Maranatha Community Church Information

From the very beginning, Pastor Billy wanted Maranatha to be a church where people cared about people, so he started a ministry called Caring By Sharing (CBS), which provided support to the congregation and those in the community in need of food, clothing, and information on resources for job training, employment, free health care, shelter, etc. In addition to Caring By Sharing, Pastor Billy also launched a new concept in outreach that consisted of members who were celebrities and performing artists giving back to the community. One of the ministering tools was "Speak Out LA" held at the Shrine Auditorium, where 7000 people were in attendance. That night various artists performed and over 500 people gave their lives to Jesus Christ. The crowd that evening was stunned when Pastor Billy announced that there would be no offering taken. This inaugurated his signature phrase. "The Price has Already Been Paid"! In May 1984 Maranatha purchased a 50,000 sq. ft. building at 3800 Martin Luther King Blvd. in Los Angeles, California. It took two years to renovate the building but in June 1986 it was completed. The official move in was June 20, 1986 and former Mayor Tom Bradley declared that weekend, Maranatha Community Church weekend. Once on King, God used Maranatha greatly. During this time many ministries were developed as a means to reach more souls for Christ. Besides weekly bible study, Maranatha also instituted bible study groups for men and women, a Drama Team that produced and performed professional Christian plays, a men's mnistry Men4Gsus, Christian Women's Network (CWN), many street ministries, outreach to Africa, retreats , conferences, all Nnight Prayer Meetings and Children's Friday Night Live. Besides the different ministries that Maranatha provided, the church also became an advocate for the people of the city during tough strenuous times. During the 1992 L.A. Riots, Maranatha was a safe haven for many who were in need of emergency resources and information. Pastor Billy also pulled together over 200 leaders and pastors in the community to assist with the various needs and it resulted in over 10,000 people receiving assistance. In addition to aiding those affected by the riots, Maranatha also spearheaded a march down Crenshaw Blvd. to review the fire ravaged buildings and held a two day Unity Summit promoting peace in the city. Maranatha was on the move for Christ and like any church, Maranatha experineced its ups and downs. One example was in 1994 when the 6.8 Northridge Earthquake dealt a devastating blow to the church building. The church's main sanctuary was almost utterly destroyed and the entire building was almost condemned. Yet despite everything, Maranatha kept on going strong by faith, doing God's business. Other Ministries and Pastors like Dr. Kenton Beshore of the Mariners Church in New Port Beach heard of Maranatha's plight and sent forth their prayers of support, gave resources, and financial donations. One of Maranatha's themes is, "We are not a Monument but a Movement", so instead of closing down because the sanctuary was damaged, the decision was made to set up a large tent in the parking lot and hold church services in there. The members were on board and came out to the services inspite of the winter weather. As time passed and some construction had been done to the church, services were able to be moved into the church fellowship hall (Koinonia). While in Koinonia Hall, the church held three morning services, one evening serviceand the teams held all of their meetings and practices in other smaller rooms.