A Humble Beginning
Thirty years ago, Antioch Presbyterian Church didn't have a pulpit, chairs, or even a microphone. The congregation gathered in an empty warehouse, sitting on a bare carpet, driven by a profound love for God and a radical vision for world missions.
A Radical Commitment to Missions
In its early days, the members made an astonishing commitment. They agreed to call a missionary as their senior pastor, even though his calling required him to be away on the mission field for four months out of every year. For an immigrant church, this arrangement defied convention. Yet, the congregation understood that their true purpose wasn't just to build a comfortable local community, but to honor a higher calling to spread the gospel globally.
A Miraculous Provision
When the time came to finally purchase a building, the financial mountain seemed insurmountable. The property required a massive down payment of over $600,000 in cash. The pastor and his wife simply walked the property and prayed. Miraculously, between August and December of that year, the funds poured in. Even after securing the building, the church had to trust God entirely to provide the chairs, sound systems, and basic furnishings.
A Legacy for the Next 30 Years
Today, with a fully equipped campus and a thriving community, we must remember that human effort didn't build Antioch Church, but God's grace did. As our church celebrates 30th anniversary, the prevailing message is a challenge to never lose that "first love" and to maintain the courage to say "Yes" to God.
And it leaves us with a question to reflect on:
When the next generation looks back thirty years from now,
what will they say about us?