knowing us through a glimpse at our history

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Founding Pastor Leonard C. Masted 

“On the 21st of December, 1948, during my morning devotions, the Lord spoke to me and made it clear that He desired a congregation among the Lutherans that would carry out His program for World Evangelization. 

A verse that came to me was Deut. 32:11 concerning the eagle that stirred up her nest. I interpreted this to mean that God was stirring up my nest and He wanted me to do some flying for Him. 

I thought of a church that would be established at a junction of two well-traveled highways, a church whose emphasis should be soul-winning at home and abroad. 

I felt this church should provide practical experience for many future missionaries. 

The very name of the church came to me, i.e., the Lutheran Missionary Church.” 

THE  ONE WHO BIRTHED THE CHURCH IS THE HOLY SPIRIT. HIS WORK IS TO ACCOMPLISH IN US AND THROUGHOUT THE EARTH THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST

THE MISSION OF THE GOD THROUGH CROSS AND CROWN TODAY REMAINS THE SAME AS THE ORIGIN VISION GIVEN TO THE FOUNDER. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

 A group of missionary-minded Lutherans met on March 1, 1949 at the Hans Boe home in South San Gabriel, under the leadership of the Rev. Leonard C. Masted, to discuss the possibility of organizing a Lutheran congregation with a missionary emphasis dedicated to the sending of the Gospel “to the uttermost parts of the earth.” 

On March 16, 1949 the Lutheran Missionary Church was organized at the Boe home with 26 members. 

On Palm Sunday, April 10 the first service was held in the Women’s Club building in San Gabriel. During the next few months services were held in various places in San Gabriel.

During the summer of 1949 the Montebello area was assigned to our congregation by the Regional Hone Mission Committee of the National Lutheran Council. A building at 108 South Tenth Street was rented for $150 per month, and on September 25, 1949 the first service in Montebello was held with 32 in attendance. 

It was during this time that the young evangelist Billy Graham held his eight-week evangelistic crusade in Los Angeles, and members of our congregation were active participants. They attended the evening meetings, the daytime children’s meetings, and sang in the crusade choir. It was a special time in Los Angeles and was a wonderful experience for our new church.

In September and October, 1950, services were held in a large tent used for interchurch evangelistic meetings. Then for one year—from October 22, 1950 through October 1951— the congregation worshiped in the beautiful chapel of the Montebello Mortuary (presently the Risher Mortuary) at 1316 Whittier Blvd. The proprietors at that time, Mr. and Mrs. Wells, kindly refused rental.

In October 1950 the congregation became a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Home Mission Department loaned us $7,000 to purchase a site, and $25,000 to build a church. 

On November 10, 1950 ground was broken for the present structure. With Hans Boe as builder, aided by volunteer labor of members and friends, the new church was dedicated on November 4, 1951. Membership then numbered 70 people.

The present parsonage at 417 E. Avenida de La Merced was built in 1955, also by Hans Boe and volunteers, and financed by a further loan of $15,000 from the ELC Home Mission Department.

Membership had reached 282 when Pastor Masted received a call to DeKalb, Illinois. He conducted his farewell service on October 27, 1957.     

In 1950 we joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Later the ELC merged with other Lutheran synods to became the American Lutheran Church. But in 1988 when the ALC became part of the new Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we voted to not join them. 

For the next 28 years we remained an independent Lutheran congregation until 2016 when we were accepted into the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC).

In 1961 the name of our church was changed from Lutheran Missionary Church to Cross and Crown Lutheran Church.

In 1977 one of our members, Mrs. Lupe Hyssong, was instrumental in beginning a pre-school at our church. The Cross and Crown Christian Preschool came into being on September 6 of that year and continued for the next 40 years until it closed in 2017. 

From the very beginning, our church has been focused on missions.  

When we first began, we had a full schedule on Sundays.  We started our day with Sunday School and adult Bible class, then the morning worship service, then the 4 o’clock missionary meeting, and finally the evening evangelistic service. Every Sunday! After some time it changed to having a missionary meeting just once a month. 

Some of our members who did not live close to our church would bring picnic lunches and stay the whole day. The missionary meetings were wonderful and throughout the years we had many well-known missionaries as our speakers. Corrie Ten Boom was one of them in those early days, before she became famous!

Many missionaries have gone out from our church over the years, from the very beginning. We have helped support many of them financially. Missions still is a big part of our church. 

During the times when we have been without a pastor we have been blessed by having guest speakers, some for just a Sunday or two and others for a lengthier time. 

These have included our own member Frank Guerra, who had the opportunity to take a summer course of study at the AFLC Seminary in Minneapolis. Others have been Pastor Avalon Sookdeo, Pastor Emmanuel Henry John, and Pastor Thomas Wyatt.

(Jesus' shepherds caring for His flock) 

Pastor Waldo L. Ellickson

February 5, 1958 to March 31 1967

Our second pastor came to us from Albany, Oregon with his wife Dagny and five children—Esther, Margaret, Arthur, John and Richard. 

