Ministry Spotlight
Antioch Church of Long Beach has been a beacon of light in the local community of Long Beach, California. On January 10, 1961 Reverend and Mrs. Joe Chaney, Jr., along with five other people in their home laid the foundation of Antioch Church of Long Beach. Under the dynamic and inspirational leadership of Reverend Joe Chaney, Antioch’s membership grew rapidly, necessitating the need to move from a rented room on the third floor of Morgan Hall on Eighth and Locust in downtown Long Beach. With less than 50 members and a treasury almost empty, an “impossible dream” came true. The church by faith purchased the church building and property located at 16th and Gundry where it currently stands. On the third Sunday in August of 1961, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church held its first service in the new building with Dr.Timothy Chambers, Sr. as the guest preacher. Antioch’s membership grew from five in 1961, to a membership of over 2,500. The first building site was remodeled in 1975, and in 1984 Antioch was rebuilt, adding educational spaces for Sunday School and Discipleship classes, a dining facility and meeting rooms available for use by various community organizations.
Pastor Wayne Chaney of Antioch Church of Long Beach is also a star on the Oxygen docu-series "Preachers of L.A." is defending his decision to promote being "saved, sanctified and sexual" on television screens.
While the show has been deemed controversial by a number of Christians and faith leaders, Chaney does not believe the show misrepresents
Christianity. Chaney and his wife Myesha, have showcased their union on the show Cheney appears on the docuwhere the pastor has controversially series alongside minister and gospromoted their intimacy. pel singer Deitrick Haddon, Bish"We want people to know you can be op Noel Jones, the senior pastor saved, sanctified, and sexual," he said of the City of Refuge Church in Gardena, Calif., Bishop Clarence McClendon of Full Harvest International Church, Bishop Ron M. Gibson of Life Church of God In Christ and Pastor Jay Haizlip of The Sanctuary Church. The show appears on Oxygen Network Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. on the show. "God made us that way." While his comments received some backlash on social media websites, Chaney recently said they should not be taken out of context. "If someone was single and wants to be sanctified and sexual with their girlfriend or boo, that's a completely different story. When you're married and you're talking about being saved and sexual, I think God smiles on that.” "Whoever has a problem with that probably needs to get a love life!"