After a devastating fire destroyed the Altadena Community Church, its members joined with Montebello Plymouth Congregational Church for a service of healing and support.
Altadena Community Church parishioner Tim Gregory shows his emotions after placing a stole around the neck of his pastor Paul Tellstrom during church services at Montebello Plymouth Congregation in Montebello on Sunday morning Jan. 12, 2025. The pastor received a handful of new stoles after all of them were burned along with the church Wednesday during the Eaton fire. The Altadena Community Church, on Altadena Drive just east of N. Lake Avenue, burned Wednesday morning during the Eaton fire.
Tellstrom is retiring, he has Parkinsons, so this United Church of Christ congregation lost both their pastor and church in the same week. He announced his retirement two days before fire struck. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG). \From the pulpit of Montebello Plymouth Congregational Church on Sunday, Rev. Mitchell Young asked if there were any more names to pray over. Bill Wentzel, 69, using his iPad to stream the service online, paused in filming and said: “Bill. And Martin.”About 100 people attended the service, with a couple more via Zoom, Facebook and YouTube, that brought two United Church of Christ congregations together in the wake of the fire that gutted the historic Altadena house of worship. “We are not the building, we can worship anywhere, and that’s what true for today,” said Rev. Paul Tellstrom, pastor at Altadena Community. “We can move in whatever direction we want to, with God’s help.”\Pastor Paul Tellstrom from Altadena Community Church greets a parishioner prior to holding church services at Montebello Plymouth Congregation in Montebello on Sunday morning Jan. 12, 2025. The Altadena Community Church, on Altadena Drive just east of N. Lake Avenue, burned Wednesday morning during the Eaton fire. Tellstrom is retiring, he has Parkinsons, so this United Church of Christ congregation lost both their pastor and church in the same week. He announced his retirement two days before fire struck. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG). \Pastor Paul Tellstrom from Altadena Community Church greets parishioners as they leave church services at Montebello Plymouth Congregation in Montebello on Sunday morning Jan. 12, 2025. The Altadena Community Church, on Altadena Drive just east of N. Lake Avenue, burned Wednesday morning during the Eaton fire. Tellstrom is retiring, he has Parkinsons, so this United Church of Christ congregation lost both their pastor and church in the same week. He announced his retirement two days before fire struck. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG). \Pastor Paul Tellstrom, center, from Altadena Community Church breaks bread with Montebello Plymouth Congregation Pastor Mitchell Young, left, and guest speaker Rev. Rachael Pryor during church services in Montebello on Sunday morning Jan. 12, 2025. The Altadena Community Church, on Altadena Drive just east of N. Lake Avenue, burned Wednesday morning during the Eaton fire. Tellstrom is retiring, he has Parkinsons, so this United Church of Christ congregation lost both their pastor and church in the same week. He announced his retirement two days before fire struck. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG). \Pastor Paul Tellstrom from Altadena Community Church speaks with parishioner Sherry Taylor, from Montrose, prior to church services at Montebello Plymouth Congregation in Montebello on Sunday morning Jan. 12, 2025. The Altadena Community Church, on Altadena Drive just east of N. Lake Avenue, burned Wednesday morning during the Eaton fire. Tellstrom is retiring, he has Parkinsons, so this United Church of Christ congregation lost both their pastor and church in the same week. He announced his retirement two days before fire struck. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG). \Carl Whidden, the husband of Altadena Community Church Pastor Paul Tellstrom sings during church services at Montebello Plymouth Congregation in Montebello on Sunday morning Jan. 12, 2025. The Altadena Community Church, on Altadena Drive just east of N. Lake Avenue, burned Wednesday morning during the Eaton fire. Tellstrom is retiring, he has Parkinsons, so this United Church of Christ congregation lost both their pastor and church in the same week. He announced his retirement two days before fire struck. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG). \Lynne Hanamoto of Temple City distributed name tags and pointed guests to a bowl of 1,000 paper cranes, or orizuru, originally shared to signify peace and healing after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Hanamoto has friends from Pacific Palisades and Altadena who have lost their homes. “What I hope to give here is comfort, prayers, bonding and friendship to our sister church,” she said, gesturing to a row of colorful priestly stoles sewn by church member Naita Youn
CHURCH FIRE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST COMMUNITY SUPPORT RETIREMENT PARKINSONS
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