EFC (Evangelical Formosan Church) grew from a small handful of Chinese and Taiwanese immigrant Christian students who met faithfully in 1965 to where it is today. On Sunday, Oct. 2, 1970, The Taiwanese Evangelical Formosan Church in Los Angeles was established. The church was later renamed to Evangelical Formosan Church in Los Angeles in 1982.
The early church members primarily consisted of graduate students, young couples and young families. As the parents worshipped in the main sanctuary in Taiwanese, the children attended Sunday School, usually led by volunteer parents. In the mid-70’s, the US opened its doors to new immigrants and Southern California attracted waves of Taiwanese immigrants. As the number of immigrants grew and so did EFC, and number of children that attended EFC.
In the beginning decades, there was only one service, held in Taiwanese where entire families worshipped together. Eventually, those under 12 years old were excused to Sunday School, while those 12 and over had to “patiently and painfully” sit through the rest of the service. Paid youth advisors, like Barry Goldwater, merely tended to the children, like babysitting.
EFC finally recognized the lack of spiritual growth for the second generation. In 1977, Paul Wang, a Fuller Seminary student, was hired as EFC’s first youth counselor. After Paul Wang, graduated, the Elders’ Board hired Mr. Tony So, now Rev. Anthony So, as youth counselor. He spiritually awakened many of youth. He truly challenged their beliefs and faith and their purpose for coming to church. Tony So brought onboard Bill and Mary Leong, who were also key advisors to the English congregation. In that period, many of the 2nd generation youth were baptized and saved.
In the early 1980’s, EFC moved to Highland Park and shortly had its first English service. The service started at 9am and lasted about an hour. The Taiwanese service immediately followed. It was a sacrifice for many who attended the English service but it gave opportunities for serving in all operations of Sunday service from worship to ushering to offering. Mary Leong, the first worship leader introduced the English congregation to Maranatha and Vineyard songs. It seemed refreshing not to sing the hymns of the parents. Messages were given in English only, without translation, and geared for the needs of the English congregation. Soon, newcomers who had no ties with the Taiwanese service began attending. Many were university, college and high school students from the neighborhood: Non-Taiwanese.
In the summer of 1982, over twenty young people started music ministry that toured the West Coast for nearly a month. They ministered to seven churches throughout California, Seattle and Vancouver, performing and giving testimony. Many received the Lord and were saved because of Music Ministry. Many who served in Music Ministry grew spiritually.
As the English congregation grew, a need arose to have separate Junior High, High School, and Young Adult (college and up) fellowships. Advisors were key to the spiritual growth and nurture of the youth ministry. During this period of tremendous growth, EFC and EFC General Assembly was expanding and planting new churches throughout Southern California: EFC Walnut, EFC Orange County, EFC Torrance and EFC San Fernando Valley were all planted within 5 years. Every time a new church was planted, key English congregation members would be transferred and the English congregation would shrink. In 1984, an all-EFC summer retreat was held San Luis Obispo University. Almost half of the eight hundred participants were young people.
Pastor Tony So had to go back to Hong Kong for periods of time each year or so, the EFC hired interim Pastor Alan Gates to preach in the English service. Eventually Pastor Anthony So had a special burden for Hong Kong, especially as the year approached 1997, when Hong Kong was to be returned to China. Pastor Tom Cheng and his wife Helen began serving as EFC English pastor soon afterwards. Pastor Ted Kau joined EFCLA as an advisor while attending Fuller Seminary, and came aboard full-time after he graduated.
The period of rapid growth church planting slowed down and the English congregation began gaining momentum again. Around 1988, the English congregation changed its name to “Harvest Los Angeles, the English Congregation of EFCLA”, or Harvest LA, for short. The name Harvest LA was meaningful to the congregation because they want to make it easier to reach non-Taiwanese, un-churched unbelievers. Harvest was chosen because it conveyed its mission as both a noun and verb.
In the midst of the recession of the mid 1990’s, EFCLA was blessed to purchase its current campus. With the large facility, ministries began to flourish. The campus could easily accommodate 3 services: Mandarin, Taiwanese and English. EFCLA recognized the growth of English congregation and its leaders and allowed the them its own leadership board, called the Junior Deacons. Harvest LA ran parallel ministries alongside the Taiwanese and Mandarin congregations.
In 1997, Harvest LA grew to nearly 160 when Harvest San Gabriel Valley (Harvest SGV) was created as the first church plant of any EFC English Congregation. Pastor Ted Kau, Joe Chou and group of committed young adults and families branched off to start an English only 2nd generation church.
Pastor David Tsai soon came onboard to serve along Pastor Tom Cheng. Before Reverend Felix Liu stepped down as Senior Pastor, EFCLA instituted the “One Church” policy: One church, not 3 separate churches; one Elders and Deacons board, not 3 separate boards serving 3 separate congregations; and one budget. English deacons and eventually English Elders were confirmed and installed. English deacons and Elders were part of the decision-making board that has important impact for Harvest LA. It was paramount shift for the 1st generation congregation to stop thinking about the English ministry as a “youth ministry” but a full-fledged congregation.
Around the year 2000, Reverend Felix Liu stepped down to head Logos Evangelical Seminary and Reverend Evan Chen became EFCLA’s senior pastor. Soon afterwards, a second English service, called Exodus, was started to target and minister to the post-modern generation. The service was held in the afternoons. Eventually, Exodus and its leaders were called to minister to West Los Angeles and the UCLA vicinity. We blessed them and sent them out. In 2001, Pastor Tom Cheng stepped down as pastor of Harvest LA to serve at FEC Glendale.
In 2007, Pastor Eddie Sun came onboard, to serve alongside Pastor David Tsai, as the second English pastor to Harvest LA. Pastor Eddie is currently in charge of student ministries. And in 2009, EFCLA/Harvest LA hired Pastor Joe Chou as the full-time Children’s minister.
May God continue to be with Harvest LA is its calling, purpose and mission. All we do and all we are is for His glory and His purpose.
– Elder Henry Ting