During Pastor Ellickson’s nine years here, the following initiatives are especially remembered: the promotion of the Truth for Youth program in Montebello; the Bible conferences, especially on prophecy; the summer family Bible camps at Crestline, which were begun through the initiative of Pastor Ellickson with two other organizers; the anti-communism crusade; and his part in the movement within the ALC to discontinue membership in the World Council of Churches. 

Mrs. Ellickson was our organist and the whole talented family was very active in music ministry and other areas of our congregation.  

In 1966 a Christian Education Building was constructed at a cost of $30,000. In 1967 Pastor Ellickson accepted a call to Ascension Lutheran Church in San Francisco.

Pastor John Johnson

August 13, 1967 to June 15, 1969

Our third called pastor was Rev. John L Johnson. 

The Johnson family had served as World Mission Prayer League missionaries to Ecuador for 15 years. Because Mrs. Johnson had been injured in a severe automobile accident, the family had to stay on in the States for her recuperation and Pastor Johnson accepted the call to serve here until his wife Audrey was ready to return to Ecuador. 

Audrey and their five children (Gloria, David, Linda, Susan and Beth) were very much involved in the ministry of our church. 

Special events were the summer trips of the Luther Leaguers into Mexico.  Shortly after leaving our church the Johnsons returned to Ecuador. 

Pastor Anders L. S. Mathre

August 3, 1969 to October 1982

Pastor Mathre was our fourth pastor. 

He, his wife Synnove and their four children—Carroll, Lydia, Naomi and Timothy—came to us from Renton, Washington where they had served Renton Lutheran Church for the past ten years. 

Pastor Mathre served as dean of the Rose Bowl Conference of the ALC for several years, also serving as chaplain on the police force. 

The whole Mathre family was active in our congregation. 

Mrs. Synnove Mathre had a profound impact on the life of the congregation as well as on other churches in the area through her music ministry, her involvement with the ALC Women, and her work with the Bible School Auxiliary. 

Interim Pastor - Leonard C. Masted 

Oct 1982 to Sept 1983

Pastor Masted served after Pastor Mathre retired from active pastoral ministry, from mid-October 1982 until the second week of September, 1983

Pastor Thomas B.  Lamb

September 18, 1983 to June 15 1997.

Pastor Lamb was our fifth regularly-called pastor. 

Besides his pastoral duties, he spent a great deal of time helping out in our church school. He was actively involved in the founding of the Montebello Pregnancy Care Center, and helped in preparations for community events such as the National Day of Prater in Montebello. 

In 1990 Pastor Lamb married Debra Estrada, a teacher in our school, who later became director.    They had two children, Michael and Mark. 

They left our congregation on June 15, 1997. 

Pastor Lamb presently is pastor of an Assembly of God church in Needles, California.

Pastor Paul Kwok

In 1985 

Pastor Kwok had previously served as a Lutheran pastor in Hong Kong, was installed as Associate Pastor of Chinese Ministries. 

Worship services were held in our sanctuary each Sunday following the English services. 

Pastor Kwok, his wife Lillian, and sons Luther and Timothy continued on in this calling until 1990, when he retired. 

Mr. Xavier  Peña

July 1988

Mr. Pena of Cuenca, Ecuador, a student at the Lutheran Bible Institute in Anaheim, was called and ordained by our congregation to serve in Hispanic ministry. 

Together with his wife Aracely and their four children (José, Aralis, Carolina and Jessica), Pastor  Peña served here for a period of two years until their return to Ecuador on July 8, 1990. 

Pastor Lamb graciously offered to share the parsonage with them, as he was unmarried at the time. 

Interim Pastor John N. Ottesen

June 1997 - January 1999

Pastor Ottesen was a retired missionary who served in Bangladesh and Ecuador during the years 1956 to 1991, and was installed by Pastor Lamb on June 15, 1997. 

After serving for one and a half years, in January 1999 he began inviting guest speakers to fill the pulpit each Sunday.

Pastor David Whitworth

August 2003 - December 2004

Pastor Whitwoth was called to be our sixth regularly-called pastor and was ordained and installed on August 31, 2003. 

He left in December 2004.                                                                         .

Pastor Timothy Dean Hansen

February 2006 to April 19, 2015

Pastor Timothy came to us after many years of missionary service in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Argentina and finally Brazil. 

His seminary training was at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary in Tacoma, Washington. 

Pastor Hansen was called to our congregation as our seventh regularly-called pastor, and in February 2006 he and his wife Athista came and were here for over ten years. 

He faithfully served our congregation and was a true example for us all. His fluency in Spanish was a big help in his ministry. 

He passed away from pancreatic cancer on February 11, 2019. 

Pastor Timothy was a man of conviction, love, courage, and zeal. His trumpet playing was extraordinary. 

We were truly blessed to have such a godly man serve us and we thank God for the years we had with him.

Pastor Per Anderson

February 2024 - present 

Pastor Anderson was installed as our eighth pastor on February 11, 2024. 

