First Christian Church nearing 100

JERRY PERSON

I cannot believe that it was 14 years ago when Guy Guzzardo invited

me to the First Christian Church’s 85th anniversary, where I met many

of its early members.

Over its long life, the church has been lucky to have had several

great pastors and has been an active member of the community at

large.

Two names come to mind.

In 1922, James G. Hurst began his ministry with the church and

remained until his untimely death on Dec. 24, 1953, and Thomas W.

Overton, who began his stay in June 1959 and pastored until his death

on April 4, 1986.

Between the shadows of these two great men our look back will add

another’s personality to the rich history of the church.

In the five years that Everett Auger served as senior minister,

the church saw some major changes.

It was in the small farming community of Hattan, in the province

of Saskatchewan, that Auger was born on Sept. 4, 1911.

Auger might have remained in Hattan had it not been for a fire

that burned the whole town down in 1921. His parents decided to come

to the United States and the family moved to Los Angeles to live and

would go on to get his American citizenship.

Auger attended several schools in the Los Angeles area and it was

in these schools that he received his formal education.

In 1931, he met a charming young lady, Doris Moody, and the two

began seeing each other. Auger continued his education when he

entered Pacific Bible Seminary in 1933 at the same time that James

Hurst served as its president.

Studying hard at the seminary, he was able to get his bachelor’s

and master’s degrees.

At this time, his courtship with Moody blossomed and on June 22,

1934, the two were united in holy matrimony. Two years later, on Dec.

23, 1936, their first child, Ralph, was born, followed on Sept. 13,

1939 by the birth of their daughter Joyce.

Becoming a man of the cloth, Everett Auger and his family

relocated to South Gate, where he went to work full time at the

Firestone Tire & Rubber Company at Firestone Boulevard and Santa Fe

Avenue.

At this time, South Gate was still a small bedroom community just

south of Huntington Park. On Oct. 29, 1939, a church was established

in South Gate and Everett became its pastor. For 14 1/2 years, he would lead that church from its small beginning to a membership of

more than 300 members.

In March 1954, Everett was called to minister at the First Church

of Christ of Huntington Beach, which was the original name of the

First Christian Church.

This church sat at the corner of 8th Street and Orange Avenue from

1910 to 1958. It was on March 11, 1954, that Auger stood in front of

his new congregation to deliver his first sermon, “Work and

Expectancy of the Minister.”

In June of that year, his son Ralph graduated from South Gate High

School and his daughter graduated from junior high. The Auger family

moved into a house at 325 2nd St. and later moved to 1310 Palm Ave.

In the mid-1950s, the church congregation began expanding beyond

the little church on Eighth Street and the congregation needed a

larger building.

When Hurst was pastor of the church, plans were made to purchase

property at the corner of Lake Street and Orange Avenue. After

Hurst’s death, their plans were set aside to a later date.

By the time Everett Auger had arrived, many of the church elders

determined that the Lake Street property would not be suitable for

their new church building, and the property was sold.

The money from the sale was used to purchase property at the

present location of the church, at 1207 Main St., for $17,500.

Once the property was clear, the church board made plans for the

construction of a new sanctuary that would cost $105,000 to build.

It’s hard to believe today that at the time many in the congregation

questioned moving so far out of town.

But Auger saw the benefits of such a move and with his saying,

“Hats off to the past, but coats off to the future,” the congregation

relocated its church to the new site in 1958.

Auger left Huntington Beach to found a church in Westminster and

also held services in the Old World Village church, Arline Howard

said.

Howard said Everett and Doris are no longer with us and that their

son Ralph is living in Healdsburg, Calif.

I am looking forward to next year when the Rev. Bruce Templeton

will lead the church into its next 100 years.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.