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First Presbyterian Church of Brawley
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About Fpcb
About Fpcb
Our Rich Heritage

Celebrating Over a Century of Faith

The First Presbyterian Church of Brawley was founded on December 13, 1903, by nineteen members in a town barely a year old, where most residents lived in tents.

The church’s first pastor, Rev. W. G. Palmer, was a dedicated leader who tirelessly sought out members for his new flock. His successor, Rev. A. C. Croco, conducted the church’s first recorded communion on May 7, 1905, with twenty-five attendees. Just four years after its inception, on March 26, 1908, the church celebrated the dedication of its first building on the corner of 8th and H Streets, constructed for just over three hundred dollars. This marked a significant milestone in establishing a permanent place of worship for the growing congregation.

Statements of Belief

The Bible
We believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God with 66 books of the Old and New Testaments.
The Trinity
We believe in one God, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God The Father
We believe God the Father is the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things. God is spirit, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.
Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus is the living Word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He is true God and true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of God, He now is our High Priest and Mediator.
Relationship of Christ to the Old Testament
We believe the sacrificial laws of the Old Testament and the Passover foreshadow the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, which delivers us from sin and death. The sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus fulfill the laws and prophetic messages of the Old Testament.
Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.
Salvation
We believe that we are estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, and that our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and justifies them in His sight. Only those who receive Jesus Christ and are born of the Holy Spirit become children of God and heirs of eternal life.
The Church
We believe the Church is comprised of all people who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfection, she awaits the return of her Lord.
The Return of Christ
We believe Jesus Christ will come again to the earth - personally, visibly, and bodily - to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
The Great Commission
We believe Christians are to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and make disciples of all nations.
The Sacraments
We believe Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are Sacraments, instituted by God and commended by Christ. Sacraments are signs of the presence and power of Christ in the Church, symbols of God’s action. Through the Sacraments, God seals believers in redemption, renews their identity as the people of God, and marks them for service. By being washed with the water of Baptism, Christians present their bodies to be living sacrifices to God. By eating bread and drinking grape juice/wine Christians remember God’s covenant promise and pledge their obedience anew.
The Priesthood of Believers
We believe Christian believers have union with Christ through salvation and redemption so there is no longer a separate priestly class of people within the body of Christ. Every Christian is to be representative of Christ in whatever vocational calling they may have. There are Christian men and women who have the specific vocational call to pastoral ministry, but all Christians have a vocational call to serve Christ in the vocation entrusted to them.
Pastor Juliana Lesher
A message from our lead pastor

Pastor Juliana Lesher, M.Div., Ph.D.

I am truly delighted to serve as the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Brawley. Since 1997, I have ministered and lived in nine different states, including serving as the National Director of Chaplain Service for the Department of Veterans Affairs. My Master of Divinity is from Evangelical Theological Seminary, and my Ph.D. in Ecclesial Organizational Leadership is from Regent University. I am passionate about sharing Christ, and enjoy swimming, singing, walking in the sunshine, and playing piano. I can be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling (210) 519-9055. If I have not met you, I look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to our church family!

Administration

Church Session

Cecilia Dial
Alan Huber
Kevin Kenagy
Deborah Owen
William Smerdon
Taylor Smith
Teri Sanders
Church Deacons
  • Kathy Caston
  • Aubrey Cox
  • Nikki Kenagy
  • Dana Hutchinson
  • Breauna Rebollar
  • Kalena Rebollar
  • Tammy Huber
Church Financial Secretary
  • Carol Webster
Church Treasurer
  • Toni Smith
Clerk of Session
  • Teri Sanders