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Oakwood University President Visits Historic Church in Los Angeles
On the weekend when Gina Spivey-Brown, Ph.D., was inaugurated as the incoming president of Oakwood University, Lawrence S. Dorsey II, director of the Greater Los Angeles Region of the Southern California Conference (SCC), was introduced to her by a mutual friend. “Immediately after I told her what I did, she asked me, ‘What can you…
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SCC Conference-Wide VBS 2026 Workshop: A Day of Inspiration and Purpose
A few Sundays ago, our conference family gathered for a beautiful and spirit-filled VBS 2026 training held at Temple City church. It was truly a joy to see children’s ministries leaders from across all regions equipping their hearts and hands for one of the most meaningful evangelistic opportunities of the year—Vacation Bible School. The conference…
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Youth Ministries Teen Weekend “His Beloved” Inspires Teens and Parents
Southern California Conference (SCC) Youth Ministries recently hosted a teen weekend with the theme “His Beloved” at White Memorial church, bringing together approximately 150 teens and parents for a weekend centered on faith, identity, and a closer walk with Jesus. This annual event began in 2010 as the Teen Leadership Training (TLT) event held the last weekend in January and led by TLT coordinators Lynnette and Steve Clement. In 2022, the conference…
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SCC Hispanic Women’s Ministries: Empowering Women in Mission
The Hispanic Women’s Ministries of the Southern California Conference will commemorate its 36th anniversary, marking more than three decades of dedicated service. Throughout these years, the ministry has consistently advanced its mission to nurture, encourage, support, and equip women as they follow Jesus and share Him with others, through structured training, leadership development, retreats, and…
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Reflection on Black History Month
This past Sabbath, I had the privilege of worshiping at the University Seventh-day Adventist church in Los Angeles, the first African-American Seventh-day Adventist church west of the Mississippi River, as they celebrated Oakwood day in L.A. It was a joyful and meaningful gathering. Dr. Gina Spivey-Brown, president of Oakwood University, delivered a powerful and inspiring…
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Introducing SCC Department of Education: A New Team Is Energized for Mission
In July 2025, when James P. Willis II, then SCC vice president for education, and Nancy Garcilazo, then SCC associate superintendent, moved on to new endeavors, it was only a few months into Wayne Dunbar’s tenure as associate superintendent. Dunbar had recently joined the SCC education team from La Sierra University, where he served as…
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Glendale City Church Celebrates 120 Years of Faith, Community, and Service
This January marked a significant milestone for the Glendale City church (GCC) as it celebrated 120 years of faith, community, and service. The two-day celebration highlighted its rich history, commitment to Christ, creative ministry, and love for the community. In January 1906, a group of people met in the parlor of the Glendale Sanitarium (now…
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Paulo Tenorio Joins SCC Team as Youth Director
Paulo Tenorio’s ministry experience has taken him all over the world—Brazil, Guam, South Korea, Argentina, Texas, Michigan, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and more. “When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a pastor,” Tenorio recalled. “But then, when I became a teenager, things started to change, and I realized that I didn’t feel…
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Hollywood Hub: A Central Place for Community Care
What began in 2013 as a shower program at Hollywood church has grown into the Hollywood Hub—a centralized community resource center providing support for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. By consolidating multiple services to one location, the Hub is designed to increase access to care, improve efficiency, and bring dignity to guests seeking support.…
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Santa Barbara Pathfinder Club Volunteers at the 2026 Rose Parade
The Santa Barbara Pathfinder club proudly participated in the 2026 Tournament of Roses Parade, not only marching with energy and joy but also helping to decorate the floats adding their creativity and dedication to every detail. Their teamwork and Christ-centered spirit made the event truly special for both participants and spectators. “Our Pathfinder club had…
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New SCC Podcasts Explore Meaningful Conversations
With the launch of the new Southern California Conference (SCC) media production studio, ministry is taking on fresh forms of creativity. For SCC Treasurer/CFO Kathleen V. Diaz and SCC Executive Secretary Danny Chan, that meant stepping behind the mic to start meaningful conversations through podcasting. This interview explores how their shows blend technology, faith, and…
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Norwalk Church Launches Life Transformation Center
This fall, the Norwalk church celebrated the realization of a vision that has been in the works for more than three years. It all started with a visit from Paolo Macena, leadership director for the North American Division. “He encouraged us to use our facility as an urban center of influence to provide services needed…
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“God Has Done a Good Thing”: L.A. Eastside Korean Celebrates Mortgage Payment
More than 200 people gathered at the quaint building in Hacienda Heights to celebrate a significant milestone for the Los Angeles (L.A.) Eastside Korean congregation: paying off its mortgage. The history of the L.A. Eastside Korean church, formerly Hacienda Heights Korean church, began more than 40 years ago when a group was formed out of…
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Hispanic Region Recognizes Outstanding Lay Members
The Hispanic Region of the Southern California Conference has committed to honoring outstanding lay members—faithful men and women who, with dedication and passion, have distinguished themselves as soul winners in their local churches. This recognition expresses deep appreciation for their tireless service to the mission offering a small gift and a certificate as encouragement for…
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Camp Cedar Falls Sustains Damage in Summer Storm
On the evening of Sept. 18, 2025, Tropical Storm Mario passed over the San Bernardino mountains, tracing the path of the El Dorado Fire of 2020. Flash flooding and mudslides ravaged the local mountain communities. In a letter shared on Sept. 30, Southern California Conference (SCC) President John H. Cress wrote, “As you know, in…
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Rolling Hills Church Celebrates 50 Years of Faith & Community
This October, the Rolling Hills church family celebrated its golden anniversary with a full weekend of events. Throughout five decades, generations have found belonging and fellowship in this community. From Sabbath School and Bible study classes to youth and Pathfinder meetings and midweek prayer gatherings, vibrant ministries have brought life to the church and blessings…
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Smyrna Church Celebrates 45 Years of Love and Faith, Awaiting Jesus’ Return
Smyrna church’s 45th anniversary celebration brought together friends, visitors, and members from near and far. With the theme “45 Years of Love and Faith, Awaiting Jesus’ Return,” the celebratory day focused on reflecting on God’s faithfulness of the past and looking forward to how He will continue to lead in the future. Although the church is…
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Enduring Faith in Jesus: For Such a Time as This
This fall, Tamarind Avenue church celebrated 60 years of ministry in Compton. The congregation can trace its roots as early as 1957 from a seed planted by R. Hope Robertson, then pastor of the Philadelphian church in Long Beach. The former Baptist Church of Compton became the location of Tamarind Avenue church under Robertson’s leadership…
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Nine Korean Churches in Los Angeles Unite for a Month of Evangelism
The Korean Adventist community came together this fall for Korean Adventist Family Evangelism of Los Angeles (KAFE LA), a month-long evangelism series under the theme “On That Glorious Day.” The first three weekends in October held an evangelism emphasis—family and children, youth, and young adult—and the final weekend was a day of united worship. “I…
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Hope on 54th Street
“We don’t work on the Sabbath, but we do serve,” Shantane Marshall, pastor of Fifty-Fourth Street church, said of the church’s twice-monthly food distribution. For 15-20 years, Fifty-Fourth Street has operated a food pantry that provides quality food items to people experiencing food insecurity. The food distribution takes place every 2nd and 4th Sabbath…