Discernment Committee Recommends Building New Worship Center

February 5, 2026

Discernment Team Recommendation
The Pasadena Community Church Discernment Committee unanimously recommends the passage of a Church Conference vote to build a new worship center that would replace the Hamilton Building and the PCC Sanctuary.

Plainly put, the cost of renovating and preserving the Hamilton Building and the Sanctuary would far exceed the cost of building a new Worship Center. The Committee reasoned that it would be better stewardship to spend our resources on a new building than on repairing older structures that would need continued expensive maintenance while not fulfilling our ministry vision.

The Committee’s recommendation will be considered at a Congregational Vote which will occur at an All Church Charge Conference, Sunday, February 22, 2026, at 12:30 pm. The Discernment Committee is limited to making studied recommendations. A decision that determines the future of church buildings is left to Pasadena Community Church members.

The Discernment Committee spent six months interviewing engineers and potential contractors about the condition of both buildings and the potential costs for repairing and renovating the buildings. The committee detailed those findings in a series of videos that you can see here.

The Committee held six public gatherings to hear input from church members, and the overwhelming response underpins the Committee’s recommendation.

Our Reasoning:
The Discernment Committee was appointed to examine the costs and opportunities that flow from various paths we might choose as a congregation. We were guided not solely by emotion but by the question of how PCC can best fulfill our mission of connecting our community with Christ through the stewardship of the resources we have been blessed with.

The committee was determined to serve that mission rather than being tethered to a building.

The committee considered the option of keeping one building while decommissioning the other. But all of the air handling components, for the sanctuary, lie within the Hamilton Building, meaning relocating that alone would likely be a million dollar project. The two buildings are interconnected.

The way forward -the financial outlook

Once PCC completes the closing of the second parcel sale (which is anticipated to occur in late Summer/early Fall 2026), PCC will have about $6.5 million to begin the next chapter of PCC’s century-long story.

The Discernment Committee recommends proceeding as promptly as possible as the ongoing expenses of the two buildings including utilities, insurance, and other similar expenses are an unnecessary financial burden. (About $200,000 per year.)

Although the committee believes replacing both buildings is the most responsible use of PCC’s resources, there will be costs. Based on early estimates:

-Demolition of both buildings will cost +/- $700,000 (based on non-binding estimates from demolition companies)
-Moving the organ to a new building will cost about $150,000. Storing the organ for 3 years would be additional.
-There will be undetermined costs involved with removing and storing other items we want to preserve from stained glass to electronics, the grand piano and more. The costs depend on what we decide we want to preserve for use in a future Worship Center. You said you want to infuse an inspiring and forward-looking new Worship Center with reminders of our rich legacy.

The Discernment Committee anticipates that the cost of building a new Worship Center that meets the needs of the future PCC, the church will require a capital campaign. The size of the need and the best way to fill that need will depend on the building design that the congregation chooses.

If approved-what’s next:

The Discernment Committee recommends that the Church Council form a Master Plan Oversight Committee that will shepherd three important components:

1. Identify and contract with a consultant who will help the church align its mission with its Worship Center building needs. The process will include:
-Defining our church’s mission and priorities
-Imagining how those priorities define our building needs
-Imagining a building design by engaging church architects to submit proposals
-Presenting the designs and drawing to the congregation along with costs
-Recommending a design to church members for approval
-Handing the process to a Building Oversight Committee appointed by Church Council to oversee construction

2. Demolition and Recovery: The Master Plan Oversight Committee should appoint and oversee a subcommittee that will secure bids from demolition companies. The contract will require the approval of the Church Council.
This subcommittee will also oversee the process of determining which items from the sanctuary and Hamilton Building should be preserved for possible use in a new Worship Center. Such items include the organ console and pipes, stained glass, audio and video components and artwork among other things. The subcommittee will report its recommendations to the Master Plan Oversight Committee for approval.
This task force will also oversee the storage of items to be preserved.

3. LEC worship experience upgrades: The Master Plan Oversight Committee will appoint a working group to immediately begin imagining improvements to the LEC that will enhance the worship experience there. The upgrades would include improving acoustics through sound attenuation, adjusting lighting and making plans for portable staging that will be needed once the current LEC stage is converted to preschool classroom space.

Your input
The Discernment Committee heard you clearly when you expressed a desire to have input all along the planning process. Our recommendation is that every member of this congregation participate in the planning of our future together.

This can be accomplished through the successful small group gatherings: first, as we sharpen our focus on who/what we want our church to be and what current and new missions we want to prioritize and second, for input on the design and location of a new Worship Center.

A clearly stated forward-looking church mission will also clarify the essentials that that a new Worship Center will embody.

Final thoughts
The easiest decision for the Discernment Committee would have been to recommend temporary repairs and rush back into the sanctuary leaving future leaders to grapple with the never-ending maintenance and financial issues that come with managing an aging building that no longer serves the congregation’s needs.

The path we recommend is far more difficult and will take at least three years to complete. In all probability, it will be sometime in 2029 before PCC finds a new home in a new Worship Center. But that is a similar timeline to what our predecessors faced in planning and constructing our current campus that has served our mission well for more than 60 years.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of us to step into uncertainty with the faith that Christ will guide our steps.

—
If you have any thoughts or questions for the Discernment Team, here are the names and emails. The members are happy to talk with you before and after services or by email.

Jorge Angulo- theidiotsresponse@outlook.com

Matt Allaire- allairem@gmail.com

Linda Borgia- lb4173@gmail.com

(Co-Chair) Gary Butler- gary@glbutler.com

Kimberly Dean- kimberlydean@tampabay.rr.com

Ferdie DeVega- ferdiedevega@yahoo.com

Jody Eaton- j.eaton1953@gmail.com

(Co-Chair) Beth Fernandez- dbfern@tampabay.rr.com

Kelly Hermes- Khermes872@gmail.com

KC Jones- KCJones458@gmail.com

Dave McConnell- david727@me.com

Bill Rahter- bbrahter@gmail.com