1945 Courage, Determination, and Faith
The year was 1945, and the most destructive war in the history of the world had just ended.
There were victory celebrations everywhere.
Still, the euphoria wouldn’t last long as people began to face the reality of a post-war world.
How could people return to “normal” after such a terrible conflict? Would the Great Depression start up again now that the war was over? Would Communism be another enemy that would draw the United States into a fight? These and other unsettling questions were in the air as a small group of Christians established First Lutheran Church of Temple City. It may not seem like a big deal now, but starting a church in such uncertain times required courage, determination, and faith. Temple City wasn’t even incorporated when First Lutheran began its ministry in 1945. Back then, there were orchards, vineyards, and dairies everywhere you looked. Still, agriculture would soon give way as more and more homes were built, and the San Gabriel Valley became the vast residential area it is today.
More families moved into the community and were invited to come to First Lutheran Church, and hear more Good News about a victory even greater than those in Europe and the Pacific. God’s great victory over sin and death in Jesus Christ gave people faith, encouragement, and the motivation to build a church where people would love one another even as Christ had loved them.
As First Lutheran celebrates this important milestone, the focus is not only on thanking God for our wonderful past, but we strive to be “Faithful for the Future”!
In 2020, 75 years will have passed since First Lutheran began its ministry in Temple City, California, and began to serve the community. As a result, many transformed lives, so many it would be impossible to count, have had their sins forgiven, and received the joy, peace, and hope of Jesus. Through the proclamation of God’s Word and the sharing of the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, God is at work.
