A Pentecostal Landmark on Crenshaw Boulevard
West Angeles Church of God in Christ sits on Crenshaw Boulevard in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, where the church has shaped the neighborhood for more than forty years. The cathedral, the Family Life Center, and the West A Cafe all share the campus at 3600 Crenshaw Boulevard, and the surrounding community knows the church as both a place of worship and a steady presence on the corridor. Under the long leadership of Presiding Bishop Emeritus Charles E. Blake, Sr., the congregation grew from a small gathering on West Adams Boulevard into one of the most recognized Church of God in Christ bodies in the country, and today his son, Senior Pastor Charles E. Blake II, leads the same work alongside his wife, Lady DeAndra Blake.
From a 50-Member Mission to a Crenshaw Institution
West Angeles began as a 50-member church on West Adams Boulevard. When Charles E. Blake, Sr. became pastor, the work expanded steadily: the congregation grew to roughly 25,000 members, multiple properties were developed along Crenshaw Boulevard, and a community development corporation was formed to invest in the surrounding neighborhood. Bishop Blake also led the international Church of God in Christ denomination as its Presiding Bishop from 2007 to 2021. In 2022 he stepped aside from the senior pastorate and was named Presiding Bishop Emeritus. His son, who had served as Assistant Pastor and then Co-Pastor and had earlier worked as Community Relations Director at West Angeles, took over as Senior Pastor that same year. The senior pastor holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Oral Roberts University and a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center's Charles Harrison Mason Seminary, where his study of Ethics and Society fueled a lifelong interest in community outreach and activism.
Sundays at 10, Wednesdays at 7
Worship at West Angeles follows a clear weekly rhythm. Sunday morning begins with Men & Women's Sunday School at 8:30 AM in the Family Life Center. The West A Kids Sunday Service for elementary-aged children, toddlers, and infants meets at 9:45 AM on the third floor of the Family Life Center, with cry rooms available for parents. Youth Sunday School for middle and high school students meets at 10:00 AM in the same building. At 10:00 AM the main Sunday worship service gathers in the West Angeles Cathedral and is also broadcast online for those joining from home. West A Kids and Youth programs take a break on first Sundays, when the children's floors close so that families can worship together in the main service.
Wednesday ministry centers on Bible study. On the first Wednesday of the month, an in-person Bible study meets at 7:00 PM in the Family Life Center. On the second through fifth Wednesdays, Bible study moves online at 7:00 PM and can be watched through the church's online channels. The Bereavement Ministry, Music & Worship Arts, Evangelist Missionary Fellowship, and the counseling center all add additional midweek touchpoints.
Prayer Every Weekday, Morning and Midday
Daily prayer is woven into the church's Monday-through-Saturday ministry. Weekly Prayer at West A meets in person and online at 6:00 AM and again at 12:00 PM on weekdays, offering two short pauses for anyone who wants to pray alongside the congregation. The cadence reflects the church's stated aim to minister from Monday through Saturday, not only on Sundays.
The Cathedral, the Family Life Center, and Where to Park
Sunday worship takes place in the West Angeles Cathedral on the main campus. Most other programs, including Sunday school, children's ministry, youth meetings, and the first-Wednesday Bible study, meet in the Family Life Center. Visitors driving in for the first time can park in the Metro Crenshaw Station Lot, which sits close to the campus and is the recommended lot for guests. The phone line for general inquiries is 323-733-8300, and the email is hello@westa.org.
Children, Youth, and the College Fair
West Angeles treats its younger members as a full part of the congregation. West A Kids offers age-appropriate rooms on the third floor of the Family Life Center for elementary-aged children, toddlers, and infants, plus two cry rooms for parents who want to stay close to little ones. Youth Sunday School gathers middle and high school students each week, with pre-registration requested for the school year. Each fall the church hosts the Los Angeles Christian College Fair in the Family Life Center, inviting Christian colleges and universities from across North America to meet with students working to integrate biblical faith with their academic plans. Past sessions have featured representatives from schools committed to a faith-and-learning approach, and pre-registration is required for students and families attending.
The Brotherhood, Women's Ministry, and Married Couples for Christ
Adult ministries give the congregation age- and stage-specific ways to connect. The Brotherhood, the men's ministry, hosts health and fellowship events, including a recent Men's Health Screening Event in partnership with UC Irvine Urology that offered a free continental breakfast and free PSA screening along with expert medical insight from UC Irvine staff. Women's Ministry gathers women for weekends of fellowship and connection, and the Evangelist Missionary Fellowship plans the annual women's prayer retreat. Married Couples for Christ meets on the third Saturday of each month; couples can sign up by emailing hello@westa.org or calling the counseling center. Golden Life Senior Fellowship meets on the second Tuesday of each month for older adults, with the same email address as the point of contact.
Music & Worship Arts and Media Production
Music is central to worship at West Angeles. The Music & Worship Arts ministry, paired with Media Production, runs an ongoing open call for volunteers who can serve as musicians, singers, dancers, actors, stage managers, and behind-the-scenes media producers. Orientation sessions are held periodically, including one immediately following service on the first Sunday of the month, and anyone interested can connect with the ministry through an online form. Past services are available to watch online, and a Spotify podcast carries recordings beyond the YouTube channel.
Counseling, Recovery, and Grief Support
The West Angeles Christian Counseling Center (reachable at 323-737-7463) anchors the church's care work and serves as the gateway to several weekly support groups. Wings of Healing, a recovery group, meets on Thursday evenings at 6:00 PM. A NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Family Support Group meets on the first and third Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Grief Share, a thirteen-week grief support program, runs seasonally on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 PM, with early registration recommended. An Alzheimer's Awareness Series meets on Saturdays at 10:00 AM during its scheduled run. The Bereavement Ministry assists families with memorial services, grief counseling, and resource referrals, and memorial announcements for members of the congregation are shared through the church.
First Sundays at the West A Cafe
On the first Sunday of each month, the West A Cafe opens for lunch after service from 12:30 to 3:00 PM in the Family Life Center. Each meal includes an entrée, two sides, a choice of beverage, and a dessert, with vegan options available. Adults are $30 and children are $15. The cafe's name says what it does best: the menu changes monthly, and the seating is set up so that the conversations that happen there can feel as nourishing as the food. Inquiries go to cafe@westa.org.
What West Angeles Believes
West Angeles describes itself as a Bible-believing church in the Church of God in Christ denomination. The church teaches that there is one God eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and that the Bible is the inspired and only infallible written Word of God. Members affirm regeneration by the Holy Spirit as essential for personal salvation, the blessed hope of the rapture of the Church, the healing power of Christ's redemptive work on the cross for the human body in answer to believing prayer, the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as described in Acts 2:4. The stated mission is a threefold calling to evangelize, edify, and equip believers to reach the world for Jesus Christ, and the church frames itself as God-fearing, people-loving, mission-minded, and generosity-driven.
Joining the West A Family
Becoming a member of West Angeles starts with a short online form, and baptism services are held each summer as an outdoor ceremony with the church family. Anyone interested in baptism, membership, or any of the ministries above can email hello@westa.org with their name and a short note. The church also posts open positions and welcomes volunteers to its Music & Worship Arts, Media Production, and children and youth teams. Giving is available online through Pushpay, and services, Bible studies, and weekday prayer are all streamed online so that members and friends near and far can keep up with the week at West A.