Hollywood Adventist Church sits on North Van Ness Avenue, just up the hill from the busy heart of Hollywood, and it has been part of the neighborhood long enough to claim a hundred years of loving the city that surrounds it. The congregation calls itself the Purple Church, both for the deep violet paint on its signage and for what the color represents: an open, generous welcome that does not sort people by background, identity, or station in life. From its campus at 1711 N. Van Ness Ave., the church runs Compassion Connection, a weekly outreach offering hot showers, personal care supplies, and clothing to neighbors who need them, and partners with Hollywood Hub down the street. Members describe their community as a chosen family, gritty and real, gathered around weekly worship on the Sabbath, shared lunches in the Café, and the rhythms of a small urban church that takes both theology and social justice seriously.
A Purple Church in the Middle of Hollywood
The phrase "purple church" shows up repeatedly in bulletins, letters, and on signage. It began as a way of saying that the welcome of God is broader and deeper than any single group can fathom, and it has become a shorthand for the kind of community Hollywood Adventist wants to be. Fellowship and membership are open to everyone, and the church describes itself as fully inclusive regardless of age, race, class, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The welcome is not theoretical. Members describe the church as "a place of grace that wrestles with boundaries," and Pastor Greg, in a recent letter on family and friendship, wrote that the community is "not about 'family' in some saccharine sense. This is a gritty place, with real people who have serious gifts, and real problems too."
The congregation is a member of the Adventist Peace Fellowship Church Network and has formally committed to six areas of peace ministry: Peacemaking and Reconciliation, Care for Creation, Sabbath Economics, Health and Human Rights, Freedom of Conscience, and Racial and Gender Justice. These commitments show up in everything from the topics of sermons to the way the building is used during the week. The church is also part of the broader Seventh-day Adventist World Church, and locally belongs to the Southern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the Pacific Union, and the North American Division.
Sabbath Mornings on Van Ness
The weekly rhythm of the church centers on Saturday, the seventh-day Sabbath. The day begins at 10:00 AM with Sabbath School, when adults gather in the Community Chapel and around tables for Bible study and conversation, and children head to their own classroom for a program led by Patty and the Family Ministry team. At 11:00 AM, the congregation gathers for the main Worship Service, held in person and livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel.
The order of service moves through four sections: Worship in Prayer and Song, Worship in Life Together, Worship in the Word, and Worship in Response. Music is led by a rotating worship team, with singers and musicians such as Curtis, Calla, Niko, Robinson, Terry, and Princess Demiar guiding the congregation through a blend of contemporary worship songs and hymns. Recent services have included songs like "Battle Belongs," "Build My Life," "Firm Foundation (He Won't)," "Tremble," "Same God," "Reckless Love," "Revelation Song," and "Blessed Assurance." Praying the Word, a short responsive reading of a Psalm, typically follows the opening music.
A short segment called Hollywood Life keeps the congregation up to date on church announcements, then the morning offering is collected. The sermon usually runs 25 to 35 minutes. After the sermon, the response portion of the service often includes a closing song and a benediction from the pastor.
On the last Sabbath of each month, the service includes Communion, a practice the church calls "Garden-to-Cup." Concord grape vines grow in the church's Community Garden, and the harvest from those vines is pressed into juice that is then used in the communion service. On Communion Sabbaths, the service also includes the Ordinance of Humility, the Adventist practice of footwashing, which the church describes as a reminder of Jesus' servanthood and an open invitation to all who confess Christ. Communion at Hollywood Adventist is open: anyone who confesses Christ is welcome at the table.
Compassion Connection and the Compassion Boutique
Compassion Connection is the church's flagship outreach, run in partnership with Hollywood Hub, a neighboring ministry. Every week, right on the church's campus, Compassion Connection provides hot showers, personal care products, and access to the Compassion Boutique, a free clothing store stocked entirely through donations. Volunteers serve in shifts on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM, and the boutique itself is now open five days a week.
The Compassion Boutique is described by the church as offering "the dignity of a shopping experience, completely free of charge." It accepts new or gently used clothing, accessories, shoes, bedding, backpacks, luggage, and new underwear, and donations in all sizes are needed. Andrew in the church office coordinates drop-offs. The church also runs a Little Free Library on its grounds, a partnership with Little Free Library, Inc., placed at the corner of Canyon Drive and Van Ness for neighbors and families to take and leave books.
Several projects beyond the church's operating budget depend on outside funding.
The Community Garden and Garden-to-Cup Communion
Tucked behind the church is a small Community Garden that has become one of the most distinctive features of the campus. Concord grape vines in the garden yield the harvest used for monthly Communion services, and the same garden serves as an outdoor classroom and gathering space. Sunday work days are held periodically during the warmer months for volunteers to paint, weed, and tend the beds. The garden is part of the church's broader commitment to Care for Creation, one of the six Peace Fellowship commitments, and shows up repeatedly in the pastor's letters and sermons as a small but tangible sign that tending the earth is part of discipleship.
Sabbath Schools and Small Groups
Three adult Sabbath School options meet at 10:00 AM on Saturday mornings, alongside the children's program:
- Children's Sabbath School meets in the kids' classroom for younger members of the congregation.
- Faithbuilders is an open conversation focused on the intersection of God, faith, and life, led by Eugene and Kirsten. It meets in person and on Google Meet.
- Adult Quarterly is the traditional Adventist quarterly Bible study led by Bill. It meets in the Community Chapel in person and on Zoom, with study guides and the weekly Zoom link sent out through a reminder email list.
The Well, the women's ministry of the church, gathers every other Friday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM on Zoom. Led by Merlinda, it is described as "a safe space to question openly, wrestle honestly, study deeply, and pray intentionally together." Recent series have included "Anxiety, Depression, and Faith."
