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Berkeley (CA) to Observe 100th Anniversary
BERKELEY, CA (October 3, 2003) - Berkeley Covenant Church will celebrate 100
years of ministry February 20-22, including an informal social time on that
Friday, a pancake breakfast and evening banquet on Saturday and a worship
celebration on Sunday.
The church will continue its celebration two weeks later as Glenn R.
Palmberg, president of the Evangelical Covenant Church, preaches on March
7.
Berkeley Covenant Church, once known as Swedish Mission Church, signed its
charter December 31, 1903, as lay pastor N.P. Palmquist (a physician) led
the congregation of 16 members. Five years earlier, two laypersons started
a Sunday school to reach Swedish-speaking families in Berkeley. Albin
Anderson eventually became the first full-time pastor as the church moved
into its first permanent building in 1907. It also joined what is now known
as the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) that year. It was not known
whether the church would survive during the early years. The church was
closed periodically between 1917-1922 and at one point nine families left
the church to move to neighboring farmlands.
In 1922, the church permanently reopened under pastor Sam Strom and the
congregation grew with the help of a growing Sunday school, Ladies Aid
programs and innovative church events. The church moved into its current
facility in 1955. By then, the church and pastor C. Reuben Anderson had
orchestrated a regular radio program heard all over the Bay area called the
"Covenant Melody Hour." Church members and organizations
of the church paid for the radio time.
In 1981, the church acquired Mustard Seed Preschool and it has served as a
strong outreach to the community under the leadership of Cathy Squires. A
second preschool has been opened at New Hope Covenant Church in Oakland and
Berkeley Covenant has aided the ministry in that area as well. Al Tizon is
the current pastor of the church, which averaged 102 in worship attendance
last year according to Covenant Yearbook statistics.
Berkeley Covenant has had many pastors and laypersons that have gone on to
serve the denomination in many venues. Longtime Africa missionary teacher
Vanette Thorsell was commissioned from the church in 1945. One previous
pastor, Ralph Hanson, eventually became secretary of Foreign Missions for
the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). Craig Anderson left Berkeley
Covenant and became associate superintendent of the Central
Conference. Max Lopez-Cepero currently serves with Covenant Ministries of
Benevolence in its Churches Planting Ministries initiative. Helen Cepero,
who co-pastored the church with her husband for a time, is director of
spiritual formation at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago.
The church is seeking the names and addresses of former Berkeley Covenant
Church attendees. Information may be directed to 510-526-8775.
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