A Congregational Gathering Place on Garfield Avenue
Oneonta Congregational Church stands on Garfield Avenue in South Pasadena, California, a city whose oldest landmarks still carry the name "Oneonta." The church's name, pronounced "o-nee-on-ta," is a Native American word possibly meaning "gathering place," borrowed from the city of Oneonta in New York State. South Pasadena's historic "Oneonta Park Junction" rail station takes its name from Henry E. Huntington, the railroad magnate who was born in that New York town. The same word eventually made its way to this Garfield Avenue congregation.
The church's mission is short and direct: to love God, love others, and serve humanity. The fellowship that gathers around that mission is self-governing and locally led, in keeping with the Congregational tradition that runs back to the English Reformation. Members at Oneonta accept the Bible as the authority for faith and practice, and they run their own affairs democratically rather than answering to a central denominational body.
Sunday Morning Worship at 9:30
The Sunday service is the heart of the week at Oneonta. Worship begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary, and the service is live-streamed on the church's YouTube channel, Oneonta Online, so members at home can follow along. The service draws on psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and the children's choir takes a turn in the Sanctuary on special occasions.
Children start the morning with the adults. After the opening portion of worship, kids are released to Sunday School in the church library at 9:45 a.m., where two adult leaders lead music, a Bible lesson, and a snack. Parents pick up their children in the library at 10:30 a.m.
Good Morning Chapel, Monday Through Thursday
Four mornings a week, at 7:30 a.m., the chapel doors open for Good Morning Chapel, a brief prayer gathering that runs Monday through Thursday. The early-morning slot suits commuters and neighbors who want to begin the day in prayer before heading to work or school. The chapel is one of the older rhythms of the church, sitting alongside the Sunday service as a regular touchpoint through the week.
Student Ministry: From Sunday School to the Tower Room
Oneonta's student ministry is built around two parallel tracks. On Sunday mornings, the children's program in the library pairs each age group with two adult leaders for music, a Bible lesson, and a snack. The children's choir sings in the main worship service on special occasions.
On Sunday evenings, the youth meet in the Tower Room at 6:00 p.m. for a free dinner, then move into icebreaker games at 6:30, a Bible lesson at 6:45, and free time at 7:30, wrapping up at 8:00 p.m. The first Sunday of each month is Game Night, and the third Sunday is rehearsal for the youth worship band, which leads worship in the Sanctuary on special occasions. The full program is described as a welcoming place to grow in faith, have fun, and make new friends.
Small Groups and Long-Running Fellowships
Oneonta runs several small groups that meet at different times during the week. A Saturday-morning Bible study gathers at 9:00 a.m. both in person and over Zoom, led by Rev. Lincoln Skinner. On Sundays at 9:45 a.m., Richie Webb leads a group in the Oneonta Library. A second Sunday group meets at 11:00 a.m. in the same library under Dale Torstenbo, and a Wednesday-evening group meets at 7:00 p.m. under Lyn and Paul Flygar.
The fellowship gatherings are what set Oneonta apart in the neighborhood. Dan and Carol Evans lead a fellowship group with monthly lunches and getaway trips that has been meeting for more than sixty years. Susan Porch and Lyn Flygar host a monthly Thursday-afternoon lunch fellowship, and Dave Abernethy hosts a monthly dinner fellowship. The groups are intentionally open, and the decades-long run of the Evans group has made it a kind of extended family within the church.
Congregational Beliefs and Polity
The word "congregational" describes how the church is governed as much as what it teaches. Members vote on important matters, join the leadership team, and shape the life of the church from within. There is no central denominational authority over Oneonta, a deliberate echo of the Independents of the English Reformation who first carried this tradition.
The church's own creed and covenant spell out the center of its life together. Members affirm belief in the wisdom and loving kindness of God the Father, in the saving grace of Jesus Christ His Son, and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They confess the supremacy of love, the victory of faith, and the life eternal. In response, they covenant with the church to love its members, sustain its worship, and seek its peace, unity, purity, and increase. Matthew 18:18-20, the passage that has long been special to Congregationalism, anchors the church's understanding of gathered authority: "Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Baptism at Oneonta
Oneonta teaches that baptism is an outward sign of an inward reality: a believer's participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The church receives as candidates those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and baptism follows faith. The act is not understood as the means of salvation but as the public confession of a salvation already received.
The church recognizes and practices both sprinkling and immersion, leaving the choice to the individual. Baptism is performed only once, and formal membership is not required, though baptism is described as welcoming each believer into God's family and membership into Christ's Church. The minister will meet and talk with each candidate beforehand, and those being baptized by immersion are asked to bring an extra change of clothes, socks, and a towel, along with a short answer to the question, "Who is Jesus to you?"
Membership and Next Steps
Oneonta welcomes anyone who feels called to deepen their relationship with Jesus within a community of believers. Members are sharpened, equipped, and called to serve according to their spiritual gifts, and they are also eligible to vote on important church matters and join the leadership team. People come into membership through baptism, an affirmation of faith, a letter of transfer from another church, or as an associate member of more than one Christian community.
Members accept the church's creed and covenant and commit to participating in worship, serving in the ministries of the church as they are called, pledging financially as the Lord directs, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. The path begins, as the church puts it, with following Jesus, then moves through baptism, prayer, small groups, service, and membership.
Service, Missions, and the Prison Connection
Outside the sanctuary walls, Oneonta's life runs through several service channels. The church holds monthly campus work parties, maintains caring ministries, partners with local non-profits, and supports a prison ministry in connection with CPP Ministry. The church also participates in the wider South Pasadena Prayer Breakfast, a community event that brings together civic and faith leaders from across the city.
Leadership development is taken seriously. Ephesians 4:12, "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ," frames the way the church trains its leaders, and small groups are the everyday setting where most of that equipping happens.
Prayer and Staying Connected
Beyond the scheduled Good Morning Chapel and the Sunday service, prayer at Oneonta runs through the prayer wall on the church's online home, where members and visitors submit requests that the pastors then lift up. James 5:16 frames the practice: "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." The newsletter, posted weekly through the church's WordPress blog at oneonta.wordpress.com, carries announcements, event details, and worship bulletins.
Giving and the Life of the Church
Oneonta is a 501(c)(3) California non-profit religious organization, and giving is handled online through Pushpay. The church cites Luke 6:38 as the framing for its stewardship: "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap." Members are invited to pledge financially as the Lord leads them, and giving is one of the four marks of membership alongside worship, service, and Gospel witness.
Reaching Oneonta
The church sits at 1515 Garfield Avenue in South Pasadena. The phone rings into the church office at 626-799-6161, and the office email is office.oneonta@gmail.com. Sunday worship begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary, with Sunday School for children during the service and youth group Sunday evenings in the Tower Room. Good Morning Chapel meets in the chapel Monday through Thursday at 7:30 a.m., and several small groups meet throughout the week, including the Saturday-morning hybrid Bible study led by the pastor. Worship and a sermon archive are available on the Oneonta Online YouTube channel.