Spencer England

Spencer England began his career in 1949 with the Presbyterian Church when he left his position at UCLA to become the first Assistant Manager for the Synod's Pacific Palisades Conference Center.Spencer then worked with the Synod to ask Nelson Ross, a colleague from UCLA and La Canada, to become the Synod's first Manager for Conference Facilities.
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Nelson and Spencer worked together for nearly 20 years before Spencer was suddenly fired.
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Two days later, when the Camp and Conference Committee found out that Spencer had been fired, the Committee fired Nelson and asked Spencer to serve as the Synod's second Manager for Camps and Conference Ministry.
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Two days later, when the Camp and Conference Committee found out that Spencer had been fired, the Committee fired Nelson and asked Spencer to serve as the Synod's second Manager for Camps and Conference Ministry.
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Spencer continued to live until retirement in Pacific Palisades.He was remembered by many as the one who, in the 1960's, stood in the midst of a fire that threatened to destroy the property and prayed for God to save the camp.The firefighters fought to save the property and when the fire was extinguished, only a metal shed had been damaged.The fire had passed over the camp.

During Spencer's 30 years of service, he was instrumental in developing the four conference centers.Wylie Woods became the focus for the Synod's Men's Ministry, Big Bear Lake became the youth center and Pacific Palisades grew to serve all ages.In the early 1960's, Spencer worked with Nelson Ross to clear the way for the Synod to purchase a 257 acre site north of Goleta from Louise Evans, a Presbyterian member who wanted her property used for the whole church.
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To begin this plan, Spencer added to the existing buildings of the Stone House and Orchard House built by President Herbert Hoover as the west coast White House.
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Spencer was never able to fully develop the vision for Rancho La Scherpa.

During his 32 years of Synod work, Spenny was also the first Office Manager for the Synod office.He retired in the early 1980's to Westminster Gardens where he continued to support each of his successors, praying with and for them and the ministry they loved.As the 2000 Synod Assembly, Spenny was honored as one of the first recipients of the Dove Award, a special award for visionary leadership and long commitment to serving Camp & Conference Ministry, one he treasured until his death on January 24th.

In tribute to Spenny's three decade long commitment to our churches, Camp & Conference Ministry has named the first new building at Rancho La Scherpa (first new building to be built by the Ministry since Spenny directed the construction of Rancho La Scherpa) after him in honor of his work.