First Presbyterian Church (Hollywood, California)

The First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood has had a significant impact on both the Presbyterian Church and evangelical Christianity around the world. The church was founded in 1903. A large brick gothic sanctuary was built in 1923, and seats 1,700, with a balcony on both sides and in the back. The church campus covers a full square block on Gower Street, one block north of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks from the legendary intersection of Hollywood and Vine.

“Hollywood Pres,” as it is informally known grew to be the largest Presbyterian Church in the world by the mid-1960s. It has been led by some of the nation’s most renowned clergymen.

Dr. Louis H. Evans was senior pastor from 1941 to 1953, by which time the membership exceeded 6,000. Evans left to become [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,817709-1,00.html “Minister at Large”] for the Presbyterian Board of National Missions.

Evans was succeeded by Dr. Raymond I. Lindquist, who served the church until 1971. During his tenure, the church reached its peak membership of 8,388. During these years, the church drew congregants from an area much larger than the Hollywood community, taking advantage of its access to the Los Angeles freeway system (the church is located one block south of the Gower Street exit from the Hollywood Freeway). In Dr. Lindquist's tenure, overflow congregations were the norm, with the sanctuary filled for Sunday morning services at 9:30 and 11:00. In the early 1960s, overflow congregations were served in the church gymnaxium (the pre-1923 sanctuary) by closed-circuit television. Dr. Lindquist died in 2001.

Dr. Henrietta Mears served as Christian Education Director until her death in 1963. Dr. Mears also founded the Forest Home Christian conference center in the San Bernardino Mountains and Gospel Light Press.

Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie became Senior Pastor in 1971, by which time membership had fallen to 5,000. Ogilvie left in 1994 to become Chaplain of the United States Senate. Ogilvie was the second former Hollywood Presbyterian minister to serve in that capacity. Dr. Richard C. Halverson, who was pastor of 4th Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Maryland (a Washington, DC suburb( served as Senate chaplain immediately before Dr. Ogilvie (1981-1994). Halverson had served as an assistant pastor at “Hollywood Pres” in the 1950s. Church membership was approximately 3,000 at the end of Dr. Ogilvie’s tenure. Ogilvie served as Senate chaplain until 2002.

Dr. Ogilvie was followed by Dr. Alan Meenan, who was forced in 2005 to resign (along with Associate Pastor Dr. David Manock) in a highly controversial move by the Presbytery of the Pacific for reasons framed by the Presbytery as being over finances and leadership. [http://www.savehollywoodpres.com/index3.html “Save Hollywood Pres”] is an extensive internet site that details the side of the opposition in the controversy. Meenan was never formally charged with any biblical, ethical, or financial misdeeds and soon started a new non-denominational church, [http://www.churchforthenations.org Church for the Nations] , accompanied by many former Hollywood Pres members. When the Presbytery placed Meenan on administrative leave prior to his forced resignation, a large number of Hollywood Pres' younger congregants also broke off from the church to form their own non-denominational congregation, [http://www.ecclesiahollywood.org Ecclesia] .

As of 2008, the interim pastor is Dr. Gary Stratman.

According to [http://www.pcusa.org/tenyeartrends/report/GK86X0Q/all_statistics.jsp Presbyterian Church in the USA] statistics, the 2006 membership was 2,008. Sunday attendance averaged approximately 800, which declined from 1,400 in 2002.

Hollywood Pres has historically been an evangelical church in a somewhat liberal Christian denomination.

External links

* [http://www.hollywoodpres.org/ First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood]
* [http://www.layman.org/layman/news/2005-news/ministers-ordered-to-leave.htm Ministers Ordered to Leave Hollywood Presbyterian Church]

ee also

*Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)