Bel Air Church#Congregation
{{Short description|Church in Los Angeles, California, US}}
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{{Infobox church
| name = Bel Air Church
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| denomination = Presbyterian Church (USA)
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| founded date = 1956
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| seniorpastor = Rev. Dr. Drew Sams
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| location = 16221 Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049
| country = United States
| website = [http://www.belair.org/ www.belair.org]
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Bel Air Church (also known as Bel Air Presbyterian Church) is a Presbyterian church located in Los Angeles, California.{{cite web |url=http://www.belair.org/history |title=History |author= |website=Bel Air Church - History |access-date=2015-10-12 }} Its campus is located on Mulholland Drive in the Encino neighborhood.
History
The Bel Air Church was founded in 1956 in Los Angeles. It met in the home of Rev Louis H. Evans Jr for four years and then moved to its current building on the "Educational Corridor" on Mulholland Drive, overlooking the San Fernando Valley.
In 2007, the church completed a $12 million campus expansion program, The Campaign for Bel Air: Phase I, which included the two-story Education Building, Discipleship Center, and Administration Building, including staff offices overlooking the San Fernando Valley. The campus also has a full-service café.
Former senior pastors include Louis H. Evans Jr., Mark Brewer, Michael H. Wenning, Paul Pierson, David G. McKechnie, Donn D. Moomaw, Michael Wenning, and Mark Brewer. Moomaw gave the invocation at President Ronald Reagan's first inauguration in 1981. He also gave the invocation at President Reagan's state funeral{{cite news |author= |title=Michael Wenning, Reagans' Pastor, Dies at 75 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/us/01wenning.html?_r=0 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 30, 2011 |access-date=2015-10-12 }} and presided over a private service for the family of First Lady Nancy Reagan before her state funeral at the Reagan Library.
File:belairpresbyterianmainentrance.jpg
Drew Sams was officially ordained as the church's senior pastor and head of staff on April 13, 2014,{{cite web |url=http://www.belair.org/leadership |title=Bel Air Leadership |author= |website=Bel Air Church |access-date=2015-10-12 }} where he joined Care Crawford, Kim Dorr-Tilley, and later Mike Morgan on the church's leadership team.
Congregation
File:belaireducationbuilding.jpg
Some notable members of the church include:
Activities
Bel Air Church helped found "Imagine LA", a mentorship program that matches families exiting homelessness with volunteer teams from faith communities, corporations, and other committed organizations.{{cite web |url=http://www.imaginela.org/about/Fact%20Sheet.pdf |title=Fact Sheet |author= |website=ImagineLA |access-date=2015-10-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141130180241/http://www.imaginela.org/about/FACT%20SHEET.pdf |archive-date=2014-11-30 }}
The church has an outreach department that partners with other community service organizations in Los Angeles.
On Jewish High Holy Days, the Church hosts services for the Stephen S. Wise Temple, a Reform Jewish congregation in the same neighborhood as Bel Air Church.{{cite web |url=http://www.wisela.org/divestment-presbyterian-church/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20161230170523/http://www.wisela.org/divestment-presbyterian-church/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2016-12-30 |title=Our Clergy Responds to Divestment Vote by Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) |author= |website=Stephen Wise Temple |access-date=2015-10-12 }}
In 2018, the church packed and distributed over 10,000 meals to those in need at Thanksgiving.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newswire.com/news/bel-air-church-to-provide-10-000-people-with-thanksgiving-meal-20712894|title = Bel Air Church to Provide 10,000 People with Thanksgiving Meal}} This annual work started in 1986.[https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bel-air-church-to-supply-thanksgiving-meals-for-13000-300366318.html PR Newswire 2016] The church also ran free Christmas concerts later that year.[https://www.newswire.com/news/bel-air-church-hosts-two-free-christmas-concerts-for-los-angeles-on-20732382 Newswire Dec 2016]
References
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External links
- {{Official|http://www.belair.org}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe3_6g9nWOdPVa2U8jR0FKg Bel Air Church YouTube]
{{Bel Air, Los Angeles}}
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Category:Presbyterian Church (USA) churches
Category:Presbyterian churches in California
Category:Churches in Los Angeles
Category:Christian organizations established in 1956
Category:Presbyterian organizations established in the 20th century
Category:Megachurches in California