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Church of the Open Door and The Bible Institute of Los Angeles

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Church of the Open Door and The Bible Institute of Los Angeles

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Identifier	clloy_054
Title	Church of the Open Door and The Bible Institute of Los Angeles
Creator	Unknown
Date Published	circa 1940
Subject (Topic)	Church buildings--California--Los Angeles; Bible colleges--California--Los Angeles; College buildings--California--Los Angeles; Evangelicalism--California--Los Angeles;
Subject (Name)	Biola University; Bible Institute of Los Angeles; Church of the Open Door (Los Angeles, Calif.);
Subject (Place)	Los Angeles (Calif.);
Type	image
Form/Genre	Postcards
Physical Description	1 postcard : b&w ; 9 x 14 cm.
Institution	Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University
Country of Creation	US
Copyright Status	public domain
Copyright Statement	http://library.lmu.edu/generalinformation/departments/digitallibraryprogram/copyrightandreproductionpolicy/
Language	eng
Description	An exterior view of the Church of the Open Door and Bible Institute of Los Angeles, with large neon signs reading, "Jesus Saves" at either end of the building.
Historical Background	The Bible Institute of Los Angeles (later renamed Biola University) was located on 550 South Hope Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It was founded in 1908 by Lyman Stewart, co-owner of the Union Oil Company of California, and T.C. Horton, a minister and Christian author. The Church of the Open Door, founded in 1915 as an interdenominational Evangelical church, held services in the Bible Institute's building. For many years, the 13 story building was the tallest building in downtown Los Angeles. Two large, neon signs on top of the building proclaiming "Jesus Saves" were a prominent part of the city's skyline, and Christian hymns played daily from the carillon atop the building. When Biola University relocated to La Mirada in 1959, the building was sold to the Church of the Open Door. In 1985, the Church of the Open Door moved to Glendora. The building was damaged during and earthquake, and despite attempts to save the historic building, it was demolished in the late 1980s.
Additional Printed Matter	On back: "Church of the Open Door and The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Sixth and Hope Street, Los Angeles; Seating capacity approximately 4000."
Source	Werner von Boltenstern Postcard Collection