Pilgrim Congregational Church - Redding, California
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Our History continued
 
The Church was dedicated on March 10, 1963 with the presentation of a modern choral work composed by Duane Hampton for the occasion. Dr. Richard Norbert, the conference Minister, made the dedicatory address.
 
When the Reverend Ray Welles left in January, 1965, the congregation had 251 members. In July, 1965, we called the Rev. George Lindsay as pastor.
 
The Church was used five days a week as a children's center and pre-school. An active Social Concerns Board kept the congregation involved in human concerns.

Pilgrim Church was deeply concerned about civil rights, the plight of farm laborers, numerous problems in the local are, and war - whether it was in Vietnam or Latin America. A sub-parish plan with a deacon as "under shepherd" provided a caring-sharing channel for the fellowship. Over the years the Board of Worship has mingled new forms of celebration with the traditional.

On September 1, 1975, the Reverend George Lindsay left leaving a membership of three hundred eight. The Reverend Paul Babbitt served as Interim Pastor until February 1976 when the Reverend John M. Larsen was called as the new minister.

John Larsen had some "radical" ideas about Christian education. Under the tutelage of John and his wife Kathleen, the Community developed. As the Learning Community formalized, a need was felt for more conventional lessons for the older children, and classes are held downstairs for them.

The office was moved from the tower over the kitchen to the present location. The basements, once referred to as the catacombs, had a choir room as well as two classrooms. The kitchen was remodeled and the Great Hall made energy efficient.

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