A pastor who guided his Santa Maria Valley church through a period of growth while eliminating its debt was recognized Tuesday night by the Santa Maria City Council.
Pastor Richard Bloom from the Pacific Christian Center in Orcutt received a proclamation recognizing his tenure, which spanned 22 years in Santa Maria and 53 years overall.
“It is with tremendous honor to be able to give this proclamation to a man that has been so dear to me and my family, who has covered this whole entire city with his prayers and with his goodness, helping those that weren’t able to help themselves,” Councilwoman Etta Waterfield said.
“Pastor Bloom, you are an amazing amazing man, and knowing that you’re in God’s will and you have done His work and will continue to do it, it’s such an honor to be able to give you this proclamation,” Waterfield said.
The proclamation described Bloom as “a man who genuinely cares about everyone in this community.”
She also noted the improved condition of the church. When he joined the staff, the church had an attendance of 276, a number that since has grown to 1,700.
He also led the church into eliminating its huge debt and helped launch programs to help the community.
Bloom served as a Santa Maria Police Department chaplain for a significant period of time, according to Councilman Mike Cordero, a retired police lieutenant.
“For me personally, your gifts and your guidance that you gave as a police chaplain were very, very much appreciated,” Cordero said.
Bloom was among the faith leaders to always answer Mayor Alice Patino’s call for help, she added.
Bloom’s retirement plans follow an accident in which he broke his hip and shoulder several weeks ago.
“I know that even though this is a retirement proclamation, you have no intention of retiring,” Waterfield told Bloom. “You’re like the Apostle Paul — you will go until you can’t go anymore.”
Several members of his congregation were in the audience for the presentation and gave Bloom a standing ovation.
“It’s been a privilege to serve in this town,” Bloom said.
He noted the support of his family, including his late wife of 49 years, Jan, who died nearly four years ago, and his current wife, Karen Ramer.
He said they plan to travel around Southern California, where he will speak at other churches.
“What I’m going to do is I’m going to do what I want to do,” he said. “I’m not going to do what I have to do, and it’s going to be a wonderful time in my life.”
Pacific Christian Center sits on 12½ acres at 3435 Santa Maria Way, with the large facility used for many of memorial services that are expected to draw huge crowds, such as for fallen firefighters or law enforcement officers.
In addition to the church, Pacific Christian also is home to an elementary school.
The church, based on tenets of faith of the Assemblies of God, has deep roots in the Santa Maria Valley since its founding in 1937.
Before arriving in Santa Maria, Bloom served as senior pastor for churches in Chula Vista, Bloomington, Poway, San Diego and Cardiff by the Sea.
The long-time pastor admitted the support presented to him Tuesday night proved tempting, even as he talked retirement.
“With all these folks from the church here, I feel like I want to take an offering, but I probably shouldn’t,” he said Tuesday, as the crowd laughed.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
