Picture the scene. It is January 12 1969. A group of Orthodox Christians gather determined to expand their faith in the San Fernando Valley. This marks the beginning of St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church.
St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church started serving Orthodox Christians in Van Nuys. It was the vision of dedicated people wanting to broaden Orthodox Christianity. They aimed to establish an Antiochian Orthodox parish. With their Archbishop’s blessing, they planned their first liturgy for January 12.
Initially, they scheduled space at the Mid Valley YMCA. Families enrolled. A church school was staffed. A choir was formed. Arrangements were made for a temporary priest. But fate had other plans.
Dr. Edward Deeb made available a Methodist Church property. It was located at 16643 Vanowen Street. The first Divine Liturgy took place on January 12 1969. It was not at the YMCA. It was in a church building. Reverend Paul Romley officiated. Faithful families supported the church. They purchased the property. It consisted of 1.25 acres of land. It had an A-framed church. It included a two-story fellowship hall and parking.
The number of supporting families grew rapidly. It went from 10 in November 1968 to 80 by March 1969. The Sunday School had 34 children. SOYO, the youth organization, had 25 families. St. Michael Church holds a unique distinction. Metropolitan PHILIP consecrated it. It became a full-status Orthodox Church. It did so without starting as a mission.
The Parish’s Articles of Incorporation and By-laws were created. They were filed with California’s Secretary of State. A founding Board of Trustees was elected. Dr. Edward Deeb became President. Louis Aboud became Vice President. Adele Adams became Secretary. Jake Thomas became Treasurer.
His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP assigned Fr. John Reinhold. He came from St. Nicholas Cathedral. He served as the temporary pastor. He officiated at subsequent liturgies. This continued until a full-time priest was found. Fr. John served St. Michael for ten years. He was its first full-time assigned pastor.
Over the years, the community grew. Larger facilities were needed. These included a new church, classrooms, and a fellowship hall. The church acquired additional property. It purchased two multi-family apartment parcels. These were located east of the church. This increased the church property to 3.1 acres.
Through donations and fundraising, the new properties were paid off. The mortgage was burned in 1984. A Building Committee initiated a master plan. It planned for a new church complex. This would include a church sanctuary. It would have an assembly hall and multi-story parking structure. In 1987, Los Angeles approved the project. It was to be completed in phases. The assembly hall was first.
Michael Malouf negotiated a financial plan with Bank Audi of California. This plan was for the assembly hall. It consisted of a large kitchen and banquet room. It had classrooms, meeting rooms, office spaces, and a chapel. Michael Malouf and his father, Jack Malouf, managed the project. The St. Michael Fellowship Hall was completed. It opened on September 1 1995. In 2006, the Parish Council retired the hall’s mortgage. They used reserve funds including the Ted Haddad Estate memorial gift.
Construction began again on April 9 2018. The A-frame church structure was dismantled. A concrete foundation was poured. Steel columns and beams were placed. This formed a permanent Byzantine church structure. Michael Malouf volunteered as Project Manager. Harris Valle assisted as Construction Manager. The 8400 square foot Byzantine church structure was completed.
The project cost 4.33 million dollars. It included partial exterior landscaping. It had iron fencing and parking lot improvements. St. Michael Church received its Certificate of Occupancy. The City of Los Angeles issued it on April 3 2023.
Today, St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church stands as a testament. It shows the community’s dedication and faith. It began with a small group. It has grown into a spiritual home. The address is 16643 Vanowen Street. You are welcome to experience the Divine Liturgy. It is on Sundays at 10:00 AM. Great Vespers is on Saturdays at 5:00 PM.