West Los Angeles Holiness Church

Can you feel the echoes of fervent prayers? Prayers whispered in a small house near 36th Place and Denker Street. Those prayers birthed the West Los Angeles Holiness Church. West Los Angeles Holiness Church started in 1955. But its roots go back to 1921. A group of young Japanese men and women, mostly immigrants, felt a calling. They yearned for a spiritual home, a place to pray for the salvation of Japanese immigrants in America. The Los Angeles Holiness Church was their answer. This small house, west of USC’s central Los Angeles campus, became their sanctuary. The West Los Angeles Holiness Church we see today grew from this humble beginning. By 1936, these early gatherings had spread across West Angeles, laying the groundwork for the official establishment of West Los Angeles Holiness Church in 1955. The church’s connection to the Oriental Missionary Society (OMS) adds another layer to its story. OMS itself began in 1901 in a storefront building in Tokyo. American missionaries, Charles and Lettie Cowman (author of “Streams in the Desert”), collaborated with Japanese minister Juji Nakada. Together they held Christian evangelistic meetings for an incredible 2,000 consecutive nights. The West Los Angeles Holiness Church stands as a testament to the power of prayer, the dedication of early members, and a vision that spanned continents. The church continues to serve both English and Japanese-speaking congregations. It’s a vibrant blend of cultures and generations. The West Los Angeles Holiness Church isn’t just a building. It is a living testament to a journey of faith. It began with a prayer in a small house. Now it has flourished into a beacon of hope and community.