A few months ago, one of the church members gave me a bulletin from the 2008 50th Anniversary celebration of Hillside Church of God. In the bulletin was an excerpt from a sermon by Pastor Swank delivered on the 20th Anniversary in 1978. I read the article and was overjoyed to learn how this church was built.
A few weeks ago, I was talking to another member of the church outside in the parking lot. And I mentioned to her about what I read in the article. She has been with the church for a very long time, and she pointed to the church and said, ‘This church is a labor of love.’
I couldn’t agree more with what she said. This article will mention names that I am not familiar with. But you might. You might know their family members, children, grandchildren, or relatives. Please pass this article along to them as our thank-you for the ministry and legacy their parents and grandparents have left for us.
We are standing on the shoulders of giants. We are reaping the fruit of their ministry.
We can’t thank them enough for their faithfulness and obedience.
What a blessing we can be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
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The vision of Hillside Church of God began with a group of individuals at First Church of God in San Francisco praying about expanding their work and finding they were led to build a church in South San Francisco. Much of the following is excerpted from a sermon by Richard L. Swank on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the founding of Hillside Church of God. Pastor Swank was Senior Minister at First Church of God when prayer about this mission, followed by action, took place.
In September of 1953, Mrs. Swank and I arrived in San Francisco with our two little girls, Sylvia, 4, and Sharon, 2. About two weeks later, the Board said, “We want to build a new church.” The city was threatening to widen Army (Cesar Chavez) Street, which would take away half the sanctuary. Parking had become impossible. It wasn’t long after that that we started looking for a new location.
We covered the streets of San Francisco, checking with owners of property and asking how much they were asking for the land. We all shook our heads at those figures. To get any ground sizeable enough for a building site would cost a small fortune. Even in 1953-1954, those incredible 25-foot frontage lots sold for $4,000 to $10,000! The church pondered that for a while.
Although the street was never widened, many families began moving down the peninsula. New communities were being developed. First Church was safe, but another concept was forming in the minds of the congregation.
Sometime later, one night in a Board session, something exciting happened. I wish I could take credit for it, for it was a grand idea. But after racking my brain, I still don’t remember whose idea it was. It went like this:
We’ve got a very fine church here on Army Street. We can fix it up a little, take our chances, and keep this location. Let’s branch out. Let’s start a new work down the Peninsula, say South San Francisco! People drive from way down the Peninsula to worship here. Let’s take the church a little closer to them. We headed south! Maps are handy, but this area was growing so rapidly that some of the streets hadn’t been charted, at least on a published map. However, Hillside Boulevard WAS on the map.
We pondered the location, found out the price was $12,000 for the 1.5 acres, and signed on the dotted line after checking with the building department regarding zoning.
An architect just happened to start attending the church late in the year 1955 or early 1956, as I recall. Things fell into place. We secured his services. Committees formed to decide about building suggestions, a financial drive was held to cover a three-year plan of over and above our regular tithes and offerings, loans were arranged, leaders from our national offices in Anderson, Indiana, were consulted, and we were deep in plans and dreams.
Architect sketches, meetings, changes, and discussions took hours. I remember the unveiling of the church model by the Architect, Gaylord Mull. It gave a needed boost until we learned what it would cost.
The question: “Can we do it?” “Well, Northern California churches had promised to make that year, South San Francisco year, and all pitched in together. Of course, we can do it.
At Camp Meeting that year, our hearts fell. I guess the other churches thought the project was in such good hands with the San Francisco people that they didn’t need to do much, and believe me, they didn’t. The offering didn’t even pay for bulldozing the property.
“Can we do it?” was an honest question. The answer was always the same, “With God’s help, we can.” The church had a motto in those years, “You can’t outgive God!” How He blessed our efforts! How He blessed the work of our hands as we sacrificed for Him!”
Naturally, the question arose, “Who will be in charge of the building, the construction?” It was evident we had to use all the donated help we could muster to keep the costs at the very lowest. “Now, just who would work with a lot of men with different skills and backgrounds, many completely untrained?” “Don’t look at me,” I said. “The only thing I’ve ever built was a two-shelf bookcase, and it capsized.”
About that time, a man by the name of Roy Swift started coming to church. When I learned his background, his training, his skills, I told the Board. He was in semi-retirement and said, “If you will pay me for 8 hours a working day, I’ll lay out the work for the men so they can come after work and put things together. I’ll donate all my extra hours.”
