La Habra Hills Presbyterian Church

In 2008, La Habra Hills Presbyterian Church (LHHPC) celebrated its 50 th anniversary. LHHPC was officially organized and received its charter as a Presbyterian Church on May 25, 1958. Rev. Donald L. Halboth was installed as the founding Pastor. There were 134 charter members and five of these members are still active at LHHPC today.

The story began on March 2, 1958 when the first worship service was held in the La Habra Theater, one block west of Euclid on Whittier Blvd. Sunday School was held in the theater lobby. Naturally, all the children went straight to the candy counter to pick out their favorite candy to ask their mothers to buy for them. Needless to say, a parachute was used to cover the candy counter in the lobby after the first service. The pulpit and other equipment had to be carried up and down the stairs from the storage place in the theater every Sunday. One woman knelt on the theater floor to be ordained as a deacon. When she attempted to stand, her nylon stockings stuck to some gum on the floor. After all, it was a movie theater!

A building committee was formed August 3, 1958 and during the first Annual Congregational Meeting on January 28, 1959, the plot plan of the first building was presented and approved. Construction of the new facility on Idaho Street, our current location, was completed and the first worship service in the new building was held on March 6, 1960; two years after the first service in the La Habra Theater. With Sunday School attendance growing from 207 in the theater to 650 in the new building, it was clear that a new school building would be needed and a search began for an architect. The new classrooms were completed in June 1966 and the La Habra Hills Presbyterian Pre-school was born.

In February 1983, plans were approved to build a new sanctuary and on May 22, LHHPC celebrated its 25th anniversary with a Ground Breaking Ceremony. The architect was asked by Rev. Jon Wilson to design a place where those who visit and are searching would feel close to God; a place with green plants, rocky mountainous terrain and reflecting water against the clear sky. The design became a reality and in May 1984, the Presbytery meeting was held in our new sanctuary with the stained glass window behind the pulpit installed shortly thereafter. The Social Hall was expanded in 2006, including the installation of a fully equipped kitchen, providing our church family with a wonderful place for fellowship, sharing and celebration.

If by some magic, the hours given to church decisions and plans could be tallied by a computer, we would be amazed. No doubt these hours could never be accurately estimated. We pray that God blessed us because of the devotion and concern each individual so willingly gave. (Adeline Meyer, church member)