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Note: H1493
Note: Title:
CURSORY HISORY OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN
WEST WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA (JIMTOWN)
PREFACE
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This is the same God that at the beginning of all things, created the heavens and the earth. This is the same and only God that created the first man and the first woman and placed them in the Garden of Eden where they disobeyed God's commandment; thereby committing the mortal sin of disobedience that condemned the human race to live under the sentence of death.
Our great God, in His love and mercy, not wanting men to perish, sent His only begotten son to pay the price for our guilt. This same God, that at the beginning created the heavens and the earth, made Himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, to pay our ransom (the price for our salvation).
When our Lord Jesus Christ terminated His mission of salvation on the Cross, He left this same mission of salvation to men, the sons of God, and He commands us to: Go into all the world an preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes shall be saved: but he that believes not shall be dammed.
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In approximately 1922, Brother Bernardo Hernandez a minister of the Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Jesus Christ, urged by the commandment of God to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, arrived here in Jimtown, with his companion, Bro. Francisco Llorente, to preach the Gospel.
Bro. B. Hernandez decided to settle here in Jimtown (West Whittier) with his family. Bro. Hernandez' family consisted of his wife Carmen; two daughters, Rosa and Teresa, and a son, Diego; by her former husband. Bro. Hernandez also had two daughters, Anita and Leonor, by his former wife. Bro. Hernandez and his wife Carmen had two sons named Bernardo and Aaron, and three daughters named Raquel, Junia and Cora.
Bro Hernandez was born in the city of Puebla, Mexico, on August 20, 1884. His parents were Mr. Antonio Hernandez and Mrs. Anita Cruz. Bro. B. Hernandez received this education in a catholic seminary in Mexico. Here in the United States he accepted the Lord in a Baptist Church where he received his ministerial Preparation. In 1919, he accepted the apostolic doctrine and was baptized in the Glorious Name of Jesus Christ by Bro. Lucio Hernandez.
Our Brother Bernardo Hernandez being an intelligent, secularly and theologically educated person was of great help in the development and establishment of the Apostolic Assembly in its beginning, during his pastor ship here in Jimtown (West Whittier). He established a ministerial school. He also published a booklet entitled "La Nube y el Fuegoen el Desierto". His ambition and desire was to have the work of the Lord well organized and effective. God called Bro. Bernardo to his rest on February 8, 1948.
When Bro. Hernandez arrived here he started to preach the Gospel that saves and many souls were being saved. By 1926, there was a large group of brethren. In this same year of 1926, Brother Bernardo Hernandez was instituted as Pastor of this new congregation. God had crowned the efforts and work of Bro. Hernandez and his collaborators, giving them many souls - baptized in the Glorious Name of Jesus Christ.
Now they needed a temple to congregate, to render service and praise to the Almighty God. They used to congregate in their homes and under patio covers. Later they rented a house in East Los Angeles to hold the services. Shortly thereafter, they started to construct the first temple here in West Whittier (Jimtown). Bro Fulgencio Del Real donated the lot for the church building. Bro. Ricardo Vargas provided all the lumber. The architect and carpenter was Bro. Jose Fernandez. The building was constructed of lumber inside and out.
Our temple was inaugurated in 1927. In 1930, when Bro. Antonio Nava, President of the Apostolic Assembly, along with Bro. Bernardo Hernandez, General Secretary of the Apostolic Assembly, and Bro. Arturo Y. Hermosillo, incorporated the Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus. They designated the church here in Jimtown as the Headquarters of the Apostolic Corporation. Also, the Apostolic Church here in Jimtown (West Whittier) the first in the Registry of the Apostolic Corporation see the articles of Incorporation.
On the 24th day of January 1935, Satan had one of his subjects apply the torch to our temple. The brothers and sisters, with broken and aching hearts, saw all their efforts and work destroyed by the flames. This tragedy, however, did not discourage the brothers and sisters. With renewed courage and trust in the Lord and with faith and hope that God would give them another temple, they started to congregate in their homes once again.
Soon after, we bought the social hall building of the community (Barrio) and remodeled it so we could use it for our services. The word of God was preached in this second temple until it was demolished in 1970 to make room for the construction of our new and existing temple.
In the same year of 1970, with the help of God and the direction of the Pastor David Palma, we obtained all the required permits and started the construction of our church building. We started the construction with $10,000.00 donated by the congregation and we continued to work with the money that the congregation continually donated and with the money that the sisters earned by their hard work.
The Dorcas used to make large amounts of tamales and they also worked other projects to earn money for the construction work. Meanwhile, all the brothers worked on the construction of or church building. During the construction period of time, we always had a place to congregate. We had a kitchen and dining room. On December 15, 1981, all the building permits were renewed. By 1982, the church building as 90% completed. After this, the construction progressed very slowly due to certain circumstances.
Towards the end of 1956, Bro. Ramon Estrada, the District Elder, assumed the Pastorship of the church for a short time, until August of 1957, when he installed Bro. Ricardo Vegas as pastor of this congregation in West Whittier, California.
Pastor E. Vega and his wife, Sister Francisca pastored this church until February 1960. The children of Pastor Vega and his wife grew-up here in this church. Some of them are still with us.
After Pastor E. Vegas left the pastorship of the West Whittier Apostolic Church, Antonio C. Nava installed Bro. David Pantages as Pastor of this congregation. David Pantages and his wife, Yolanda, pastored this church for a little more than __ Years: until he left the pastorship to Bishop Antonio C. Nava.
Shortly thereafter, Bro, Antonio C, Nava installed Bro. Juan Montes as Pastor of the West Whittier Apostolic Church.
At the beginning of 1964, Pastor Montes left the pastorship to our very distinguished Bro. Leonardo Sepulveda, the District Supervising Bishop. Immediately Bro. Selpuveda assumed the pastorship of the West Whittier Apostolic Church, he established a ministerial school for the preparation of ministers. One of the many brother's that attended the school is our very illustrious Bro. Baldemar Rodriguez, the student of the Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus.
Shorty thereafter in 1965, Bro. Leonardo Sepulveda installed Bro. David Palma pastor of this congregation in West Whittier. Bro. David Palma and his wife, Sister Elizabeth, pastored this church for approximately 28 years, until January 17, 1993. The construction of our new church building was started during Bro. Palma's pastorship. By the time Bro. Palma left his pastorship, the temple was 95% completed.
In January 17, 1993, the Supervising Bishop, Bro. Daniel Sanchez, assumed the pastorship of this church. In September 1993, Bishop Bro. Manuel Vizcarra, the student of the Apostolic Assembly, was installed as Pastor of this West Whittier Apostolic Church.
In April 24, 1995, the Surpervising Bishop, Daniel Sanchez, assumed the pastorship of this church. Then on July 23, 1995, Bro. Ron Fernandez was installed as pastor of this Apostolic Church in West Whitier.
Rev. Ron Fernandez is the present Pastor of the West Whittier Apostolic Church.
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