Arvid F. Carlson

CARLSON-Arvid F. Carlson, beloved pastor of the Pasadena Evangelical Mission Covenant Church for many years, died peacefully in Santa Cruz on June 22, 2006, at the age of 94. Arvid was born in Sweden in 1912, orphaned at the age of 8, and came to America in 1920. Graduating from Biola College in Los Angeles (which later conferred on him an honorary doctorate), he took on his first church for the Evangelical Mission Covenant denomination in Eagle Rock, moving on to ministries in Garyton, Indiana, then back to California for a decade long ministry in Pasadena before retiring from a pastorate with the Evangelical Free Church in Santa Cruz, California in 1971. He was an active member of the evangelical Christian community throughout his life -one of the first "TV" preachers, providing a 3 minute "sermonette" on an early TV program, "The Campus Christian Hour," produced by Ralph Carmichael in Southern California. However, he was the embodiment of the s aying, "A sermon is best seen, not heard." He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Linnea, and three children (Linda Bergthold of Santa Cruz, Pam Leland Burnham of Santa Cruz and Charles Carlson of San Mateo), five grandchildren (Dyana Leland Feldmeyer, Matt Leland, and Lara, Eric and Alex Bergthold) and one great-grandchild, Caid Nicholas Bergthold. A Memorial Service will be held August 5th at Mission Springs Conference Center in Scotts Valley.