Church History

The history of the First Presbyterian Church begins with that of the City of Burbank, born during the 1880s when thousands of Americans came west.

Church records indicate that the Presbytery of Los Angeles appointed the Rev. F.D. Seward, the Rev. A.R. Bickenbach and Elder E.T. Byram of the Glendale Church for the purpose of organizing a Presbyterian Church in Burbank. They met in Scammon's Hall on October 23, 1887.

Twelve persons were received into membership and Capt. Alexander Parsons was elected the first Ruling Elder of the congregation, after which the First Presbyterian Church of Burbank was pronounced duly organized.

The first church building was constructed in 1888 at 5th and Palm and was used until 1891 when it was leveled by a windstorm. The second church was built in 1894 at Third and Angeleno using volunteer labor of the 25 members, thus beginning a tradition that has lasted to this day. This building was destroyed by fire in 1915.

As Burbank grew, so did the church. The coming of the Rev. Thomas E. Stevenson as pastor in 1920 marked a new era. The congregation recognized the importance of youth activities in the church. Some of our older members today were led as young people to commit their lives to Christ by the ministry of Mr. Stevenson, better known as "Parson Tom".

During World War II the pastor, the Rev. Rex E. Lawhead, served as a chaplain and the Rev. Frederic G. Appleton, missionary from the Philippines, served as interim minister. Fred served again as interim in 1977 and remained on staff as pastor of visitation for many years.

The years following the war were once again marked by growth. In 1948 the congregation, with 550 members, embarked on a building program which ultimately resulted in the present church facilities. Westminster Hall and Fellowship Hall together were constructed with 35,000 hours of volunteer labor.

Fellowship Hall served as a place of worship until the present sanctuary was built in 1956. These were the years of Dr. Chester M. Buley who served as pastor from 1948-58. A man of uncanny foresight, blessed with the ability to work with people and to enable them to reach toward the future, Dr. Buley used his church administrative skills in taking the congregation through a complete building program, reaching a peak membership of 1200 communicants.

In the 1960s and 1970s, under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Edward R. Danks, the congregation deepened its commitment to the community and the world, emphasizing the ministry of each member. Under Pastor Danks, who served this church for nearly 14 years, a strong lay leadership developed throughout the congregation.

In 1977 the Rev. William H. Craig was called to be Senior Pastor. Under Dr. Craig's leadership, the sanctuary was renovated during our 95th anniversary in 1982. The ministry of "Pastor Bill" and his wife, Polly, can be characterized by one word: love--the love of Christ which finds its expression in the life and program of the church. The emphasis on personal growth in the faith, our witness to the world, and our growing understanding of what it means to be part of the family of God are all expressed in our motto: "To Know Christ and To Make Him Known". Pastor Craig retired in 1998 after 20 years of service and is now Pastor Emeritus.

In March, 2001, the congregation called Ross A. Purdy as Pastor. He has given ample demonstration of his gifts of preaching, teaching, administration, and reaching out in compassion to members and friends of the congregation. Under his leadership we look forward with anticipation to the future our God has in store for us. In October, 2002, we celebrated 115 years as a congregation dedicated to serving the cause of Jesus Christ in Burbank and the world beyond.

Another milestone in the life of the church occurred on October 27, 2002, when Bethany Presbyterian Church in Burbank joined with First Presbyterian to form one new congregation, which retains the name First Presbyterian. The congregation worships and carries out various ministries from the main campus on Olive Avenue, while continuing to oversee the Bethany campus for community ministry and future outreach projects.