Immanuel Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles, California)

The church was designed by Los Angeles architect Chauncey Fitch Skilling, in what architectural critic Sam Hall Kaplan described as "a splendid example of the soaring French Gothic Revival style, with an exterior marked by a stained-glass rose window above the entry and an interior of beam trusses, columns and arches, a carved wood pulpit, chandeliers and oak furnishings."Sam Hall Kaplan, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-11-07-vw-4732-story.html "L.A. Houses of Worship Are Rich in Architecture"], Los Angeles Times, November 7, 1987. The building is distinguished by its 205 foot tall corner tower and traditionally-decorated stained glass made by the Dixon Art Glass company, as well as more contemporary glass designs from Judson Studios.[https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/immanuel-presbyterian-church Immanuel Presbyterian Church], Los Angeles Conservancy (accessed June 19, 2017).

The current church building is one of the very large churches that were erected along Wilshire Boulevard in the 1920s to serve their largely wealthy, overwhelmingly white congregations. At its peak in 1943, Immanuel Presbyterian had 4,300 members making use of its 200 rooms, athletic facilities, art and performance studios, seven meeting halls, kitchen, dining room, and 2,000-seat sanctuary. William S. Meyer, who was pastor of the church from 1950 until his retirement in 1974, was credited with keeping membership around the 4,000 level during his tenure, even as other nearby churches declined in the wake of neighborhood changes,[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-18-mn-43419-story.html "Rev. William S. Meyer, 82; Retired Presbyterian Minister"], Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1988. but by 1987 membership had fallen to about 800.Gary Libman, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-03-vw-8769-story.html "Born Again: For Decades They Were Secure in Affluence and Influence: Now Wilshire Boulevard's Old Churches, Suddenly Strangers in Their Own Neighborhood, Struggle to Adapt and Survive."] Los Angeles Times, July 3, 1988. The church has continued its efforts to address the diverse and changing nature of its neighborhood; for example, Frank Alton, who was pastor from 1995 to 2010, drew attention for his willingness in 2001 to allow a Salvadoran Catholic group to display a life-size statue of Jesus at the church, despite the traditional Presbyterian aversion to religious icons.Teresa Watanabe, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jul-08-me-20040-story.html "Reaching Out Past a Taboo. Church: Immanuel Presbyterian defies Protestant ban on idols by displaying a Catholic statue of Jesus from El Salvador."] Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2001. Immanuel initiated worship services in Spanish in 1995,[http://immanuelpres.org/en/spanish-practice/ Spanish Practice], Immanuel Presbyterian Church (accessed 2017-06-24). and later was noted for its pioneering efforts in conducting bilingual services, rather than separate services for each language group in the congregation.K. Connie Kang, [https://web.archive.org/web/20170604135150/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/may/08/local/me-beliefs8/2 "Church's Bilingual Services Have an Unusual Twist], Los Angeles Times, May 8, 2004.

In 1908, Dr. Hugh K. Walker of Immanuel Presbyterian Church gave the dedication sermon for Westminster Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles), believed to be the first African American Presbyterian congregation on the West Coast, according to the Los Angeles Times.{{cite news |title=Church Dedication. Colored Presbyterians. |url=https://www.newspapers.com//image/380214571/ |access-date=1 July 2021 |work=The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com |date=7 Mar 1908 |page=24 |language=en}}

The church was the filming location for the 2005 music video for "Helena (So Long and Goodnight)" by My Chemical Romance, from the second studio album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge directed by Marc Webb.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} It later served as a filming location for Webb's 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man.Richard Verrier, [https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2010-dec-21-la-fi-1222-ct-onlocation-20101221-story.html "Spider-Man and Cameron Crowe give L.A. filming a boost"], Los Angeles Times, December 21, 2010. Other films using the church as a location have included Sister Act 2, Legally Blonde 2, and John Wick.[http://immanuelpres.org/en/film_here/ "Film at our Historic Landmark"], Immanuel Presbyterian Church (accessed 2017-06-24). In 2010 it was the location for a video production of the Billy Steinberg-Tom Kelly song "True Colors" (originally popularized by Cyndi Lauper), performed by the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles and others in support of the anti-bullying It Gets Better Project.[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/10/gay-mens-chorus-of-la-creates-anti-bullying-video.html "Gay Men's Chorus of L.A. creates anti-bullying video"], Los Angeles Times, October 28, 2010.

The church's sanctuary is used as a concert venue for performances ranging from liturgical dramasStuart Cohn, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-12-ca-17757-story.html "The Roots of Opera in Church"], Los Angeles Times, January 12, 1997 ("Immanuel Presbyterian, on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Berendo Avenue, was matched as closely as possible to the music. . . . Its dramatic, almost exaggerated verticality, with a 205-foot tower and an 80-foot vaulted sanctuary ceiling, approximates the style of France's Beauvais Cathedral, where the surviving version of "Daniel and the Lions" was transcribed between 1227 and 1234.") to artists such as Ray LaMontagne,Mikael Wood, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-ray-lamontagne-gets-lost-then-found-at-immanuel-presbyterian-20140506-story.html "Ray LaMontagne gets lost, then found at Immanuel Presbyterian"], Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2014. Conor Oberst,Yuri Shimoda, [http://www.lol-la.com/review-conor-oberst-takes-angelenos-church/ "Conor Oberst Takes Angelenos to Church"], LOL LA, December 11, 2016. Hozier,August Brown, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-hozier-takes-a-worshipful-la-to-an-actual-church-20141017-story.html "Hozier takes a worshipful L.A. to an actual church"], Los Angeles Times, October 17, 2014. Jenny Lewis,Sonya Singh, [http://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/jenny-lewis-celebrates-10-years-of-solo-work-with-intimate-shows-and-of-course-wine/ "Jenny Lewis Celebrates 10 Years of Solo Work with Intimate Shows and, of Course, Wine"], Los Angeles, February 9, 2016. and Echo & The Bunnymen.[https://www.axs.com/echo-the-bunnymen-announce-fall-north-american-tour-132541/ "Echo & the Bunnymen - Los Angeles, CA - December 4, 2018"]

The soprano Verna Osborne worked for the church as a resident paid vocalist during the late 1930s.{{cite journal|title=Los Angeles News; Guild Chapter Opens With A Fine Meeting|author=Roland Diggle|page=22|date=November 1, 1937|work=The Diapason|volume=28|issue=12}}

• L.A. Noire

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://immanuelpres.org/ Official website]
• [http://www.kyccla.org/hood-spotlight/126-years-later-immanuel-presbyterian-church-continues-to-change-and-evolve-church-has-experienced-numerous-changes-since-moving-to-its-koreatown-location-in-1929/ "126 years later, Immanuel Presbyterian Church continues to change and evolve; Church has experienced numerous changes since moving to its Koreatown location in 1929"], Koreatown Youth and Community Center, September 12, 2014

Category:Presbyterian churches in California

Category:Gothic Revival church buildings in California

Category:Churches in Los Angeles

Category:Churches completed in 1929

Category:Koreatown, Los Angeles