to Sunday school all the time,” Jonkey said. “We made friends and had a good time.”

Jonkey recalled when the location of First Christian Church was an empty lot, she said.

“I remember standing here when they did a groundbreaking for the church,” Jonkey said.

Jonkey’s husband, Leslie, joined the church congregation in 1940 after they married.

“It’s the friendliness and homeliness of this church that makes you come back,” Leslie Jonkey said.

Other longtime members, including 83-year-old Jim Young attended the event.

“I started coming here when I was 2 years old,” Young said. “I just always felt at home here.”

Throughout the years, Young has noticed the changes in the church’s congregation.

“The congregation has gone from small to big to big to small,” he said, adding that younger members have been increasingly joining.

The event also included a display of black-and-white photographs and vintage memorabilia .

A glass case housed tattered Sunday school attendance records, hymnals and committee members’ meeting notes.

New members like Cherrie Verde of Burbank browsed through the items to get a better feel of their place of worship.

Verde, a native of the Philippines, came to the United States in February and joined the congregation two months ago.

“In the Philippines, I attended a Christian church,” she said.

“It’s like the church in the Philippines, they have the same teachings.”

Burbank resident Eddy Wang, a four-year member, studied the scripture he was to read during the service.

“I like the openness and diversity and the welcoming spirit,” Wang said.