Our story is far from usual—but that tends to be how God does things.

We start in the fall of 2009: two churches are already connected, the pastors known to each other, the buildings owned by one shared with the other. Pastors Scott and Brian planted Shoreline Church, meeting in a hotel near the ocean in Santa Monica and then moving to a movie theater in Westwood village near UCLA. The congregation is growing, and the facilities are already becoming inadequate.

First Baptist Church of West LA had started similarly, only a century earlier, with people who had become residents of the start-up town of Sawtelle wanting to form a church in the neighborhood of the new government hospital for veterans of the Civil War. Somehow it has survived, annexed into the expanding metropolis of Los Angeles, and on into the new century, handed down from one generation to another. The three full-time and two part-time pastors there know the church needs changes, but are not sure where those changes will lead.

Both churches are praying for God’s leading. They are already involved with each other—friendships forming, sharing building space, praying for each other, congregations mixing.

Where does the idea come from? In the late fall of 2009 people are saying “We ought to talk about joining our churches together.” The crazy idea becomes a conversation, and the conversation becomes a possibility. So they pray. They talk. They plan. And they pray some more. First Baptist changes its governance to one compatible with Shoreline. Both churches pray about unifying and are excited at the possibility. On the first day of spring, 2011 both churches vote overwhelmingly in favor of unifying their congregations.

On Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011, Cornerstone Church was born in West LA.  Since then, we’ve enjoyed being a multi-generational, diverse family united under Jesus.  We hope you’ll join us and become part of our story!