Southeastern California Conference
Claremont International Church Finds New Home and Name
Rudy Bermudez, Upland Community church pastor, poses with a church member who had just received his evangelism leadership seminar certificate of completion.
M
ore than 100 people attended the inauguration of the Upland Community church, formerly known as the Claremont International church, on Dec. 27. Church members and visitors celebrated the blessing of their new building and name change. The celebration included music by the Masters Call Trio, from the Loma Linda Filipino church; the Cousins Singers, from the Inland Empire Filipino church; a saxophone solo by church member Josephine Simorangkir; and the Upland Community church choir. Ray Musser, the mayor of Upland, was in attendance as well as Jonathan Park, Southeastern California Conference executive secretary. Park was also the worship speaker. He encouraged the church members to be faithful in their calling. After the service, attendees shared a meal prepared by several of the church members. They were also welcomed to return to the church for a music program in the afternoon. The church’s move to Upland marks the end of the members’ 19-year search for a permanent church building. The original name, Claremont International church, was because the members first began meeting in Claremont. They later met in a rented space in Upland, and from there moved to San Antonio Christian school in Ontario, before moving to their current location in Upland. “The church members have been going from one place to another, but they finally found a place to call their own,” said Elizer Sacay, conference vice president for Asian/Pacific ministries. Members had been raising funds for a long time. Between the $300,000 they raised and a loan from the conference, the congregation was able to purchase their new property at 205 South Campus Avenue, Upland. Under the leadership of church member Tim Swett, many members helped prepare the new space for worship. The first worship service in the new building was conducted on Thanksgiving Day. The church members rejoiced and praised God for the blessing they had received.
14
pacificunionrecorder.com
“As the pastor, I find it a joy to hear expressions of praise and gratitude to God for His guidance to His church,” said Rudy Bermudez, church pastor. With the church now being in Upland, the church voted at a business meeting to recommend a name change from Claremont International church to Upland Community church. In anticipation of the acquisition of the new property, the church hosted an evangelism leadership seminar. Thirty-four people attended and received certificates of completion. Presenters included Sacay; Robert Edwards, conference evangelist; Able Cordero, pastor of the Moreno Hills church; and Jocelyn Sonsona, church member. They presented on topics such as “The Urge of a Fadeless Vision,”“Visitation Revisited,”“Knowing Your Community,”“How to Give Bible Studies,”“How to Gain Decisions,” “How to Meet Objections,”“Temperaments and Leadership” and “The Power of the Holy Spirit.” “The year 2014 was a year of training for the church members. They are now, in 2015, implementing all they have learned,” said Sacay.
Rudy Bermudez with Chloe Jacqueline Vander Zwan
The Upland city mayor Ray Musser speaks at the Upland Community church inauguration service.
A special music group sings during the Upland Community church inauguration service.