On a single block of West Broadway in Glendale, three congregations share one address. First Evangelical Church Glendale (FECG) holds an English service and a Cantonese service at 9:30 AM on Sundays, then a Mandarin service at 11:30 AM in the same Sanctuary building. The church calls itself "One Church, 3 Congregations, One Family, Many Lifestages," and the three language ministries share pastoral staff, building space, lifegroups, a children's center, a youth ministry, and a single statement of faith drawn up in English and Chinese.
From a Living Room to West Broadway
FECG traces its roots to October 10, 1965, when the founding pastor, Rev. George Chua (1908 - 1994), held the first Sunday worship service in his own living room. The congregation grew out of a ministry to students from the Philippines and Taiwan, and within a year Rev. Eddie Lo (1928 - 2008) took over. By August 1967 the gathering had outgrown Chua's home, so the small body purchased a church on Fargo Street in the Silver Lake area and dedicated it on the second anniversary, October 8, 1967.
In those early years Rev. Lo usually preached in English and the sermon was translated into Mandarin and Taiwanese on alternate Sundays. In October 1970 the Taiwanese members left to form the Evangelical Formosan Church, and FECG continued to grow. The congregation bought its present site on West Broadway in November 1973, held its first worship service in Glendale on December 9, 1973, and dedicated the property on March 10, 1974. An English-only service began in November 1974, a Mandarin-only service was added shortly after, and the Cantonese ministry was introduced in 1981. The current Sanctuary was dedicated on October 10, 1982, the old sanctuary was converted into the Christian Education (CE) Building, and the Children's Ministries Center (CMC) was completed in 2003.
FECG is a founding member of the First Evangelical Church Association (FECA), formed in 1997 to support church planting, missions, spiritual formation, and social concern. FECA's stated vision is "to grow and plant life-transforming, holistic, sustainable and reproducing churches for the advancement of His kingdom and glory." Through FECA, FECG has helped plant sister churches in greater Los Angeles (FEC San Gabriel Valley in 1986, FEC Cerritos in 1988, FEC Diamond Bar in 1999, FEC Arcadia in 2001, and Epicentre in Pasadena in 2003), as well as churches in St. Petersburg, Serbia, India, and East Asia.
Sundays in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese
Three Sunday services and a children's ministry run from the West Broadway campus every weekend.
- English Worship Service, 9:30 AM, Sanctuary. The English congregation gathers for songs, Bible teaching, and prayer, with sermons preached by Senior Pastor Rev. Michael Hsu and occasional guest speakers. Recorded sermons are posted on the FEC Glendale YouTube channel and on the Church Center app.
- Cantonese 粵語堂, 9:30 AM, Fellowship Hall. The Cantonese congregation meets downstairs in the Fellowship Hall beneath the Sanctuary. In-person Sunday School for the Cantonese group is temporarily suspended, but Bible studies continue on Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
- Mandarin 國語堂, 11:30 AM, Sanctuary. The Mandarin congregation fills the Sanctuary after the English service. Recent sermons in Mandarin have worked through Matthew 5, Acts 17, Colossians 1, and 2 Chronicles, preached by Rev. Enai Pan, Yuanhui (Timothy) Xu, and visiting pastors.
- Youth Sunday Service, 9:30 AM, Aux Chapel. The Ignite youth ministry meets for worship on the first and third Sundays of the month in the Auxiliary Chapel; on other Sundays the youth join the English service.
After the morning services, English-language Sunday School classes meet across the campus: a Book of Revelation class in the Aux Chapel (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, led by Tim Lee, Tim Lin, and Gary Gausman), a Sermon Chat class in CE Room 209 (11:00 AM, led by David and Bess Chao and Ashli Lomeli), and an Israel and the Minor Prophets class in Staff Room 217 (11:00 AM, taught by Everett Co).
Both English and Mandarin congregations share a fellowship lunch served in the basement Fellowship Hall after Sunday worship. Children are released from the CMC at noon to eat with parents from the English congregation, and at 12:45 PM to eat with Mandarin-congregation families.