Deep Dive, a post-worship Bible study and prayer gathering, meets on the second and fourth Sabbaths of each month after the service, with a light lunch at 12:30 PM and study beginning at 1:00 PM. Deep Dive meets in person and through the church's Zoom Room, and it goes on summer hiatus during July and August. The church also operates an Upper Room Zoom space that is open to members and regular attenders for connection between services.
Midweek Fuel and Prayer
Midweek Fuel is a weekly prayer gathering that meets on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 PM in the Interaction Space at the church. It is described in the bulletins as a time of prayer and fellowship, and anyone can attend. Midweek Fuel goes on a short hiatus during the summer months and resumes in the fall.
Music, Art, and the Worship Team
Worship music at Hollywood Adventist is led by a rotating group of musicians and singers. Princess Demiar has been the primary worship leader and recently transitioned to a full-time music and young adult ministry elsewhere, though she continues to lead when her schedule allows. Other worship leaders include Curtis, Calla, Niko, Robinson, and Terry, each directing the team on different Sabbaths. The music draws on a contemporary worship repertoire with occasional hymns woven in.
The church also has an active Art Ministries team led by Mae and Michael. The team partners with Alice Corona and Studio 526 to host rotating exhibits in the church's public spaces, including recent memorial shows remembering artists and church members who have passed. The exhibits have become part of the rhythm of the church year.
Beliefs and the Peace Fellowship Commitments
Hollywood Adventist holds to the historic beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, summarized in their own statement of faith as follows: belief in the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; in Jesus Christ, who became human, died for sins, rose on the third day, and ascended to heaven to make intercession; in the gospel as good news that the kingdom of God is now and entered by faith; in the lordship of Christ over the whole of life; in the gift of eternal life through Christ; in the resurrection of the righteous at the second coming; in the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit; in simplicity, modesty, and generosity toward the poor; in the church as the community of God's people; in spiritual gifts for the edification of the body; in Scripture as the inspired word of God; and in the seventh-day Sabbath as holy time and God's signature on creation and redemption.
The church also practices open Communion, meaning that the Lord's Supper is open to all who confess Christ, and baptism by immersion, which has been celebrated on select Sabbaths for those ready to make that commitment.
Pastoral Team and Leadership
Pastor Greg serves as the congregation's pastor. He writes a weekly Pastor's Letter that goes out before each Sabbath, often exploring a single preposition, concept, or passage in depth. He and his wife Jill came to Hollywood Adventist as Interim Pastor in March of 2025 and have continued in that role through 2026. Before his appointment, the church had been served by Pastor Branden, whose departure in late 2025 left the congregation under elder leadership for several months before Pastor Greg arrived.
The pastoral team is supported by a group of active elders who rotate as the designated in-person elder for each Sabbath, available after the service for prayer and conversation. Elders named in recent bulletins include Bill, Kirsten, Patty, Eugene, Andrew, Alburn, Kelsy, Geoff, and Michael. Princess Demiar serves as the primary worship leader. Kirsten Salvador leads Faithbuilders and serves as church clerk. Eugene co-leads Faithbuilders. Bill leads the Adult Quarterly. Patty oversees the Children's and Family Ministry. Merlinda leads The Well, the women's ministry. Andrew coordinates the Compassion Boutique and drop-off donations. Chase Wilder, a theology student from La Sierra University, served as the church's summer ministry intern through September 2026, leading Midweek Fuel and preaching during the annual Apocalypse Series.
Visiting Hollywood Adventist
Visitors are warmly welcomed at every Sabbath gathering. The 11:00 AM service is the main weekly worship, with Sabbath School for all ages at 10:00 AM. Parking is available on site, and the church is wheelchair accessible. Three amplified audio assist devices are available for those who need them; worshippers may use their own 3.5mm earbuds or borrow a headset.
Communion is celebrated on the last Sabbath of each month and is open to anyone who confesses Christ. The Ordinance of Humility (footwashing) is also observed on those Sabbaths. Worshippers are invited to wear whatever feels comfortable; the church's own community includes people across a wide range of styles.
Children are welcome in the main worship service, and a Children's Sabbath School program runs during the 10:00 AM Sabbath School hour. The Café is open after the service on the first Sabbath of each month for a community lunch, and visitors are welcome to linger. Free stickers with the Purple Church logo are available in the lobby.
Giving can be done online through AdventistGiving or by mail, with checks payable to the church and the memo line marked either "Tithe" or "Local Church Offering." The livestream of the worship service is available on the church's YouTube channel, and the weekly bulletin is posted online each Friday so attendees can follow along whether in the room or at home.
Affiliation and the Wider Church
Hollywood Adventist Church is a member congregation of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, the global body that brings together Adventist Christians in more than 200 countries. Locally, the church is part of the Southern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the regional administrative body that coordinates ministry, pastoral placement, and shared resources across Southern California. The Conference sits within the Pacific Union and the North American Division, and the church is a member of the Adventist Peace Fellowship Church Network, a voluntary association of Adventist congregations committed to peacemaking, justice, and creation care. The Southern California Conference was marking its 125th anniversary in 2026.
A Hundred Years and Counting
The church's heading reads "100 Years of Loving Hollywood." The phrase captures both the church's longevity and its sense of calling. The congregation traces its life through the decades of a neighborhood that has changed many times over, and it now sees its work in concrete forms: a garden yielding grapes for Communion, a shower and a change of clothes for a neighbor in need, a meal shared after worship, a prayer lifted on a Wednesday night, and a sermon wrestling with the fears and hopes of a complicated city. For a community that calls itself chosen family, the work is ordinary and sacred at the same time, and the door on Van Ness stays open.