Southern California Conference

Our History

Here in the Southern California Conference, we are carrying on the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the most diverse community in a small territory of the west coast of the United States. We serve Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and parts of Kern and Santa Barbara Counties.

Founded in 1901, the Southern California Conference is full of rich history and many firsts. The Californian trailblazer spirit of our community has made the SCC a cradle for many initiatives in evangelism and mission across the country, seeking innovative ways to fulfill the mission in our diverse territory.

First Adventist Churches of Their Kind

1879

First English church in SCC territory (then Central; today New Hope)

1907

Hispanic company in SCC (today Spanish American)

1908

African American church in the west (then Furlong Track; later Wadsworth; today University)

1957

Filipino church in the U.S. (Central Filipino)

1960

Korean church in the U.S. (Los Angeles Central Korean)

1973

Samoan & Indonesian churches in the U.S. (Compton Samoan & Indonesian-Dutch;
today Indonesian-American)

1977

Vietnamese church in the U.S. (then Glendale; today El Monte Vietnamese)

1978

Yugoslavian church in the west (today Serbian-Croatian)

1983

Armenian & Cambodian groups in the U.S. (Glendale Armenian & Long Beach Cambodian)

1986

Tongan & Thai churches in the U.S. (Los Angeles Tongan & Los Angeles Thai)

2018

Mongolian group in the U.S. (Mongolian Mission)

First Schools

1902

First secondary school (San Fernando College)

First Media Ministries

1929

“The Tabernacle of the Air” radio program (now “The Voice of Prophecy”)

1938

“La Hora Cristiana” Spanish radio program (no longer)

1960

“The Adventist Hour” telecast

1974

“Breath of Life” television program

First Health Ministries

1896

First health institution: a vegetarian restaurant & treatment rooms in Los Angeles

1905

First medical institution in Los Angeles
(Glendale Sanitarium; then Glendale Adventist Medical Center; now Adventist Health Glendale)

Other Hospitals in SCC

1913

White Memorial Sanitarium opens (now Adventist Health White Memorial)

1965

Simi Valley Hospital opens (now Adventist Health Simi Valley)