Children, Youth, and Family Life
FECG's children's ministry is housed in its own building, the Children's Ministries Center, in the southern portion of the campus. Preschool through Grade 5 (ages 2 - 11) meet in grade-level groups for Morning Service (10:00 - 10:50 AM), a snack break, and Sunday School lessons (11:10 - 11:50 AM). The vision statement is to help children know God's love and care for them through their parents and the Christian community, with Bible discovery, teaching, memory work, crafts, and skill development at a developmentally-appropriate level. Safety measures in the CMC include a check-in station at the entrance, hand sanitizing, individual supply boxes for each child, no parents beyond the entrance (except for parents of toddlers), and the requirement that children bring a water bottle. The Nursery, for children under two, is currently unavailable.
The Ignite Youth Ministry serves students in grades 6 - 12 with a vision of helping young people stand firm in Christ through the pressures of adolescence. The youth gather for Friday Youth Fellowship at 7:30 PM in the Aux Chapel, for Sunday worship on the first and third Sundays, and for Sunday School at 11:00 AM in CE Rooms 204 - 205. The Ignite purpose statement reads, "We exist to worship God together in authentic and dynamic relationship, to reach out in love to those around us, to connect with other loving Christians, to help one another grow in Christ and discover who God has made us to be."
The church is actively recruiting a full-time Children's Minister to provide vision, leadership, and oversight for ministry to children from birth through Grade 5, with responsibility for Sunday programming, the Friday evening Kid's Club, Vacation Bible School, and the recruitment and training of volunteers.
Lifegroups and Fellowships Across the Week
FECG describes two overlapping small-group structures. Lifegroups are intentional communities that meet several times a month in homes, building accountability, prayer, and Bible study. They are often intergenerational. Fellowships are larger groups organized around similar life stages, meeting two or three times a month in homes and at church for fellowship and biblical teaching.
- StreamTree meets Tuesdays at 7:00 PM on Zoom.
- Trellis Women meets Wednesdays at 8:00 PM on Zoom for Bible, book, and video studies.
- SOPAS meets Thursdays at 6:30 PM in the San Gabriel Valley for a themed potluck and study; the name comes from South Pasadena and a love of Mexican tortilla sandwiches.
- Activate meets Thursdays at 6:00 PM in Glendale.
- Ohana meets Fridays at 6:00 PM in a member's home for families with young children ages 3 - 11.
- Agape meets Saturdays at 7:30 PM on Zoom (and in person quarterly). Founded in 1986 by Filipino-Chinese believers, it studies the Bible, prays together, and reaches out to the unchurched.
Among the fellowships, Trellis Women's Ministry brings together women of all life stages with quarterly themed meetings, WeConnect meals, Sunday School classes, weekly-to-bi-monthly discipleship triads, and retreats. Lifespring is geared to adults 60 and over and meets on the first, second, and third Fridays at 10:00 AM, with guest speakers, prayer, fitness, and field trips. Koinonia gathers seasoned Christians who have walked together for decades, meeting once a month on Saturdays. Renovare meets every other Saturday at 2:00 PM and focuses on spiritual formation in the power of the Spirit. Alpha is offered periodically as a series of group meetings that begin with a potluck meal, a 25-minute video, and open discussion for people exploring faith.
A Statement of Faith in English and Chinese
FECG's ten-article Statement of Faith is published bilingually. The church confesses that the Old and New Testament Scriptures are the inspired and inerrant Word of God and the final authority for faith and Christian living. It affirms one God eternally existing in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, begotten of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, true God and true man, crucified, buried, risen, ascended, and returning bodily. The Holy Spirit is confessed as the Comforter who leads believers to accept Christ and to understand God's Word.
Humankind, the statement says, was created in God's image but fell into sin, incurring both physical death and spiritual separation from God; all are born with a sinful nature. All who repent and receive Jesus Christ by faith are born of the Holy Spirit and become children of God. The local church is the gathering of redeemed believers in a particular place and a part of the universal church; FECG also affirms the principle of separation of church and state and freedom of faith. Every redeemed believer is commissioned to witness and make disciples locally and worldwide, to be light and salt of the earth, and to demonstrate justice and care for society. The statement closes with belief in the bodily resurrection of the believer and of the non-believer, and in everlasting blessedness for the believer and everlasting conscious punishment for the non-believer.
