History of Corona Presbyterian Church

The Corona Presbyterian Church of Denver, Colorado, as it is officially known, was organized on July 31, 1904. It was first located in a private home at 958 Ogden St. In 1905, the church purchased a building site at the northeast corner of Eighth Ave. and Downing St. where the church stands today. A 25- by 40-foot cement block chapel was built and dedicated on June 18, 1905. That same year, a 25-foot addition was made. A new permanent building was dedicated on March 20, 1910. In 1954, a major remodeling was completed which include the present sanctuary, parlor, perimeter offices and basement classrooms. That church building, as remodeled in 1954, forms the southern half of the existing church structure. In 1981, an addition was completed on the north side which added numerous classrooms, new church offices, a kitchen and a large multipurpose room. Provisions were also made for an adult reference library.

The Welsh Union Society, organized in 1872, was responsible for organizing the Welsh Presbyterian Church in 1886. They built a church at 8th and Sherman in 1924 and changed the name to Eighth Avenue Presbyterian Church. Later, the name was changed to Hillside Presbyterian Church (1949) when the disbanded Twenty-third Avenue Presbyterian church merged with them. Finally, on June 13, 1971, Hillside merged with Corona. Some of the former Hillside members still belong to the present congregation of Corona Presbyterian Church.

Corona History taken from the 2004 Centennial Year Church Directory
     (Revised in 2007)

A New Chapel (1905-1913)
Pastor Lutz (1935-1950)
Eisenhower Era (1950-1955)
The Mariners (1950-1977)
Pastor Ladra (1977-1987
Pastor Winter and the 1990s (1989-1996)
Dr. Garrett and start of the Second Century (1999-2004)
Corona Today (2005 to present)

Corona Presbyterian Church began on a Sunday afternoon, July 31, 1904 when 11 Christians met at 959 Ogden Street in the home of Mr. G.A. Anderson. The group prayed for the establishment of the church, which was soon started in the garage of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Fleming at 901 Clarkson Street. The church was named after the Corona neighborhood, which took its name from one of the first buildings in the area: Corona School. The school, built in the 1880s, is now call Dora Moore School.

The church property at 8th Avenue and Downing Street was purchased in 1905,and a small cement block building was erected. The minutes of a 1905 session meeting stated, "...there is a membership of 47 and the church as a whole is in flourishing condition..." By 1909, with a membership of 144, Corona had outgrown its small cinderblock building, and ground was broken for a larger chapel.

A New Chapel
Corona occupied the new chapel the following year. It was a beautiful brick building with stained glass windows and a tall roof. The chapel sat on the back of the property near the alley, with its main door opening onto 8th Avenue.

In the early years a number of pastors served Corona, including Rev. Merwin A. Stone (1905-1913), and the Rev. Elmer Freed (1925-1930). The church experienced some declining times, and in 1935 Corona was nearly closed by the Presbytery and united with another area church. Elder George Hughes, clerk of session for more than 30 years, said that if only Corona could secure a gospel-preaching pastor the church would grow.

Robert Lutz Arrives
Robert S. Lutz, a student a Princeton Seminary, came to service the church in 1935. Pastor Lutz finished his seminary training and was ordained and installed on July 9, 1936. The church began to grow, and Pastor Lutz served Corona for the next 40 years.

Corona became a mission oriented church, as many young men and women went out from the congregation to work as ministers, missionaries, and in various full-time Christian service opportunities. More than 50 young people from Corona entered the mission field during Pastor Lutz' time. Support of missions and missionaries has remained an important part of Corona to this day.

In 1948 a team of young people went with Pastor Lutz to form First Presbyterian Church of Englewood, which today recognizes Corona as an integral part of its own history.

Eisenhower Era
Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife Mamie were regular attendees of Corona. Mamie had grown up in the neighborhood and had attended both Corona Presbyterian Church and Corona School. The Eisenhowers spent summers in Colorado. Mamie's parents, the Douds, lived at 750 Lafayette Street. The Eisenhowers maintained a summer home at 840 Ogden Street. They helped raise money for a new church building, which was completed in 1954 and includes the current sanctuary. The Eisenhowers donated Corona's large pulpit in 1955. The pulpit bears the inscription: "Dedicated to the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 'If ye continue in My Word, then ye are My disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free'. John 8:31-32"

The Mariners
In the early 1950s Corona formed a Mariners group along with many other Presbyterian churches. The Mariners, who have continued to this day, are a Sunday school group that supports missionary work and provides fellowship.

During the late 1960s and into the 1970s, as Denver's suburbs expanded, many members left Corona for outlying areas and became leaders in suburban churches. Corona went to a single service as membership declined. In 1971, Hillside Presbyterian Church merged with Corona. Hillside's roots dated back to 1886 as the Welsh Presbyterian Church. In 1973-74 Corona embarked on an outreach to every door and apartment within a mile radius to share the good news of God's salvation. By the mid-1970s more than 300 families were listed on the church membership roster.

