How Horizon Community Church Came to Be

1913 - The Sadler's arrived in Palmdale in the fall of 1913. There was NO church in Palmdale.

1914 - Mrs. Sadler started a Bible study meeting in her home partly to provide local families and their children a place to learn about God. The Bible Study grew to a tent then began meeting in the Palmdale Schoolhouse thus forming the first church in Palmdale - its name: PALMDALE COMMUNITY CHURCH. The Presbyterian Church agreed to send a preacher once a month. By 1918 he was coming weekly.

1916 - Using bricks made by hand by early church members, a church building was erected on the corner of 9th & Ave Q-8(Palmdale Blvd).

1917 - A church split along denominational lines had part of the church moving back to the schoolhouse. The other part eventually disbanded. The Missions board of the Presbyterian church bought the building and the church was renamed: COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

1918 - Work on the church is finished.

1919 - On May 4th the church becomes officially the PALMDALE PRESBYTERIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH.

1938 - The Great Long Beach Earthquake damaged the church steeple and church. But the church continued to grow.

1940 - The Church ran out of room. The adult Sunday school would meet down the block at the Pearland Hotel. The church served as the town social center and every Thursday night motion pictures were shown at the church. Everyone came as there was no movie theater in town. The church helped start a local Baptist church and partnered with the new Catholic church to raise funds for town projects. All the towns' people and merchants went together and completed the projects.

1948 - The old church was remodeled due to the earthquake damage.

1953 - It was voted to tear down the old church and build a new church on 20th Street East & Avenue R. The name changed to FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF PALMDALE.

1956 - September 30th was the first service in the new church which consisted of a multi-purpose room (sanctuary), the narthex, a very small Fireside Room and church office. The upstairs was open to the sanctuary and was the choir loft. A manse on Malby Street was purchased for the pastor. During the 1950's a down turn in economy effectively haulted the building of the Christian Ed Center and new sanctuary. The church dwindled as people left their homes and belongings in the middle of the night.

1960s - A building called the "Scout House" (because the Boy Scouts also used it) was added on for Sunday School classrooms. During the late 1960s the church was used by the public school as a classroom during the week. The Sunday school teachers were required to take everything about God off the bulletin boards for public school during the week and put it back up on Sunday.

1970s - The manse on Malby was sold and another purchased on Rudall Street. During the 70's dissention again arose and attendance dropped to less than 50 people. The church survived and began to grow again during the late 70's. The manse on Rudall was later sold.

1980s - The Women's Association added a kitchen onto the Fireside Room raising money for a refrigerator, oven and cabinets.

1990s - A building campaign began and the church was able to add the Christian Education Center and the Youth trailer.

2000s - It was voted to change the church name to HORIZON COMMUNITY CHURCH to reflect our church vision to reach family and community by Transforming Lives Through Christ as evidenced in our history.