One of Burbank’s oldest churches is getting a $4.5-million upgrade. Members of First Presbyterian Church celebrated the major overhaul of their main sanctuary at 521 E. Olive St. on Sunday.
“The structure of the church is very sound, so it is a matter of taking out things that are old and tired and now un-useful for us,” said Ross Purdy, who has been a pastor at the church since 2001.
The project has been in the works since 2004, with fundraising kicking off earlier this summer, Purdy said. So far, church members have contributed more than $1.1 million toward a fundraising goal of $2.5 million.
The balance of the $4.5-million tab will be covered by the sale of a secondary church property and a loan, Purdy said.
“Our water pipes are 60 years old,” Purdy said. “Our electrical is very outdated. We have a worship space that is becoming darker and darker — as lights go out, we can’t replace them because of the [aging electrical infrastructure].”
