Download 1930's History Introduction (PDF)
Introduction to the 1930's
What were things like 75 years ago?
Worldwide
- Europe was still recovering from World War I that ended just a decade ago.
- Adolph Hitler began his rise to power in Germany and outlined his plan for war and world conquest.
United States
- President Herbert Hoover ushered in the era known as The Great Depression. This was to last more than ten years.
- President Franklin Roosevelt came
into office in 1932 and the New Deal began.
- The Star Spangled Banner became our national anthem.
- Campbell’s Soups introduced
Chicken Noodle Soup ( mmm...mm good!).
- The Empire State Building was completed.
Orange County
- Orange County was a rural agricultural area and had become the largest citrus producer in the United States.
- Calvary Church was started by a group of faithful, committed Christians.
How We Began... Why a New Church?
By 1930 many of the main denominational churches in Orange County had embraced the modernist teachings that included evolution. (The famous Scopes trial had taken place only five years prior to this time.) The deity of Jesus Christ, the virgin birth and the divine inspiration of the Scriptures were also now being questioned among other truths that had been held without question for generations before.
A group of Christians concerned about modernism in their churches began to gather in Santa Ana homes for Bible studies and prayer meetings. When these meetings quickly outgrew the homes, this group met in the Ramona Building
at 5th and Sycamore Streets in Santa Ana for almost a year.
John Brown Revival Comes to Town
In the summer of 1930 evangelist Dr. John E. Brown (later the founder of John Brown University) came to Santa Ana to hold tent meetings. Thousands attended and many of those who were invited by the Santa Ana group came to know Christ.
Rev. Frank Lindgren
Now this group of over 100 people decided it was time to formally become a church with a greater opportunity for service and fellowship as well as a commitment to upholding the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Their first priority was to find a pastor. Rev. Frank Lindgren, a leader in the John Brown evangelistic meetings, was chosen as the first pastor. Lindgren had left a career as an auditor in Chicago to pursue evangelism and preaching. His wife shared his interest in outreach as she served as the soloist for Billy Sunday, a famous evangelist of the day. Lindgren had also led youth ministry at Moody Church in Chicago before he joined the Church of the Open Door as an associate pastor.
The Ebell Club
The group’s next need was to find a place
to meet. The Ebell Club at 625 N. French Street was just a few blocks away from their
current meeting place at the Ramona Building, and was considered a good choice for a
temporary worship center. For $50 per month, the new church would be able to
use the Ebell Club on Sunday mornings and evenings as well as Wednesday evenings.
Becoming Calvary Church of Santa Ana
Dr. Charles E. Fuller, Pastor of Calvary Church of Placentia and well known for sound teaching about biblical truth, agreed to help the church get started and write a statement of faith.
October 25, 1931
The church was officially chartered as an independent branch of Calvary Church of Placentia. On October 25, 1931, attendees were given the opportunity to join and become members of Calvary Church of Santa Ana. With 207 charter members, and Reverend Frank Lindgren as the first Pastor, Calvary Church of Santa Ana was born.
Calvary Church Becomes Incorporated and Independent
Calvary Church of Santa Ana would be incorporated and become independent of
Calvary Church of Placentia on May 16, 1932. The first Annual Meeting was held
on June 1, 1932 with 279 members present.
How the Charter Members Described Their New Church:
"We are a group of Bible believing Christians out of many
denominations, united and incorporated as a non-denominational, independent and fundamental church.
Our purpose is to honor God, present and exalt Christ,
further the missionary effort and be of service to the people
of our community."
Our Core Values are:
- Independent, non-denominational.
- Fundamentalist, i.e. pre-millennial, biblical inerrancy,
anti-evolution and anti-modernism, expository preaching
and dispensational interpretation of Scripture. - Missionary emphasis.
The Constitution and By-Laws were completed on February 5, 1936.
Learn about the Missions & Ministries of the 1930's