Proclamation of the City of East Palo Alto
Celebrating The 50th Anniversary of the
East Palo Alto Apostolic Church
WHEREAS, the EPA Apostolic Church started with humble but promising beginnings in the early 1930s, when a group of brothers from the San Francisco Church, where Brother Pedro Nava was a Pastor, began to hold services in the city of Menlo Park, California in a small garage that belonged to Mr. Gonzales; and WHEREAS, at that time, Mrs. Juana Silvestre, mother of sister Rose Figueroa, was invited to attend those services and later led a group of brothers who gathered in that humble temple in songs of praise and adoration to God under the leadership of Pastor Lauro Cárdenas; and
WHEREAS, later Pastor Lauro Cárdenas motivated brethren from San Francisco, San Jose, Russell City and Sanger to join the church to buy a place in Redwood City to praise God; and WHEREAS, in 1953, a group of brothers separated from the congregation to form a new church in the same city of Redwood City under the pastorate of Brother Modesto Ortiz and at the beginning of the 1960s, this new congregation began to work under the umbrella of the Apostolic Assembly; and WHEREAS, a group of dynamic young people began to attract the attention of other young people from the neighboring churches of the Apostolic Assembly and among the youth was Sister Carmen Azcarate (Castillo) and Rose Silvestre (Figueroa);
WHEREAS, a short time later Pastor Amaya of the First Apostolic Church of San José began sending Deacon Elías Castillo to help Pastor Modesto Ortiz in Redwood City and it was there that brother Elias Castillo met the young Carmen Azcarate and after courting for a while, in 1959, brother Elias married sister Carmen and congregated at the Redwood City Church to support God's work under Pastor Modesto Ortiz.; and WHEREAS, on March 17, 1963, at the age of 90, Pastor Modesto Ortiz handed over the pastorate of the Redwood City Church to brother Elías Castillo and being a young pastor, Pastor Elías Castillo began to motivate the congregation to raise funds to buy a building and eventually, along with the congregation, took the step of faith and purchased the property located on 721 Donohoe Street in East Palo Alto for ten thousand dollars.; and WHEREAS, on June 2, 1973, the new sanctuary of East Palo Alto Apostolic Church located at 721 Donohoe Street was dedicated and it was at that dedication service where Daniel Velazquez became the first to be baptized in the church in the glorious name of Jesus;
WHEREAS, since then the EPA Apostolic Church has seen many great leaders throughout the years including Pastor Modesto Ortiz (1953-1963), Pastor Elias B. Castillo (1963-1993), Bishop Steve Moran (1993-1994), Bishop Arturo Espinosa (1994-2007), Bishop Joe V. Prado (2007-present) and is a growing congregation that serves the community in many ways.
NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED the City of East Palo Alto City Council celebrates the 50th anniversary of the East Palo Alto Apostolic Church's work in the community.
PAST PALO Dated: May 16, 2023
O
ACOREONE Lisa Gauthier
Mayor