QUICK SUMMARY: Without any additional effort by the Search Committee, God just dropped the Monrovia property in our lap.
House of Worship: God’s Divine Gift to FEC, Arcadia
Shortly after the start of our worship service at First Avenue Middle School on January 28, 2001 (Mandarin congregation came March 4), we started our search for a permanent home for First Evangelical Church, Arcadia (FEC, Arcadia).
Our initial budget was $3 – $3.5 million with total building space of 10,000 SF. Our initial focus was in the City of Arcadia, but subsequently expanded our search to the nearby communities and potential warehouse properties. For any non-church properties, a church is required to go through the process of obtaining a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). This adds substantial uncertainties and costs to the budget. The Elders Board did approve a revised budget up to $5 million after 2+ years of unsuccessful searches.
The diminishing prospects in the City of Arcadia forced the Search Committee (SC) to expand our search to include communities east of Pasadena along the 210 FWY and south along the 605 FWY. The SC also wrote to 230+ churches in the San Gabriel Valley about buying opportunities and received only 10 positive responses which included the Carter Report (currently occupied by Arcadia Mandarin Baptist Church) located directly across from the Arcadia High School on Duarte Road. The asking price was $10+ million; however, the broker indicated the seller would accepted $8+ million. This was the same property that FEC, Glendale considered buying to relocate from Glendale. The asking price 10 years earlier was $3.8 million. FEC, Glendale raised our initial offer of $3.3 million to $3.5 million due to the seismic and renovation costs. The seller offered the full asking price of $3.8 million.
After an extensive search effort, we finally settled on a warehouse facility in Temple City for $5.6 million. Once again, this property would have to go through CUP and renovation costs. On March 31, 2008, the SC held an information meeting for the church members to discuss the Temple City warehouse project. A special membership meeting would then be held on April 7 for the members to approve the purchase.
The very next day April 1, 2008, the SC received a call informing us that the Lutheran Church in Monrovia (our current location) just came on the market. Some of the Elders and pastors visited the property the following day and the Elders swiftly approved to present the Monrovia property along with the Temple City property in the upcoming Special Membership meeting. Our members approved the Monrovia property with a very high percentage. The Monrovia property was well within our original budget and search criteria. Without any additional effort by the SC, God just dropped the Monrovia property in our lap. Had we purchased the warehouse, the final cost would have been prohibitive given all the zone changes and upgrades needed; including later that year was the global financial crisis.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my way” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We closed escrow on July 24 and held our 1st joint worship service in Monrovia on July 27, 2008.
Our hearts are full of thanksgivings for God’s divine gift to FEC, Arcadia. May the church be a blessing to many, many people in the years ahead. May God’s glory shine throughout Monrovia, nearby communities, and to the ends of the earth.
敬拜的殿：上帝給亞凱迪亞羅省基督教會的神聖禮物
2001 年 1 月 28 日(國語堂是3月4日)在第一大道初中開始敬拜後不久，我們便開始為亞凱迪亞羅省基督教會(FEC亞凱迪亞) 尋找一個永久的家。
我們的初始預算為 300萬至 350萬美元，總建築面積為 10,000 平方英尺。 我們最初的重點是在亞凱迪亞市，但隨後將搜索範圍擴大到附近的社區和有使用潛能的倉庫物業。 對於任何非教堂物業，教堂都必須經過獲得有條件使用許可證 (CUP) 的過程。 這給預算增加了大量的不確定性和成本。 在經過 2 年多的搜索失敗後，長老會批准了一項高達 500 萬美元的修訂預算。
亞凱迪亞市日益難於購置的前景迫使購堂委員會將我們的搜索範圍擴大到沿 210 公路的帕薩迪納以東和沿 605 公路南向的社區。 購堂委員會還寫信給聖迦谷的 230 多個教堂詢問會否出售，但只收到了 10 份正面回應，其中包括 Carter Report位於 Duarte Road 的亞凱迪亞高中正對面的亞凱迪亞國語浸信會现址。賣方要價高於一千萬美元； 然而，經紀人表示賣方將會接受 8百萬美元以上的買價。（這原是2001年植堂時考慮購買的房產，當時的要價是 380 萬美元。 由於需要防震和翻新的成本，我們将初始報價 330 萬美元提高到 350 萬美元。但 Carter坚持要價380 萬美元。）
經過廣泛的努力搜索，我們終於以 560 萬美元的價格在天普市確定了一個倉庫設施。同樣 ，該物業必須經過獲得有條件使用許可證 (CUP) 的過程和翻修成本的考量。 2008 年 3 月 31 日，購堂委員會召開一次會員會議，討論天普市倉庫項目並決議在 4 月 7 日舉行一次特別會員會議，讓會員們批准購買。
然而就在第二天，2008 年 4 月 1 日，購堂委員會接到一個電話，通知我們蒙羅維亞（本會现址）的路德教會剛剛上市。 次日，牧師和幾位長老参觀了該物業，長老們迅速批准在即將舉行的特別會員會議上展示蒙羅維亞的物業和天普市的物業。结果，會员們以高票通过購置蒙羅維亞的物業。 它完全符合我們最初的預算和搜索標準。 購堂委員會並未付出任何額外的努力，上帝就把蒙羅維亞的物業賜給了我們。 如果我們購買了天普市的倉庫，考慮到所需的所有區域更改和整修，最終的花费成本必然更爲可觀，何况當年我們正逢全球的金融危機呢。
“耶和華說：我的意念，非同你們的意念，我的道路，非同你們的道路。天怎樣高過地，照樣我的道路，高過你們的道路，我的意念，高過你們的意念。”
我們於 7 月 24 日完成交割手續，並於 2008 年 7 月 27 日在蒙羅維亞舉行了我們的第一次聯合崇拜。
我們的心中充滿了感恩，感謝上帝賜給FEC-亞凱迪亞的神聖禮物。 願教會在未來也成為多人的祝福。 願上帝的榮耀照耀在蒙羅維亞、附近社區、直到地極！
(余烱桐)