Bel Air Presbyterian Church
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Bel Air Presbyterian Church (or simply Bel Air Pres) is an evangelical megachurch located in the posh Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Since its founding in 1946, it has become one of the largest and most influential churches in L.A. Indeed, the church's motto is To make Los Angeles the greatest city for Christ. The church is located at 16221 Mulholland Drive, on a hill overlooking the San Fernando Valley.
Many members of Bel Air are involved in the entertainment industry, and many are prominent within the Westside L.A. community. In addition, many young actors attend the church's midweek young adults service, The Foundry. Bel Air also has many young families from The Valley in its congregation. Former President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan, regularly attended Bel Air after leaving office, and Mrs. Reagan still occasionally attends.[1] Famous celebrities that have been spotted at Bel Air in recent years include Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears[2], Paris Hilton, Lance Bass,[3] and Leonardo DiCaprio[1], garnering Bel Air the title of "L.A.'s Celebrity Church."
The Bel Air sanctuary organ was the world’s largest digital/pipe combination organ at its dedication in 1991, when the current sanctuary was completed with a seating capacity of 1,400. The organ is world-renowned in the organ and classical music communities. It has been featured in many recordings, magazines and radio programs.
Weekly church attendance currently exceeds 3,000, making it one of the largest and fastest-growing Presbyterian churches in the United States. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) (PCUSA), but has recently been embroiled in fierce debates among the liberal mainline denomination, as Bel Air tends to be more conservative and evangelical than the majority of the PCUSA.
Former Senior Pastors include Dr. Louis H. Evans Jr., Dr. Michael H. Wenning, and Dr. Donn D. Moomaw. Dr. Moomaw gave the prayer at Reagan's first inauguration in 1981.
The church is currently led by Senior Pastor, Dr. Mark Brewer. In 2004, Brewer broke with the denomination and opposed the controversial PCUSA "divestment from Israel" decision (an official anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian statement). He currently serves on the board of directors of The Committee to End Divestment Now (CEDN), a Presbyterian affinity group opposed to the PCUSA's anti-Israel statements and activities. Because of this and other ongoing debates within the PCUSA (regarding the ordination of homosexuals among other liberal views), it is possible that Bel Air will eventually leave the moderate-to-liberal denomination and join a more conservative one, such as the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), as some other evangelical Presbyterian churches around the U.S. have done, or attempted to do, since 2006.
In 2007, the church completed a $12 million dollar campus expansion program, The Campaign for Bel Air: Phase I, which included the two story Education Building, Discipleship Center, and Administration Building, including staff offices with stunning views overlooking the The Valley.
Every Easter Sunday, the church holds the largest worship service in Southern California at the famous Hollywood Bowl, with attendance exceeding 10,000.
