ChurchNews
Agape Church of Los Angeles Worship Center: Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center 4305 Degnan Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Pastor Shep Crawford Launches Organization to Quell Gang Killings
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n response to the uptick of shootings and killings in Los Angeles, Pastor Shep Crawford, hosted over 100 rival current and ex-gang members for a mediation lunch that included guest speakers Councilman Curren Price, Minister Tony Muhammad and radio personality Dominique DiPrima. “I am president of an organization called “United We Stand Up”, which is an alliance of ex-gang bangers who have come together from different sets in the neighborhood on the east side of Los Angeles to talk peace,” said Crawford. “Before the pandemic we were able to actually have rival gangs sit down. Two of them who had 45 years of beef and since then there’s been no killings from those two particular tribes and so our mission is to do more. “We as pastors, law enforcement can’t go in there and stop those wars. The OGs and the ones who are about that life can, so my job is to serve and to get behind them and push their agenda of peace.” The event was held as the official launch of United We Stand Up. Crawford, who pastors the Experience Christian Ministries, was opened up to such opportunities after delivering the eulogy at the funeral of Nipsey Hussle. “The goal is to continue to bring rival gangs to the table to talk peace, to squash beef, to forgive and heal and also to find ways to get to the youth, because if you’re going to tell them to put down the guns, you’re going to have to give them something to pick up,” Crawford states. “We know that the 10-12 year-olds out here on the streets who are fatherless are the next ones to be interested in gang life. Our mission is not only to stop the killings now, but to provide those fatherless youth with another sense of family because that’s what everyone is looking for–family.
The L.A. Baptist Community Mourns the Loss of Reginald Pope
L.A. Focus/July 2021
The L.A. Baptist community is mourning the recent death of Pastor Reginald Pope, who served for 45 years as the senior pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and as the founder of Watts Area Ministers. He was 89. In 2015, the city of Los Angeles recognized Pope for his contributions to the Watts community with Councilman Joe Buscaino designating Compton Avenue–from 109th Street to 110th Street–as Pastor Reginald A. Pope Way. “The landscape of Los Angeles has changed dramatically in the passing of Paster Reginald Pope. He was an asset to our church community,” said Pastor Ticey Brown of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church. “He was cool, caring and will definitely be missed as one of the elder statemen of our great city.” The sudden death came as a shock to many in the faith community as well as the church he pastored for nearly a half century. “He wasn’t ill, so it was sudden,” said Pastor Alvin Stafford, who was appointed pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church when Pope–who was his great uncle– retired. “For over 45 years, he’s been faithful and a pillar not only in our church and community, but our family. He had a gift and a calling for teaching, and he honored and praised the Lord all the way to the end.”
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“He was a mentor and a great friend”, said Pastor Robert Taylor of the Beulah Baptist Church in Watts. “He taught me basic principles on how to survive as a pastor and that’s important. Not to mention that he was responsible for getting me involved in the Watts Area Ministers and now I’m president.” The non-profit–initially organized to re-activate the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in Watts some years ago–has since become a viable force in addressing the needs of the Watts community. The Ringgold, Louisiana native–who had a gift for singing– joined Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in 1975 and was able to grow the church from 80 people to 250 with ten associate ministers. He retired last year. “The most satisfactory thing in my ministry is to see the growth of the members. It is not necessarily about numbers but is about the spiritual balance and well-being. That’s most satisfying to me,” Pope told L.A. Focus in 2019. “I try to get my members motivated to take outside what we do inside these walls.” “Any time a person comes to Christ and gets his life in better shape, that’s motivation, that’s encouragement and that’s fulfillment and what ministry should be about.”
