First Congregational Church of Long Beach

For over 100 years, the sanctuary has served as a lecture hall, a venue for civic debates, a stage for musical performances, a spiritual space for the community to come together in times of civic and national crisis, and on Sunday mornings, a sacred space for worship.

The First Congregational Church continues today to affirm the liberal theology that was important to its founding members in 1888. The annual Valla lecture series brings outstanding scholars to the church each year, and the Sunday sermons and educational classes continue to be anchored in the best critical scholarship. The congregation also continues to be a passionate advocate of social justice, serving as a shelter for the homeless, a center for enrichment programs for children in the downtown neighborhoods, a proponent of affordable housing and an advocate of global peace and justice.