Shepherd Church
34°16′27″N 118°33′48″W / 34.2743°N 118.5633°W
| Shepherd Church | |
|---|---|
 Shepherd Church, Porter Ranch, CA | |
 | |
| Country | USA |
| Denomination | Non-denominational |
| Website | http://www.theshepherd.org/ |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Dudley Rutherford |
Shepherd Church is a nondenominational megachurch based in Porter Ranch, Los Angeles, California, USA.[1] The senior pastor is Dudley Rutherford. In 2008, Outreach Magazine ranked Shepherd of the Hills 92nd in size in America, with attendance of 7,400.[2] Some criticize churches like this, calling them "church lite", but others say they help people who find the experience more accessible than traditional churches.[3]
The church was formed in 1995 when Hillcrest Christian Church in Granada Hills was united with Baptist Shepherd of the Hills to become the present Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch. Since then the church has expanded to more than 10,000 members worshiping at 21 different venues each weekend. There are four daughter churches and seven satellite campuses.[4]
In October 2006 the church opened its first hybrid, Westside Shepherd of the Hills Church, based at the Wadsworth Theatre on the grounds of the Veterans Administration in Brentwood, California. Rutherford travelled to the new location almost every Sunday to deliver the message.
The church now has campuses in Antelope Valley, Porter Ranch, Westside and Woodland Hills.[5]
In August 2009 Rutherford said attendance had grown from an average of 8,030 in the previous year to 9,673 in 2009, a 17% increase. He attributed the increase to a feeling of despair brought about by the economic downturn, and a need to focus on spiritual needs rather than pursuit of the dollar.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Duke Helfand (October 11, 2009). "California Christians worship in a big way". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "The Outreach 100". Outreach Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Duke Helfand (October 25, 2009). "Megachurches: Worshipping in a Big Way". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "ABOUT PASTOR DUDLEY". pastordudley.com. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "Shepherd of the Hills". Shepherd of the Hills Church. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ Troy Anderson (March 8, 2009). "In time of economic hardship, houses of worship experience `spiritual tidal wave'". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved August 2, 2010.