Southern Baptists Make The Right Choice Upwards of 16,000 turned out in Nashville last month for what is the largest religious gathering since the pandemic– the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. By all accounts, it is an organization in conflict with ultra conservatives against moderate conservatives battling over the direction of the 176-year old group recognized as the world’s largest Baptist denomination. The highly public infighting has been over the group’s position on a handful of things including women preaching, critical race theory and their next leader. The debate over critical race theory–coupled with tensions arising from the last year’s social justice protests has led to a deep chasm in the group with African American pastors exiting and or taking issue with the group’s policies as one former SBC official described a culture of racism within the group. One of those pastors who have been most vocal include Dwight McKissic, pastor of the Arlington, Texas-based, Cornerstone Baptist Church. “You have rules outside the Baptist Faith and Message you don’t know. Now CRT is becoming one of the litmus tests...whether you vote Republican, and whether you against women preaching. It’s a test of whether you’re in or out,” McKissic said. “When you don’t know the players or have a good grasp of the cultural do’s and don’ts, it’s extremely difficult for a person of color when you’re trying to navigate waters that are not your waters.” McKissic took issue with the group when it adopted a resolution condemning critical race theory as incompatible with the Baptist faith and message and depending on the outcome of the vote for the group’s next leader, threatened to exit the group. Instead, the group elected Ed Litton, who has made racial reconciliation a hallmark of his work since at least the 2014 riots after the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. McKissic, who did not attend, posted his thoughts on social media following the election of Litton. “Without Ralph West, Charlie Dates, Marshall Ausberry, Fred Luter & Ed Litton, having placed reputations & invitations on the line, sounding the alarm that a wind was blowing in the SBC that was not in the best interest of AAs, Nashville would have been a PR disaster, as AAs exited,” McKissic tweeted. In other local church news: Pastor and Carson councilmember Jawane Hilton (City on The Hill Church in Carson) has accepted the post of pastor at Brister Memorial Baptist Church in Compton. For more, see our pastor profile on page 18.
Corprate Office: 4602 Crenshaw Blvd, Suite 2A, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 295-5571 www.agapela.org Bishop Craig A. Worsham, Founder & Senior Pastor Sunday School: 10:00am Morning Worship: 11:00am Loving, Lifting & Liberating Humanity Through The Word Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of South L.A. 10905 S. Compton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90059 (323) 566.5286 Pastor Alvin Stafford Jr. Sunday School: 9:30am Morning Worship: 10:30am Book by Book Bible Study (Wed.): 6:30pm Sunday service broadcast on Facebook live Sunday school and Book by Book Bible Study services are conducted on Zoom For more information, visit www.bethelsola.com
Bryant Temple AME Church 2525 W. Vernon Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90008 (323) 293-6201 • F: (323) 293-0082 Pastor Dwaine Jackson Sunday School: 8:15am Morning Worship: 9:15 am Bible Study (Tues): Noon Pastor’s Bible Study( Tues): 6:00pm
Calvary Baptist Church 4911 W. 59th Street,Los Angeles, CA,90056 (323)298-1605•F: (310) 568-8430 • calvarybaptistla.org Rev. Dr. Virgil V. Jones Sunday Prayer: 8:30am Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Wednesday Bible Study: 12:00pm & 7:00pm We are the Church on the Hill where the Light Shines Bright!
Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship 2085 S. Hobart Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90018 Phone: (323) 731-8869 • F: (323) 731-0851 www.christianfellowshipla.org Pastor James K. McKnight Sunday LiveStream: 10:00am (facebook.com/christianfellowshipla) Sunday Conference Call: 10:00am (310-372-7549 / code: 342408) Tue/Thurs Morning Word & Prayer: 7:00am Wed. Bible Study w/ Elder Stephen Brown (701-802-5001 / code: 825252# Crenshaw Christian Center 7901 South Vermont, Los Angeles, CA 90044 (323) 758-3777 • F: (323)565-4231 • www.faithdome.org Pastor Frederick K. Price, Jr. Sunday Service: 9:45am Bible Study (Tue): 11:00am & 7:30pm Tue. Night Children’s Ministry: 7:30pm Tue. Night Bible Study (Teens): 7:30pm Alcohol & Drug Abuse Program (Wed): 7:30pm
God’s Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ / Prayer Clinic & Deliverance Ministry P.O. Box 561368, Los Angeles,CA 90056 (323)293-7566 • www.gfdjc.org• gfdjc@att.net Ruby Cottle, Ph.D., Pastor & Teacher Prophetess June Morgan / Assistant Pastor
Services Every Friday: 7:00pm-9:30pm We meet at: St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 3901 West Adams Blvd, LA, CA 90018 Watch Dr. Cottle on HBN TV on Wed’s 7:30am Starting May 2nd: Channel 886 Dish, Smart TV 35.2
Grace Temple Baptist Church 7017 South Gramercy Place, Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 971-8192 Rev. Rodney Howard Sunday L.I.F.E Group: 8:30am Sunday Worship Service: 9:30am Wednesday Intercessory Prayer: 6:30pm Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm E-Mail: gtbcla@gmail.com