The Story of the Santa Rosa Center

The Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa was established by Rev. John Cantrell on December 16, 1954 under the name The First Church of Religious Science, Santa Rosa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Meetings began in a private home on Clark Street (above).

Under the guidance of Rev. Arnold Hansen, the community moved to its first home on Orchard Street (below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new phase of growth began in 1978 under Dr. Richard Leo with the community growing to 300. Another surge in growth to 600, under the leadership of Rev. Mary Murray Shelton in 1986, resulted in the community seeking out larger meeting halls and eventually settling in the former Luther Burbank Center for the Arts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other ministers who have served the Center are to be listed here.

 

Out of Africa via Los Angeles, our current senior minister, Dr. Edward Viljoen, assumed leadership in January, 1994. He has presided over the purchase and remodeling of our current facility at 2075 Occidental Road.

 

 

 

 

Today the Center is maintained and renovated by member of the community.  Our blog (click here) is updated with photographs and progress reports such as the one below.

Paul Sarran and Jeff Wong prep the new sound panels to be installed in our Sanctuary

 

Lilo and John Kangas renovate our picnic tables located outside the bookstore.