In the Spring of 1954 the Presbytery of San Fernando assigned Reverend Lewis MesKimen and his family to establish a new church in Reseda.
According to reports, Rev. MesKimen began by canvassing the area, going door to door to seek people who were interested in forming the nucleus of a new congregation. As a result of these calls a committee of seventeen was formed for the church’s first organizational meeting.
The organizational committee first met at St. James. The initial worship services were held at Costello Mortuary’s chapel on Reseda Blvd. Then the Disabled Veterans Hall on Corbin served the weekly worship service purposes while Communion and Christmas services were held at Lorenzen’s Mortuary on Sherman Way. The church was growing quickly and within a year was able to acquire it’s present property on Vanowen and to begin planning and raising funds for it’s first buildings.
During
the post-Korean war years of the
mid fifties the San Fernando Valley
was experiencing a population
boom of young families. Many of
the early members of the church
were transplants from the midwest
and other regions of the U.S.
The postwar economy was thriving
and many in the area were employed
in the aerospace industry that
had major establishments in the
valley.
Although
the
founding
members
of
the
congregation
were
primarily
Caucasian,
(if
not
of
Scottish
heritage)
reflecting
the
regional
population,
there
has
always
been
an
open
mindedness
concerning
other
ethnicitys
joining
the
growing
Kirk
family.
Early
Developmental History
of
the
Kirk O’the
Valley
