About
Learn more about who we are, what we believe, and what it’s like to gather with us.
A Brief History
Back in the spring of 1962, a small group of seeking Christians gathered in a home near downtown Los Angeles for the first time as the church in Los Angeles. They came together with one simple yet precious goal in view: to praise the Lord Jesus, experience Him as their life, and enjoy fellowship together.
Fast-forward over sixty years and the church in Los Angeles is now made up of hundreds of believers across the city from all backgrounds. While the church has increased in number, its aim has remained the same. We’re a group of Christians who love the Lord Jesus, treasure His Word, and gladly proclaim all aspects of the common Christian faith.
Today, we remain committed to knowing the Lord and to making Him known in our daily lives. As members of His Body, we encourage one another in the Christian life, serve our communities, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with those around us.
What We Believe
We hold the Christian faith which is common to all believers (Titus 1:4; Jude 3).
The bible
Our belief is based on the Holy Bible, which is the word of God written under His inspiration word by word (2 Tim. 3:16) and which contains the complete divine revelation.
god
God is uniquely one (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4b; Isa. 45:5a), yet a Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, who coexist simultaneously, from eternity to eternity, and are each fully God (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
Christ
Eternally Christ is the only begotten Son in the Godhead (John 1:1, 18). In time He became a genuine human being through incarnation (John 1:14). He is like us in all respects, yet He is without sin (Heb. 4:15; 1 John 3:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:22). Christ is complete God and perfect man, possessing both the divine nature and the human nature.
The Work of Christ
In dying on the cross for our sins, Christ accomplished an eternal redemption for us (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:12). After His resurrection He ascended bodily to the Father and was exalted as Lord of all (Acts 5:31; 10:36). We eagerly await His return as the Bridegroom for His church and as the King of kings (John 3:29; Rev. 19:7; Rev. 11:15; 19:16).
Salvation
Every human being is constituted a sinner by birth and by action (Rom. 5:19, 12). Whoever repents to God and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is forgiven, redeemed, justified, and regenerated, and they become a child of God and a member of Christ (Acts 2:38; John 3:16; John 1:12; 1 Cor. 12:27).
The Church
God produced the church, the Body of Christ (Eph. 3:10; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:24), composed of all believers in Christ. His intention is that this universal Body be practically manifested on the earth as local churches, each encompassing all the believers in a given city (Acts 2:44; 8:1).
For Visitors
We warmly welcome you to the church in Los Angeles. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, contact us. We’d be happy to help.
Absolutely. Attending a Sunday meeting is not the only way to have fellowship with us. If you leave your contact information, we will gladly reach out in whatever way is most comfortable for you.
Yes. Ministering to families, including children and teenagers, is an important part of our care for the next generation. Most of our meeting venues have comfortable facilities for children and teens, and we typically have age-appropriate classes or sessions each week. Learn more about our Children and Young People on the Community page.
You should expect a warm welcome and to meet some joyful Christians. We love to sing with our heart to the Lord and to speak to one another in psalms and hymns (Eph. 5:19). Our meetings are often filled with expressions of praise such as “Hallelujah!”, “Amen!”, and “O Lord Jesus!” as we rejoice in the Lord (Psa. 100:1; 1 Thes. 5:16; Phil. 2:11).
If your worship style is more meditative, you will also feel comfortable meeting with us. We are not committed to any particular outward form, practice, or liturgy. Our desire is simply to worship the Lord in spirit and truthfulness (John 4:24).
We have no dress code, and we simply encourage you to be led by the Spirit in all things (Rom. 8:14).
We do not have a single pastor who leads the church. We believe God’s intention is that all His believers would serve Him as priests (1 Pet. 2:5). Every Christian has the privilege and capacity to contact God, worship Him, be filled with Him, pray to Him, speak for Him, and represent Him (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 14:31; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rom. 1:9).
Christ has also given gifts to the Body, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers (Eph. 4:11). There are many who serve as shepherds and teachers among us, including the elders of the church, along with others who have the spiritual gift of shepherding and teaching (1 Pet. 5:1-3; Acts 20:28).
Our church members use many different Bible translations in their personal reading and study. When we gather together, however, we often find it helpful to use the same text—the Recovery Version.
The Recovery Version is an accurate translation from the original Hebrew and Greek, accompanied by outlines, cross references, and study notes that help readers understand the Scriptures. It is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., and is used by Christians around the world.
If you would like to receive a free copy of the New Testament Recovery Version or learn more about it, please visit Bibles for America.
We are not part of any denomination. We follow the New Testament pattern of believers gathering according to the city in which they live (see Acts 8:1; 13:1; Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:2). Because we live in Los Angeles, we meet simply as the church in Los Angeles. As the church in Los Angeles, we receive all the believers in Los Angeles, just as Christ has received us (Rom. 15:7).
We have a rich fellowship with thousands of other local churches throughout the world to express the one Body of Christ. Members of the church frequently visit other local churches, both locally and internationally. We also gather regularly for regional, national, and international conferences and trainings with believers from many places. These gatherings give us the opportunity to experience more of the “breadth and length and height and depth” of the Body of Christ (Eph. 3:18).
Witness Lee and Watchman Nee are two of the most influential Christian ministers of the 20th century and the church in Los Angeles has been a beneficiary of their ministry since our inception in 1962. They both stress the same general theme of the Christian’s experience of Christ as life for the building up of the Body of Christ.
Watchman Nee (1903–1972) was an influential Chinese Christian author, teacher, and church leader whose writings have been translated into many languages and are appreciated by Christians around the world. His best-known book, The Normal Christian Life, has become a Christian classic. In 2009, his life and contribution to Christianity were recognized in the United States Congressional Record, and Christianity Today named him one of the one hundred most influential Christians of the twentieth century.
Witness Lee (1905-1997) was a prolific speaker and writer whose ministry produced and served over three thousand local churches worldwide. His Life-study of the Bible comprises over 25,000 pages of commentary on every book of the Bible from the perspective of the believers’ enjoyment and experience of God’s divine life. In 2014, his life and ministry were recognized in the United States Congressional Record.
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