In 1976, after 40 years of service, Pastor Emeritus Robert S. Lutz retired from Corona. He continued in ministry for several years. he was a missionary in Nepal, and served a Montrose church as interim pastor. He also served in Renton, Washington as a pastor to seniors. Eventually, he and his wife, Ruth, moved to Spokane, Washington to be close to their daughter. He passed away in 1982. Ruth is in her 90s.

Mike Ladra Arrives
Dr. Mike Ladra became senior pastor in 1977. Planning for a new addition began, which was financed through the sale of bonds to church members. The addition was completed in 1981 and included the offices, the multipurpose room, kitchen, and upstairs classrooms.

The 1980s brought many new people to Corona. One of the successful ministries of this time was a singles group that attracted more than 100 people to its Thursday night Bible studies. Many members of this group served as counselors during the 1987 Billy Graham Denver Crusade, and went out from Corona to become Christian leaders, missionaries, and evangelists.

Corona began the Corona Child Enrichment Center, which looked after children from Moore Elementary School for many years.

That Puppet Team began in 1985 and continues to this day. Many of Corona's youth have learned teamwork, responsibility, and have grown spiritually while sharing the gospel through puppeteering.

Dr. Ladra left in 1987 when he was called to be senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Salinas, California.

Jeff Winter and the 1990s
The Rev. Jeff Winter came to Corona in 1989. He built upon the small group movement that began in the 1980s and continued Corona's tradition as a "Christ-centered Bible teaching church." Seminary students and associated pastors taught several adult education classes. Contemporary worship was integrated into Sunday morning Services. Corona sponsored events that appealed to the young and those interested in the arts, including concerts, coffee houses, and literary conferences. The Corona Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group was formed in 1990, which continues to minister to mothers of young children. The Rev. Winter left in 1996 when he was called to lead Bethany Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Havertown, Pennsylvania.

The Rev. Les Avery, a retired pastor of Saint James Presbyterian Church in Denver, became interim pastor at Corona. During this time, a group of members went with Associate Pastor Steve Garcia to form Celebration Community Church in east Denver.

The Rev. Jean Hess joined Corona in 1997 as an associate pastor and served the church in numerous ministry roles until she left Corona in 2008. She served in women's ministry, worship, outreach, evangelism, and led the church during times when there was no senior or interim senior pastor. The entire Hess family, including Jean's husband, Rick, and their two sons, a daughter and daughter-in-law, served the church in a variety of ministry roles.

Mike Garrett and the Second Century
The Rev. Mike Garrett accepted the call to be Corona's new senior pastor in 1999. He came from North Avenue Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia. While at Corona, Rev. Garrett completed his doctorate degree. Dr. Garrett worked with the leadership of the church to establish a new vision statement that focused on being a "bridge to Jesus Christ in Central Denver."

Task forces were established to implement the vision. Neighborhood dinners and events were held. An Alpha course was offered to introduce people to Christ, and a "Parent's Night Out" was organized to provide childcare for neighborhood parents. The first worship service continued to become more contemporary, while the second service became more traditional. A Wednesday night series was established, which offered small group fellowship, discipleship and spiritual growth.

Corona celebrated the beginning of its second century in July 2004, with a series of events culminating in a centennial celebration dinner.

Dr. Garrett left Corona in December 2004 to become senior pastor of the 800-member Westminster Presbyterian Church of Snellville, Georgia, which is on the edge of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

A Time of Transition
In February of 2006, Rev. Nathan Byrd joined the staff as interim senior pastor. Pastor Byrd had served in North Carolina, New Jersey and Colorado, and was a chaplain for the U.S. Army in Iraq before coming to Corona. In late 2006 he returned to active duty with the U.S. Army in Texas to train others to become chaplains.

Pastor John Geiter Called
Rev. John Geiter and his family arrived in Denver in September 2007 after he accepted a call to be senior pastor of Corona Presbyterian Church. Pastor Geiter's ministry began at Gateway Presbyterian Church in The Dalles, Oregon, which is in the north central part of the state. He was youth director at Gateway from 1983-1989. He attended Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California from 1989-1993. He received a call to Gateway as associate pastor and ministered there until coming to Corona.

Corona continues today as a faithful body of believers that offers a diverse worship experience to a multi-generational congregation. Sunday morning worship now includes a single service with a choir that leads the congregation in both traditional hymns and more contemporary praise songs. A Friday night contemporary praise service provides a casual environment for fellowship, worship and outreach. Christian education is offered for all ages, including an ever-changing series of challenging and timely topics for adults. An active youth program helps Corona's young people navigate adolescence and have fun while growing in their faith.