A Groundbreaking Dedication Service was held on Easter Sunday afternoon, April 21, 1957, with the major bulldozing having been done previously. Rev. Donald Smith, paster in Sacramento, was the main speaker. Chairman of the Board, Fern Bruner, turned the first spade of soil. The fireplace in the Fireside Room is dedicated to the Bruners. Several ministers and guests were present from Northern California. It was a typically windy day for this area. Some things have not changed. Cows, pasturing on the hillside across the boulevard where the school now stands, mooed and locked horns. Some things have changed. Neighborhood children stood cautiously nearby, observing the service and wondering just what all this might mean.
At first, workdays were Monday through Friday evenings and all day Saturday. And God bless the Women. They prepared and carried in full meals every evening so the men could come straight from work.
Workdays, fundraising, revivals, evangelism efforts,and more took place over the next sixteen months as the church was built. On September 7, 1958, the Dedication and Installation Service for Pastor Linamen took place. Rev. Aaron Kerr spoke: His topic: The Works of the Chosen.”
There were 33 people who left First Church to form the core of workers. I’m sure they had many mixed feelings. I had asked them individually to come down here. They made it a matter of prayer. The other families encouraged them. Surely they felt lost at times, with just a few down here in the beginning, and some of them found the challenge a little much, and I understand weren’t too faithful, making it still more difficult for the core of workers.
First Church had empty feelings too when we looked at the vacant pews. It took choir members, board members, and Sunday School workers. But a year earlier, we had trained and set up double boards and committees for that day when the separation was to come. To me, the miracle in all this is that when churches start in love and concern, rather than from splits or discord, God always blesses. Within the first year, we had gained back the number we lost when the workers came down here, and I think a few extra.
You know, we human beings have funny ideas as to how God’s work should be done. A good friend of mine once told me, “You know, the older I become, the more amazed I am that God should have entrusted anything as sacred as the church in human hands.”
Weeks and months later, when I would meet a minister friend, and others too, I was often asked the question, “When you went to all that work, why didn’t you take the new church?” The way I looked at it, the people who stayed behind and had a three-year pledge to pay for a building they would seldom worship in could use encouragement. Besides, it would have robbed me of my sacrificial giving, if one might call it that. I wasn’t the only one to sacrifice, to skip vacations. I took hours of work, helping scout around for materials, bringing some in, having most delivered to the site, and more. Yes, it was work. For me, I wouldn’t have wanted it otherwise. And I was not alone, for if you think I sacrificed, bear with me a few minutes longer. I didn’t even know what sacrifice was ….
The long hours Mr. Swift put in shortened his life. I knew of families who had money in savings to buy new furniture, some to decorate their houses. One family had planned to buy a new car. I watched these families sacrifice their own plans for a higher plan. They knew they could get along a little longer with things the way they were, and they did, cheerfully, gladly. They wanted to see a church here on Hillside Boulevard.
Harry King never lived to see the building completed, but he gave hours of labor, in love for this church. He believed in the cause of Christ, and he sacrificed his energies when he should have been resting. We tried to get him to take it easier, but his burning desire was to see a church, your church, built here. And there were many more who sacrificed time, money – and health.
I’m a much better person because of the privilege, the very high privilege, of being loved by the San Francisco people. God was so good to me to give me the San Francisco church. They taught me love and what it means to give unselfishly.
The future is always more important than the past. I find it safe to let God lead.
Most who started the church are now with the Lord – Evert Bruner, Harry King, Roy Swift, Sue Farlinger, John Winter, to name a few. And since then, others who built and served the church – Fern & Lela Bruner, Lutie Winter, Mel Martin, and John Petrovitz.
As I see it, it is not the length of life but the quality of life that the Christian should always be striving to obtain. It is my prayer that the same kind of sacrifice of personal time and money that went into this project be continued, as your expansion and church goals have certainly indicated ever since, that many who still do not know the love of God in Christ may come to His saving knowledge and grace. My prayer is that many more will become a part of this vibrant, growing, sacrificial church.
Some planted, others have watered and cultivated. Now it is up to you to continue to bring in the harvest. Be encouraged. Just as the Lord has brought you through no doubt difficult days, He will continue to bless your efforts for Him.
Trust Him. Give your life to him in Christian service. Learn the joys of sacrifice for the Savior. Remember, He gave his life for you. Love is born out of sacrifice. What will you do for Him? God bless you and reward you for your faithfulness and love.
Thirty years have passed since Pastor Swank gave his sermon on how Hillside Church came to be. Since then, he has retired – he cannot be with us this weekend. First Church has moved from Cesar Chavez Street to the Tenderloin, where it serves the neighborhood through its efforts, which include City Crossroads. Their efforts are supported by Hillside Church.
… for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7
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Your servant,
David Gunardi