We rejoice that God has answered our prayers and has led him and Renee to Cross and Crown! 

We are looking forward to this new chapter in the life of our congregation! 

Throughout the years our congregation has welcomed other congregations to use our church’s facilities. Some have been for just a short time, and others for many years. We are happy that we have been able to help them in this way.

Zion Gospel Mission

In 1991 we welcomed Pastor Michael Lee to hold worship services in our sanctuary for his Korean congregation following our morning services. 

On December 31, 1988, after seven years of meeting in our church, Pastor Lee retired and the members went to their mother church in Korea Town.

Lighthouse Christian Fellowship

Dr. James Padgett organized a congregation, which began meeting in our church on November 24, 1999 and continued on through 2001, moving to a new location at the beginning of 2002.

Iglesia Bethel

An Assembly of God congregation, used our facilities for ten months in 2004-2005. Daniel D. Carreto was the pastor.

Luz Para Las Naciones

The Spanish congregation  used our church’s facilities for several years on Sundays and Thursdays from August 2006. 

Their pastor was José Castillo. They moved to East Los Angeles in 2013. 

Praise Chapel Montebello 

used our building for their services on Sunday and Wednesday evenings during the years 2011-2016. 

They were led by Pastor and Mrs. Mario Moreno. 

The name of their church was changed to Restoration Community Church.

House of Healing 

was a Messianic group that used our facilities on Saturdays from 2013 until fairly recently.

Iglesia Fraternidad Cristiana

is a Spanish congregation, began meeting in our facilities in 2013. 

They have had several pastors over the years: Pastor David Gutierrez, Josue Jordan, Ermer Valverde, and Nelson Cruz, the present pastor. 

They have grown and become a thriving congregation in our community.

Shalom Christian Church 

In 2017 this fellowship began to meet here on Sunday evenings. 

Brother Jesse Carlos is the layman who leads the group. 

From the very beginning, many of our members have become missionaries.  

Besides supporting them with our prayers, we have helped to financially support many of them as well. At the present time our congregation helps in the financial support of two: 

Joshua and Ruthie (Lee) Wagner

Ruthie is a third-generation missionary and grew up in Bangladesh. 

As a child she attended Cross and Crown with her family (Bob and Margaret Lee family) while they were home on furlough. 

At Bible school, God called her to love people by giving them His Word in the languages they know best. 

Ruthie met her husband Josh at a Bible translation meeting and they married in 2009. 

From 2013-2020, they worked with Lutheran Bible Translators, doing Bible Translation and Scripture Engagement in Sierra Leone, Africa. Due to health reasons, they returned home and presently live in Northfield, Minnesota. 

Josh now works as the Business Manager for the LCMS Minnesota South District. 

Ruthie continues working with Lutheran Bible Translators as a Translation Advisor and Exegete working with translation programs in Tanzania, particularly with the Kerewe Bible Translation Program, located on Ukerewe Island on Lake Victoria. 

She primarily works remotely from Minnesota and travels to Tanzania a couple of times a year for workshops. She teaches and trains Bible translators using technologies such as YouTube, Zoom, and WhatsApp. 

Ruthie also serves as the Archive Curator for Lutheran Bible Translators. The Wagners have four children—Elijah, Isaiah, Josiah, and Elizabeth. https://lbt.org/missionary/ruthie-and-josh-wagner/ 

A and R 

have been supported by our congregation for many years. 

"R" attended our church as a child when her family was home on furlough from Asia, as well as during her college years at Biola. 

They were married in our church in 1981, and first went to Asia where they served for several years under the World Mission Prayer League. Later they became aid workers in another Asian country, working with an international Christian development organization. 

"A" was involved in many community projects such as building micro-hydroelectricity plants in remote villages; building self-composting latrines; digging wells; piping safe spring water to the villages; teaching better farming methods; providing better seeds; and bringing in different breeds of chickens for improved egg and meat production. 

"R" is a registered nurse and worked alongside the community development teams doing health education and other training such as clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; treating and preventing childhood malnutrition; teaching Birth Life Saving Skills; adult literacy classes; savings groups; tailoring training; and children's health groups. At present, 

"A and R" are working to help refugees find homes in other countries.

John and Hannah Lee 

work in Brazil with the Association of Free Lutheran Churches. Pastor John is a teacher at the seminary. They have six children—Bethany, Eliza, Ayda, Annie, John and Jeff.

Matthew and Ednay Abel 

have started a new work in Paraguay, Esperanza Viva. They are with the Association of Free Lutheran Churches. 

D and  J 

work in Asia with the World Mission Prayer League. They have two children. 

K and Y 

live in Nigeria and serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL. 

Just now they are at the Canadian Institute of Linguistics where he is attending the grammar workshop. He is working on the Bura language. 

L and R 

are working with the World Mission Prayer League in the Philippines doing Bible translation. They have five children. 

They are presently home on furlough and he is working on his Master’s thesis. 

She needs our prayers as she receives treatment for breast cancer.