By Sandra Kassai, Santa Clarita Contributor
On October 14, 2017 Santa Clarita Center for Spiritual Living held a wonderful anniversary gala to celebrate 42 years of spiritual service in Santa Clarita. An evening filled with music, singing, laughter, food, prizes and valuable reminiscences was savored by all in attendance.
Remarkably, the keynote speaker at the gala was internationally acclaimed Dr. Sharron Stroud, current founder and director of a New Thought Church in Palm Springs and, in fact, the original founding minister of SCCSL which first opened its doors on October 12, 1975. The Science of Mind Church of Positive Thinking, as it was then known, was originally located in William Hart Community Room. Since that time, the Church has enjoyed different locations and ministers, such as in 1979 when Dr. Lois Ruth Bartel led the congregation in the Old West Masonic Lodge; from 1986 – ‘89 when Reverends Jackie and Paul Sorensen conducted services in a Newhall location on Walnut Street; and 1990 – ‘98 when Reverend Ron McCoy was the Spiritual Director at the same Newhall location.
So too the Church’s name has undergone change. In 1982 it became Santa Clarita Church of Religious Science and in 2009 when United Church of Religious Science and Church of Religious Science International came together as one, the outcome was today’s name: Center for Spiritual Living.
Currently housed on Soledad Canyon Road in Canyon Country, SCCSL is now presided over by Dr. Marion Wishall and is ministered by Rev. Nancy Berggren. It is an ever-growing interfaith, multicultural community of warm-hearted, spiritually-minded members from all walks of life who are looking for ways to deepen their connection with themselves, spirit, friends and neighbors; and who strive to serve the Santa Clarita community in ways that deepen their connection with Divine Spirit.
For more information visit the Center’s website https://www.scc4sl.org and/or its community page on facebook @Santa-Clarita-Center-for-Spiritual-Living
