End of a Era!

This is Santa Ana First Christian Church in Santa Ana, California! I went there most of my life and worked there for 4 years before we moved to New Mexico. During the time I was going there they were having problems. The sad thing is that this church started around 1887 and I remember celebrating our 100th anniversary as a Congregation. There were some great times in that building and also with the people who went there! I was inspired by the kindness of Bill & Patty Hatch and their wonderful crochet quilts that I wanted to learn! And some 20 something years later am still incontact with several of the "youth!" About a year after I moved to New Mexico they had lots of problems and the congregation was down to about 40 people and were meeting in the old Youth Lounge. I guess at that time they decided to sell the property to Santa Ana Community College that is next door. In fact I missed the great Garage Sale they had by a day when I went out to California about 2 years ago! I one of my friends e-mailed me to tell me that the church decided to sell and I told her at that time that give me the keys to the church a U-Hall and 24 hours! When I moved to New Mexico I was working there and kinda saw where things were heading so the week before I left I got the keys to the old music room and spent an hour in there liberating some music that was my favorite! I told my boss, Amanda, at the time that she didn't know where I was and she didn't know what I was doing! It was great fun to go through the music and remember the times and people that I sang with! Also 2 years before I moved they were retro-fitting the lights and there were going to throw away 2 "Monrovin Stars" that were lights at the church. Well I got them before they went into the trash can! I have them here in New Mexico and don't know what I will do with them but I have them!

I got a voice mail on my cell phone a few weeks ago from another friend, Rob McDonald and he said that I would never guess where he was. After a bit of phone tag he told me that at that time he had been driving by FCCSA and told me what was happening to the building! I told him that next time he drove by to take a picture with his new fancy camera phone! He did and it took a few weeks for him to send me the pictures! He had to figure out how! So here are pictures of the Sancturary that they are dismantling! It is all very sad and makes my heart hurt!

However the congregation is meeting at another church and has about 30 people! So they are still surviving!