Gospel preaching echoes through the history of The World Church in Los Angeles. Christians began meeting as a church in Los Angeles back in 1962. Since then, The World Church has been a spiritual home for thousands of believers. The World Church has been instrumental in gospel preaching. It helped church planting efforts throughout North America. It even extended abroad.
World Missions Christian Fellowship selected their name carefully. They wanted to be open to the world. They aimed to support various missions within and outside the United States. The founders also desired to create a worship center for Africans and Nigerians.
The church registered as World Missions Christian Fellowship. They negotiated a venue for Sunday worship with Agape Christian Center in Van Nuys. Their service started at noon after the host church finished. Slow growth led to challenges because of the location. Their Sunday Service could only start after the host church’s service ended.
World Missions Christian Fellowship then moved to Westchester. This was to share a church facility on a rental basis with Marina Christian Center. The relocation gave The World Church the membership growth it needed. In December 2000, The World Church registered as a non-profit organization.
Later, The World Church purchased property in Athens, Los Angeles. Renovation started to create a multipurpose facility. It would consist of a sanctuary, a hall for multiple purposes, a pastor’s office, and a conference room. The property included a general-purpose office for ministers, a kitchen, restrooms and a parking lot.
Celebrating 15 years, The World Church launched a fundraising campaign for a larger facility. In 2015, they purchased a property in Torrance. It had multiple buildings and space to expand.
Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God in 1933. Armstrong’s church grew significantly. By the time of his death, it had over 100,000 members. Armstrong moved the headquarters to Pasadena in 1947. He founded a college to prepare young people for ministry careers. He bought mansions on Orange Grove Boulevard. The Hulett C. Merritt mansion became the entryway to Ambassador College. The college closed in 1997.
The HRock Church bought the Ambassador Auditorium. This saved it from demolition. Some buildings on the Orange Grove side of the campus were demolished. The Auditorium was once a preeminent performance space. Musical greats like Luciano Pavarotti graced its stage. The story of The World Church in Los Angeles reflects faith, growth, and adaptation.