A Sweet and Sacred Sound

Just up the road from the center of town and Old Topanga Canyon Road, people can hear the Topanga Christian Fellowship church bell ring. Since the pandemic and lockdowns last year, on March 22, 2020, the good folks at the church have made it their mission to ring the bell every morning to let the community know the church is praying for everyone’s wellbeing and safety and against this unpredictable virus. The hefty 250-pound bell has an interesting history. In 1951, a furniture dealer named Streeter Blair, of Leucadia, CA, presented the bell to the church. It was from a Dutch church in Pennsylvania, and before that, in Europe. No one knows how old the bell is, but it has been in the church for 70 years and is still going strong. The church was built in 1942 and is a California Point of Historic Interest. Services were regularly held every Sunday until the pandemic forced its closure. Even so, services were held monthly until the last major lockdown of December 2020, but hopes are to resume outdoor services on Sunday, March 7. Check social media for updates. In the meantime, may many ears hear the bell chiming, giving joy and encouragement. The major bell ringers include Ron Denend, Pardeep Joshi, Patricia Moore, Ellie Carroll, and “Diamond� (Keun Muk Ohm), who has faithfully tended the orchids every Sunday for many years. Upon invitation, many other Topangans, who have enjoyed pulling the rope and hearing the bell ring above them, were not too far short of ecstatic over the experience. Those who live too far away to hear the bell ring can enjoy it by searching “Topanga Church Bells Chime Daily,� or at: youtube.com/watch?v=L_T5nwMk9zs.Blessings to all! Stay Safe! Topanga Christian Fellowship Church 269 Old Topanga Canyon Road 310.455.1048 TopangaChristianFellowship.org