Outreach and Missions from Glendale
FECG runs several outreach efforts out of its West Broadway campus. The Compassion Ministry welcomes refugees from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and other countries, helping families settle by sourcing clothing and houseware, registering children in local schools, and hosting events such as vaccine clinics and the Harvest Festival. USC Worldwide Friends pairs the congregation with international students at USC, hosting field trips and Bible studies for friends new to Los Angeles. The church partners with Ascencia, an organization working to lift people out of homelessness, by serving as "Guest Chefs" to plan, prepare, and serve meals at its shelter.
The church also runs the annual BalikBayan Box Drive each August, collecting clothing, hygiene items, school supplies, small toys, canned goods, and dry food for partner churches in the Philippines. Short-term missions have included trips to Tijuana with Spectrum to bring supplies and run programs at a senior living facility and an orphanage.
Through FECA, FECG connects to the Global Seeds Initiative (GSI), a project of Serving Foundation International that focuses on unreached people groups in India. The work includes leader training, church and training center construction, and the distribution of Bibles, bicycles, chickens, goats, sewing machines, and grain mill stations to new Christian communities.
Leadership and Staff
Rev. Michael Hsu has served as Senior Pastor since 2022. He is supported by Rev. Enai Pan, who pastors the Mandarin congregation and whose motto is "holiness and humility, faithful obedience," grounded in 2 Corinthians 8:12; by Yuanhui (Timothy) Xu, the Mandarin assistant pastor who joined the staff in September 2023 after earning a Master of Divinity from Azusa Pacific Seminary; and by Dr. David Cheung. Rev. Dr. Siang-Yang Tan, who served as Senior Pastor from 1996 to 2021, was honored with a retirement celebration in January 2022. The pastoral and office staff also includes Kenny Wong, Katelyn (Katie) Foat, Mari Salli, Marshall Huang, and Otie Javier.
The senior pastor lineage traces back through Rev. Dr. Siang-Yang Tan (1996 - 2021), Rev. Eddie Lo, Ph.D. (1966 - 1996), and founding pastor Rev. George Chua (1965 - 1966). A page on the church site preserves Rev. Eddie Lo's story, drawing on the biography by 邱清萍 in "From Drifting to Rooted: A Survey of Chinese Churches in North America," recounting his journey from a poor childhood in Guangzhou and Macau, through opium addiction and gang involvement in Hong Kong, to tuberculosis, conversion in a Canadian hospital, training at the British Columbia Bible Institute and Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Missouri, and a lifetime of pastoral ministry in Los Angeles.
Getting to the Campus
FECG sits in west Glendale on Broadway just west of Pacific Avenue, near the junction of the 5 and 134 Freeways. Drivers on the 5 use the Colorado Street exit; drivers on the 134 use the Pacific Avenue exit. The on-site parking is limited and fills up quickly. The east parking lot uses tandem (stacked) parking; if a car is parked in an inner space, the driver may be delayed until 1:00 PM. Visitors are asked to leave a note with their name and phone number on the dashboard if they park in a tandem space. The church encourages younger members to yield spots to seniors, families with children, and first-time guests. Street parking is often available west of the church on Broadway and in the residential neighborhood north of the church on Wilson and Kenilworth Avenues. If the lot is full, the church validates parking at a public garage at 425 W. Broadway. Visitors are reminded to cross Broadway at the Kenilworth "T" intersection or at Pacific Avenue rather than jaywalking in front of the church. Dress is casual: jeans and sneakers are typical, with a few ties and sports coats also seen.
Media, App, and Giving
The English and Mandarin services are livestreamed on the FEC Glendale YouTube channel (with sermon archives in English on the Church Center app and in Mandarin in a separate archive). Sermon podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeart Radio. Members and regular attenders are encouraged to download the Church Center app, which handles giving, event registration, small-group communication, prayer requests, volunteer scheduling, and church-wide calendar access. Members are also given free access to the RightNow Media library of discipleship videos and studies. Giving is accepted online through Church Center (credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or ACH bank transfer) or by check mailed to FECG at 522 W. Broadway, Glendale, CA 91204. Gifts of stock can be arranged by emailing finance@fecg.org. The church notes that ACH bank transfers carry a flat fee of $0.30, while credit, debit, and Apple Pay transactions carry a fee of 2.15% plus $0.30.