History
Although Epicentre has been a church formally since 2003, it is the realization of a dream born years ago by some of its leaders, who desired to see the church live out its identity as an epicentre to equip workers for the harvest as seen in the book of Acts. Its senior pastor, John Lo, was raised in First Evangelical Church, Glendale, where he learned the values of generous giving to mission and the importance of strategic mentoring. Five years after being hired in 1990 as its youth minister, John started a ministry for young adults at FEC Glendale, focused on training, equipping and sending them to the nations.
After a number of years of prayer and planning, Epicentre was sent out by First Evangelical Church, Glendale, to become a reproducing, church-planting church and the newest of the family of First Evangelical Churches. We’re really grateful for this church family that has modeled generosity, integration of spirituality, social concern and mission in unique ways, and given us tangible models of sending missionaries to other countries.
In 2001, John met Jimmy Seibert, pastor of Antioch Community Church in Waco, TX, and he and his leaders were immediately captivated by the vision, groundedness, practicals and impact of what Antioch is doing in the world. In these last ten years, the friendship, modeling, mentoring and partnering that has taken place between John, Jimmy, Antioch and Epicentre has resulted in Epicentre becoming a formal member of Antioch International Movement of Churches following a membership vote in October 2011. We are excited and proud to be taken in as a member of a family of churches that is actively equipping its people to be agents of transformation, here in the US and among the nations. This means that we are currently a member church of both FECA and Antioch International Movement of Churches.
Epicentre is a dynamic church family composed of an increasingly diverse (ethnically, age and life stage) group of believers committed to passionately pursuing God’s glory and His purposes. As a cell church, it sees the fullest expression of church life taking place in its weekly lifegroups, that are spread throughout the LA basin and meet as a community in homes, living out gospel and kingdom values. Epicentre people often describe themselves with the following words: community, vibrant, Spirit-led, authentic, globally engaged. We passionately worship God, and seek to bring together that love for God with love for people and see transformation happen here and globally.
Milestones
- September 14, 2003 – our first Sunday service began!
- Sunday 21, 2003 – our first family sent to China as missionaries
- September 2004 – lifegroups launched
- August 2005 – first short-term trip to Malawi, Africa, to work with Muslim villagers
- January 1, 2006 – beginning of the Epicentre Training School
- January 14, 2007 – urban church planting team to Lincoln Heights commissioned
- September 2009 – beginning of our college ministry at Azusa Pacific University
- December 6, 2009 – Epicentre Lincoln Height’s first Sunday service began
- October 16, 2011 – joins Antioch International Movement of Churches
