Santa Barbara, California. La Mesa Community Church. Records, 1954-2004.
Records, 1954 - 2004
RG - 4746
1.6 linear feet, 5 boxes
Processed November 2005 by Jessica Steytler
Top of pageIntroduction
The La Mesa Community Church was established in 1954 - 5 through the American Home Missionary Society with the help of the Santa Barbara First Church. Unfortunately over the years, attendance dropped dramatically and the church closed in 2004 because of this. Many of the former members of La Mesa returned to First Church and because of this close connection, some of the records of La Mesa remain with the founding church including membership ledgers.
Top of pageScope and Content
This collection does not have certain aspects of the church's activities recorded. Given its size, the three series below are very basic.
Series 1: Board minutes, 1955, 1957 - 2004. There are also related correspondence and occasionally some financial information.
Series 2: Church activities, 1954 - 2004. This is an alphabetic listing of folders that includes financial and legal records, correspondence, membership, photographs, Sunday bulletins, and so on. Please note as stated in the Introduction, that the traditional membership records one expects with a complete church records accounting does not exist. Genealogists particularly need to contact First Church, Santa Barbara for all statistical information.
Series 3: Scrapbooks and oversized items. There are 3 scrapbooks, 2 from the youth groups and both books started within the first year of the church's establishment. The third consists almost entirely of newspaper clippings. All 3 were unbound and are now in folders. Additionally, they are frail and are not good candidates for preservation reformatting.
The oversized material is minor in extent, but is mainly legal documents that were 8 1/2 by 14 inches, rather than 11 inches.
The two paintings of the church are in a separate, custom made folder.
Top of pageFolder List
| Series 1: Board Minutes | ||
| Box 1 | ||
| 1-6 | Board Minutes, Correspondence |
1955, 1957-1989 |
| Box 2 | ||
| 1-3 | Board Minutes, Correspondence | 1990-2004 |
| Series 2: Church activities | ||
| 4 | Appreciation letters and certificates | 1988-2004 |
| 5 | Board of Home Missions, reports to | 1958-1961 |
| 6 | Building plans | 1955, 1964, no date |
| 7 | By-laws Mission statement |
1961-1981, no date 1988 |
| 8 | Correspondence | 1960s-1970s |
| 9 | Correspondence, conference | 1985-2004 |
| 10 | Correspondence, SHIFCO (Senior Housing Inter Faith Corporation) | 1969-1971 |
| 11 | Directories | 1964-1988, 2004 |
| 12 | Dissolution of the church | 2004 |
| Box 3 | ||
| 1-2 | Financial reports | 1955-2003 |
| 3 | Insurance | 2002-2003 |
| 4-7 | Membership transfers | 1950s-2003 |
| 8-9 | Mortgage correspondence, copy of the deed | 1957, 1967-1991 |
| 10 | Open and Affirming status | 1996-1998 |
| 11 | Programs | |
| 12 | Photographs | |
| Box 4 | ||
| Sunday bulletin, samples Monthly newsletters (kept with that year's bulletins) |
1958-2004 1964, 1965, 1995-2004 |
|
| Series 3: Scrap Books and Oversize Items | ||
| Box 5 | ||
| Scrap books | ||
| Church-wide | 1965-1982, 2003 | |
| Junior High Pilgrim Fellowship with sporadic records in separate folder | 1955-1959 | |
| Senior High Pilgrim Fellowship | 1955-1962 | |
| Newspaper clippings | ||
| Oversized photograph | ||
| items in legal sized folders: | ||
| Legal documents, building | 1955, 1958, 1976 | |
| Pastoral contracts | 1962-1987 | |
| Tax status | 1955-1995 | |
| Oversize folder | ||
| 2 paintings of the church | ||