wfn.org | Church Growth Strategy Team Visits Southern California

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7-July-1998 
98217 
    Church Growth Strategy Team Visits Southern California 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
    and Betty Meadows 
 
LOS ANGELES-Continuing the information gathering that is taking it all over 
the United States and Puerto Rico, the Presbyterian Church's Church Growth 
Strategy Team recently spent four days in southern California. 
 
    During its Los Angeles-based visit the team traveled to four churches 
to see their outreach ministries firsthand and spoke with pastors of other 
churches and staff members from the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii 
and from the presbyteries in the region. 
 
    The Church Growth Strategy Team was appointed last year by the General 
Assembly Council to devise a strategy to reverse the membership decline in 
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  After losing an average of more than 
30,000 members per year over the last 20 years, the denomination lost just 
over 20,000 in 1997.  Membership, which stood at 4.1 million at the time of 
reunion in 1983, is currently 2.6 million. 
 
    The team began its visit at Grace Presbyterian Church of Paramount in 
Los Ranchos Presbytery.  Served by the Rev. Steve Yamaguchi, the 123-member 
congregation is a multi-ethnic blend of Korean, African-American, Hispanic 
and Japanese Presbyterians.  Worship includes music from around the world 
and youth are especially active, assisting with home Communion and hospital 
calls. 
 
    The team next visited Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles 
(Pacific Presbytery), which houses three congregations - the multi-ethnic 
congregation (which includes Anglos and people from East India, the 
Philippines, El Salvador and various African countries) plus Korean and 
Ethiopian fellowships.  Sunday services for the multi-ethnic congregation 
are conducted in English and Spanish.  More than 800 young people attend 
various youth programs during the week.  The 260-member church is pastored 
by the Rev. Frank Alton. 
 
    Westminster Presbyterian Church of Temple City in San Gabriel 
Presbytery, served by the Rev. Doug Edwards, houses three other 
congregations - an independent Anglo church, an Arabic fellowship and a 
Chinese church - all of whom meet on Sunday.  The Arabic fellowship will 
soon be chartered as a Presbyterian church. 
 
    The group's final visit was to a 900-member Armenian fellowship, led by 
the Rev. Berdj Djambazian, that is housed in the Glendale Presbyterian 
Church in San Fernando Presbytery.  The ministry focuses on helping 
Armenian immigrants to the United States make the transition to their new 
country. 
 
    Local officials who conferred with the committee painted a picture of a 
region rich in diversity but challenging for church developers.  The Rev. 
Randy Lee, an evangelist in San Gabriel Presbytery, told the team that 
membership in the presbytery is 70 percent Anglo while the general 
population in the presbytery is only 30 percent Anglo.  Recently chartered 
congregations are Arabic, Thai, Korean and Taiwanese.  New church 
development probes are under way with fellowships of Chinese, Hispanic, 
Cantonese, Brazilian and Filipino Presbyterians.  Services are conducted in 
12 different languages on any given Sunday in San Gabriel Presbytery. 
 
    The Rev. Ernesto Hernandez, coordinator of Hispanic ministry for the 
Synod of Southern California and Hawaii, talked about some of the 
challenges of reaching the Hispanic population of the region, though there 
are 27 Hispanic Presbyterian churches in southern California. 
 
    Integration of Hispanic Presbyterians into existing churches is 
particularly difficult.  The Rev. Daniel Beleta, associate pastor of Canoga 
Park Presbyterian Church in San Fernando Presbytery, described the 
challenges of that congregation: two pastors - one Anglo and one Hispanic, 
two worship services in two different languages, and one session. 
 
    To a denomination that is accustomed to thinking of transitional 
neighborhoods as shifting from Anglo to African American, the situation in 
the Los Angeles basin comes as a shock.  According to the Rev. Timm Cyrus, 
pastor of Angeles Mesa Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, the Watts 
section of the city, long considered an African-American stronghold in the 
city, is now predominantly Hispanic. 
 
    What this rich tapestry of ever-changing communities means for the 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), said the Rev. Bryce Little, executive 
presbyter for San Gabriel Presbytery, "is that presbyteries need to be more 
pro-active" in their church growth efforts.  Presbyteries need to be more 
aware of the changes that are going on in their communities and "actively 
look for opportunities to plant new churches," he said, adding that fully 
two-thirds of the Presbyterian churches in San Gabriel Presbytery share 
their facilities with other congregations or emerging fellowship groups. 
 
    Leadership training is also crucial, said Cyrus.  "It is critical to 
train the masses about the changing culture.  Train for the transition. 
Train elders and deacons.  Reality is here." 
 
    At its next meeting, July 29-Aug. 1, the Church Growth Strategy Team 
will visit rural churches in upstate New York. 
 
(The Rev. Betty Meadows is executive presbyter for Louisville Presbytery 
and a member of the Church Growth Strategy Team.) 

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