This document provides an overview of the history of Christianity in Southern California from the Spanish missions founded in the late 18th century to the rise of the Jesus People movement in the 20th century. It discusses the founding and purpose of the Spanish missions to convert Native Americans to Christianity. It then outlines the establishment of several prominent Christian colleges and universities in Southern California in the 19th century including University of Southern California, University of California, and Mills College. The document also profiles influential Christian leaders and movements in Southern California such as Aimee Semple McPherson, Phineas Bresee, and the rise of Pentecostal and Holiness churches in the early 20th century.

1. From Junipero Serra to the
Jesus People:
Southern California
in the History of Christianity

2. February 15:
California as a
Mission Field on the Far Side
of the World

3. Feb. 22:
Mission San Luis Rey
and the Luiseño Indians

4. Occidental College in 1910
March 1
Progressive Protestants:
Christian Liberal Arts in
Southern California

5. March 8:
Progressive Protestants:
The Ethnic Mission at Home

6. Aimee Semple McPherson ,
Angelus Temple and Life Pacific College , founded as
Evangelistic and Missionary Training Institute
March 15:
Southern California’s Leadership in
Holiness and Pentecostal Movements

7. March 22:
Plain-Folk
Protestantism:
Pasadena,
Pepperdine,
and
Ronald Reagan

8. March 29:
The Jesus
People
Movement
In
Southern
California

9. Main Missions
(Many more Asistencias)
1769-1823
Mission San Diego de Alcalá (1769)
Mission San Carlos Borremeo de Carmelo (1770)
Mission San Antonio de Padua (1771)
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (1771)
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa (1772)
Mission San Francisco de Asís (1776)
Mission San Juan Capistrano (1776)
Mission Santa Clara de Asís (1777)
Mission San Buenaventura (1782)
Two Failures on Colorado River—not Serra’s
Mission Santa Bárbara (1786)
Mission La Purisima Concepción (1787)
Mission Santa Cruz (1791)
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (1791)
Mission San José de Guadalupe (1797)
Mission San Juan Bautista (1797)
Mission San Miguel Arcángel (1797)
Mission San Fernando Rey de España (1797)
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia (1798)
Mission Santa Inés (1804)
Mission San Rafael Arcángel (1817)
Mission San Francisco de Solano (1823)
The Plan:
“Foster Parent” to Indians and Indian Land
Temporary –ideally 10 years (?)
Membership: Neophytes/Baptized then Confirmed
Goal:
Self-governing Indian Pueblos
with church on plaza: Indian priests and multi-racial
congregation

10. Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (1771)

11. Mission San Luis Rey
and the Luiseño Indians
And
St. Bartholmew’s Chapel
On the Rincon Reservation

12. Pablo Tac 1822-1841
-Born at Mission San Luis Rey
-Along with Agapito Amamix is taken by
Fray Antonio Peyri in 1832 to College of
San Fernando in Mexico City
-Enter the Urban College in Rome on
September 24, 1834 (12 years old)
-Studying for priesthood, but both die of
small pox.
-Writes Conversión de los San Luiseños de la
Alta California while in Rome.

13. Layers of History in
San Pasqual Valley:
-Indian Rancheria
-Indian Pueblo—Mexican
-Battle Site—Mex-Am War
-Wild Animal Park
-San Pasqual Academy for
foster care of older kids.
Santa Margarita
Indian Pueblo
San Dieguito
Indian Pueblo
Three Indian
Pueblos set up
by Gov.
Figueroa

15. 1895 Landmarks Club—Restore Missions and build a “Camino Real Highway”
1901 Sequoya League: “To make better Indians and better treated ones.”

16. Zephyrin (Charles Anthony) Engelhardt, O.F.M., (1851-1934)
Picture at Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1915
Compiled a written vocabulary for Pomo Indians in Northern California,
Ran a school at Aqua Caliente reservation, and tried to help the Cupeno at Warner Ranch
when they were being moved by forced to Pala in 1902.

18. Indian Reorganization Act (1934):
Return to self government on a tribal
basis.
Revival of “Blood Quantum” as means
to delineate tribal membership and
Indian benefits. Key is to prove
membership to one tribe by blood
percentage. Many struggles as tribal
membership entails access to wealth.

19. Josiah Royce and
Royce Hall, UCLA

20. Methodist ministers and laymen founded
University of the Pacific in 1851 in Santa Clara,
California. Says it is oldest “chartered” college
Santa Clara University, the oldest college in
California founded in 1851, is the only college in the
state to be the successor of a Spanish mission.
Below is Mission Santa Clara in 1849.
Colleges in
Santa Clara
In 1851

21. 1852 : The Young Ladies’ Seminary in
Benicia--now Mills College
-Missionaries Cyrus and Susan Mills bought the Seminary
in 1865 for $5,000, renamed it Mills College, and moved
it in 1871
-Led by Oberlin graduate Mary Atkins.
-Equal education and opportunity for women.
Julia Morgan’s tower, 1903-4.

22. Samuel H. Willey (b. 1821)
-Grad Dartmouth in 1845
-Ordained Presbyterian
- American Home Missionary Society,
Willey, at age 27, was appointed to
Monterey, California
- Chaplain at the 1849 Constitutional
Convention of the State of California.
- Deep interest in education, especially for
girls, Indians, and Mexicans
- Moves to Benecia and helps found Young
Ladies Seminary that is now Mills College.
- In San Francisco helps found Hamlin
School for girls.
- 1853, in Oakland, he and the Rev. Henry
Durant founded the Contra Costa
Academy. In 1855 the Academy was
incorporated into the College of California
1868 the College become University of
California.

23. Westward the course of empire takes its way.
Time’s noblest offspring would be the last.
-Bishop George Berkeley
An Athens of the West.
-Pres. Benjamin Ide Wheeler
Sather Tower: Aspiration for Truth
Congregationalist College becomes University of California in 1868

24. California Domestic
Progressivism: California as
spiritually and physically healthy,
a place where life can be good,
maybe better.

25. Phineas Bresee : (1838 – 1915)
-1883 comes to LA as Methodist minister
-He was trustee of University of Southern California.
-Social Gospel
-Founder of Pasadena College in 1902 and Church of the Nazarene
Methodist Reform and Social Gospel Founding of
USC, PLNU and Church of the Nazarene
Joseph Pomeroy Widney (1841 – 1938)
-Followed Brothers to “Garden of Eden” in Calif
-With brother he founded USC and became its
2nd president
-A founder with Bresee of the Church of the
Nazarene and PLNU.
-Wrote Race Life of the Aryan Peoples (1907)
best-selling, two volume work,
about history of Aryan-Americans
and responsibility to world
“White Man’s Burden”

26. Los Angeles
Founded 1908
Funded by Lyman
Stewart, co-owner
of Union Oil
Company of
California