In 1925, St. Paul Lutheran Church was established to minister to African Americans in Los Angeles. Nearly 100 years later, the fellowship continues to thrive as a beacon of light in the West Adams District.
The Rev. Dr. S T Williams, Jr., the pastor of St. Paul, and the congregation, will celebrate the 95th anniversary of the church on Sunday, March 8, at 11 a.m., in the edifice located at 3901 W. Adams Blvd., in L.A. Inviting the community to attend, he said that the anniversary theme is “Search My Heart, O God” based on Psalm 139:1-10. The Rev. Kenneth Davis will be the guest preacher.
According to Williams, the observance illustrates the membership’s endurance and commitment to serving Christ and His people. “St. Paul was intentionally planted to minister to African Americans and for us to continue to exist and survive in L.A. is a great celebration of the church’s journey,” he said. “I have been the pastor since 2005 and it has been enjoyable to see a congregation say that we have a purpose, we have a mission and we need to be in this community.”
Williams served 23 years as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy and led four Lutheran parishes before accepting the call to be the pastor of St. Paul. During his tenure, the church has continued to strengthen its internal ministries to enrich the lives of the members as well as developing innovative programs to meet the needs of the community.
“We are always thinking of creative ways to do outreach and evangelism,” said Williams, who noted that St. Paul operates a pre-school ministry, offers homeless referrals, conducts foster care youth programs, distributes food and clothing during the holidays and offers other services to improve the quality of life for local residents.
His experience in working with both small congregations and mega-churches across five continents has aided his success at St. Paul and was likely a factor in his recent appointment as vice president of the Pacific Southwest Division of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
As for the future, Williams said, “We want to better serve this area and we encourage the community to worship with us and let us know how we can help with their spiritual growth. We are a family church and we have a lot to offer in terms of ministry.”
To learn more, visit stpaulluteranla.org or view the worship services on YouTube and Instagram.
