Many years ago, the El Cajon congregation thought it would be nice to get together for singing and fellowship, like a mini-camp before Camp in the summer. The “first” Pine Valley gathering was actually held at a Boy Scout Camp in Julian, CA. It was a rustic camp site… very rustic… too rustic. They had to do the cooking and cleaning, etc., but it was cheap!
Fern Boleratz (Sakach) was working for a dentist, who through conversation one day told her about the Pine Valley Bible Conference Center located in Pine Valley, CA… and so it began!
The first Pine Valley Retreat was held in 1975. The theme was “Victorious Life” – guest speaker, Bro. Fred Gonglach.
The churches of El Cajon, Pico Rivera, and Phoenix were the main supporters of the new “retreat”.
Excerpts and Comments:
Fern Boleratz: “Singing is a legacy… keep on singing!! Praise and Worship songs have beautiful words, but don’t give up on the hymns with four-part harmony”.
Walter Meister from El Cajon wrote the lessons annually.
The El Cajon church hosted the retreat for years, which made sense at the time, seeing that they were the closest in proximity to Pine Valley (30 miles).
The “All California Choir,” which we still enjoy today, grew out of this retreat gathering.