History of Harvest LA

Harvest LA is the English Congregation of EFCLA, Evangelical Formosan Church Los Angeles. www.harvestla.org.

God blessed EFC as it 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 worshiped 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 worshiped 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 advisers, 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. Tony not only served as youth counselor, but awakened many of youths spiritually.

He truly challenged their 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 youth were baptized and saved.

In the early 1980’s, EFC 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. EFC was blessed to have so many outstanding advisors and lay leaders to disciple, train and love the english congregation members. There are too many to thank individually. Many have gone on to actively serve as members, clergy and lay leaders of other churches. Praise God in that EFCLA/Harvest LA was able to impact so many of the second generation.

During this period of tremendous growth, EFC and EFC General Assembly was expanding and planting new churches throughout Southern California: EFC East Valley, EFC Orange County, EFC South Bay 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 Pastors Alan Gates and David Seah 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 was began gaining momentum again. Around 1988, the English congregation changed its name to “Harvest LA, 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, non-churched and unbelievers. Harvest was chosen because it conveyed its mission as both a noun and verb.

In 1993, EFCLA/Harvest LA sold it church properties on Highland Park, CA and temporarily moved into a Jewish temple in Alhambra, CA. In the midst of the recession of the mid 1990’s, God provided a large business park which came up for sale. After overcoming some challenges, EFCLA and Harvest LA moved into its current facility in El Monte, CA.

God gave EFCLA/Harvest LA a wonderful campus with plenty of space to renovate and grow. Soon, ministries began to flourish again. The campus could easily accommodate Mandarin, Taiwanese and English services. The English congregation even had 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 26 committed young adults and families branched off to start an multi-ethnic, English-only 2^nd generation church.

After Pastor Ted Kau's send-off to Harvest SGV, Pastor David Tsai 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, 3 congregations; one Elders and Deacons board, and one budget. English Deacons and eventually English Elders were confirmed and installed. Having English Deacons and Elders made a important impact for Harvest LA and the future of English ministry within EFCLA. It was paramount shift for the 1^st generation congregation to stop thinking about the English ministry as simply a “youth ministry”, but as an full-fledged English congregation. Even today, we still struggle with this identity.

Around the year 2000, Reverend Felix Liu stepped down and Reverend Evan Chen became EFCLA’s senior pastor. Harvest LA was averaging over 160 in attendance with a steadily growing young adult ministry. A second English service, called Exodus, was started to specifically reach and minister to young adults of the post-modern generation. The service was held in the afternoons. Eventually, Exodus and its leaders felt called to move to better minister to West Los Angeles and the westside community including UCLA. We blessed them and sent them out. In 2001, Pastor Tom Cheng stepped down as pastor of Harvest LA to serve at FEC Glendale. Pastor David Tsai remained and created stability and was a key catalyst to creating relationship and ministry bridges to the Mandarin & Taiwanese young families. Families from the Mandarin, Taiwanese and English congregations all served alongside one another.

In 2007, Pastor Eddie Sun came onboard, to serve alongside Pastor David Tsai. In September 2007, Pastor Eddie along with Joy & Will Wong, help start a second English Sunday morning service for junior highers, called Harvest Live. The service was tailor for these key age group: shorter messages & more fun. It successfully allowed middle schoolers to serve and call this service "their own." While Harvest Live focused on junior high students, Harvest LA focus on families. New homegroups were started for English families, couples with young children. Today, there are 3 "Family Homegroups."

Children's Ministry has also been vital ministry to EFCLA and Harvest LA. In 2009, EFCLA/Harvest LA hired Pastor Joe Chou as the full-time Children’s minister.

In 2010, the goal and vision for Harvest LA is to reach out, attract and minister to English speaking adults and families. To grow the Young Adult (YA) and Adult ministry, Pastor Eddie along with his wife, Chloe Sun, started a Saturday Night English service, currently called “Saturday Night Lights.” Harvest LA will also focus on homegroups for YA and family ministries. They are the future of Harvest LA.

The Three Generations Tree, a unique tree growing in the mountains of Alishan National Park, in Taiwan, is symbolic of EFCLA and HarvestLA. The base of this tree is the strong, wide foundation of the first generation tree. A second tree is seen to grow physically on top of the first generation tree; big, vibrant and strong. Atop grows another tree, the third generation tree, receiving all the light and nutrients up above. The second and third generation trees heavily rely on the foundation set by the first generation tree. Without a strong foundation, the second and third generation trees could not thrive.

With God's blessings and our dependence on hearing the Holy Spirit and doing His will, Harvest LA will be fruitful and multiply. The foundation is set, thanks to our founding fathers. Our desire is to not be perceived as solely a support ministry for the families of the Mandarin and Taiwanese congregation, but stand-alone, but a strong, growing, viable English ministry that can support and serve alongside the other ministries. And our goal is to set a strong foundation for the next generation of believers at Harvest LA, beyond our lifetime, who will glorify Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.