Familiar faces to lead Presbyterian services

Pastors with previous ties to La Cañada Presbyterian Church have been invited to preach the remaining weeks of this summer, following the retirement of the Rev. Dr. Gary Dennis, who served as the church’s pastor for the past 24 years.

The 7:55 a.m. service has been suspended for the summer, so the guest preachers will speak at the 9:25 and 11 a.m. Sunday services at the church, which is located at 626 Foothill Blvd.

First up is Rev. Dr. Gary Demarest, who preceded Dennis in the La Cañada pulpit, serving as pastor from 1965 to 1988. Currently in retirement, he will speak this Sunday, July 20.

On July 27, the Rev. Judy Durff, associate pastor for spiritual formation at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church and a former associate pastor at La Cañada Presbyterian from 1994 to 2009, will give the week’s message.

Joel Drenckpohl, who led the church’s high school program for five years, will preach on Aug. 3. He is currently the director of Front Porch Ministries for the First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo.

On Aug. 10, the church welcomes back Bill Cunningham. He was a former associate pastor there, and is currently retired.

Jim Milley, an associate pastor from 2002 to 2013, and the chief catalyst of Bridges, an outreach ministry supported by the church, will speak on Aug. 17.

On Aug. 24, Tom Straeter will lead the service. Today he is pastor and head of staff for Grace Presbyterian Neighborhood Church in the North San Diego County community of Vista. He was an associate pastor of La Cañada Presbyterian from 1990 to 1996.

Karen Berns, today an associate pastor of San Marino Community Church, will preach at 10 a.m. in La Cañada on Aug. 31, That will be the only service that date and will be followed by the annual All-Church Picnic. Berns was associate pastor at the La Cañada church from 1985 until 1997.

For more information, visit lacanadapc.org or call (818) 790-6708.

-- Carol Cormaci