Formosan Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles (FPCLA)
Identity
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 洛杉磯台灣基督長老教會 |
| English Name | Formosan Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles |
| Also Known As | Olympic Church |
| Founded | August 9, 1970 (first worship gathering) |
| Official Recognition | May 20, 1973 |
| Denomination | Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) |
| Location | Near Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, California |
| Founding Pastor | Rev. Rei-Hsiung Chang (張瑞雄牧師) |
History
Founding (1970–1973)
In 1970, Rev. Rei-Hsiung Chang (張瑞雄牧師), who was serving in a Methodist church in Fresno, California, saw that there was no Taiwanese church in the greater Los Angeles area. The first worship gathering was held on August 9, 1970 at Centenary United Methodist Church on Normandy Avenue and 35th Street.
FPCLA spent three years under the supervision of PCUSA’s New Church Development Committee before official recognition. Key milestones:
- Establishing church organization and by-laws
- Seek approval from PCUSA for new church development oversight (May 1971)
- Developing mission plans
- Hiring the first organizing pastor (September 1971)
Founding membership: 37 adult Christians, 43 seekers, 33 children.
Early Growth (1970s–1980s)
- Grew to 250 members in the 1980s
- Branch churches planted: Orange County (1976), South Bay (1988)
Fire and Rebuilding (1982–1985)
In the early morning hours of April 1, 1982, the church building was set on fire by an arsonist. Despite eight fire trucks, the building was destroyed beyond recognition. FPCLA worshiped at Immanuel Presbyterian Church from April 25, 1982, to February 3, 1985 — a span of two years and ten months until reconstruction completed.
The motto “Burning but not consumed” was adopted from the biblical story of Moses’ bush on Mount Horeb.
Recent History
After the turn of the millennium, membership declined as immigration from Taiwan decreased. Current membership: ~70 adults and ~20 youths and children.
Key Founders and Early Leaders
Among those who “積極參與支持張牧師開拓事工” (actively participated in supporting Pastor Chang’s pioneering ministry):
- person/Gao-Guangmin-高光民
- person/Chen-Zhaojun-陳昭俊
- person/Sze-ya-Yeh-葉思雅 (first elder, first choir director 1971–1974)
- person/Isaiah-Lee-李宗派
- person/Hsu-Wen-pin-許文彬
- person/Wang-Chunxiong-王春雄
- person/Wu-Zhengyan-吳政彥
- person/Albert-S-Lai-賴信雄
Related Entities
- Rev-RH-Chang-張瑞雄
- Rev-Chang-Feng-Chang-張逢昌
- Sze-ya-Yeh-葉思雅
- Albert-S-Lai-賴信雄
- Chen-Zhaojun-陳昭俊
- Isaiah-Lee-李宗派
- Hsu-Wen-pin-許文彬
- Gao-Guangmin-高光民
- Wang-Chunxiong-王春雄
- Wu-Zhengyan-吳政彥
- Evergreen-Fellowship-長青團契
Notes
- Wiki entry created: 2026-05-14
- Sources: taiwaneseamericanhistory.org Our Journeys #231 (FPCLA 50th Anniversary), fpcla.org
- Motto: “Burning but not consumed” (焚烧但不毀滅)