Melodyland

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Melodyland Christian Center was a theater in the round that became an evangelical Christian church in Anaheim, California. Pastor Ralph Wilkerson took a musical theater and turned it into one of the largest (at the time) and most influential churches in the Evangelical or Charismatic/Pentecostal community.

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[edit] Theater in the round becomes a church

According to the Yesterland website, "The 3,200-seat Melodyland Theater, located across Harbor Boulevard from Disneyland, opened in 1963. Audiences could enjoy Broadway musicals, concerts by popular performers, such as Johnny Carson or the Grateful Dead, and even ice shows. In 1969, Rev. Ralph Wilkerson bought Melodyland for use as a church. Melodyland must have seemed to be a good name for a church too, so they kept the name and even the original Melodyland sign. Melodyland was demolished in 2003. The parcel of land on which Melodyland sat is slated to become part of Anaheim GardenWalk, a lifestyle shopping center. Freedman Way is now called Disney Way."[1]

Melodyland Theatre was built in the 1960s by a Mr. Freedman, and was host to many entertainers both famous and not so famous. Some of the singers who performed there included the Grateful Dead, Bobby Darin and Jack Benny.

In 1969 the property was put up for auction. A church called Anaheim Christian Center, headed by Ralph Wilkerson, bought the property and changed the name of the church to Melodyland Christian Center. The church was started as an Assembly of God denomination. Later the church would have a drug rehabilitation program, a high school and a school of divinity called Melodyland School of Theology.

In the late 1970s, during the summer months, the church would host what were called "Charismatic Clinics". These week-long events featured noted speakers from the Charismatic and Pentecostal movement, and drew people from all over the world.

[edit] Melodyland High School

Melodyland High school started in 1976 and used existing church grounds for the school campus. The school's unofficial nickname was Melo (pronounced "mellow," rhyming with yellow). The team name for the school and its sports teams was "The Flames" as in the Flame of the Holy Spirit. In 1984 Melodyland High School left the church campus and became a separate entity. Eventually the school became Southern California Christian High School, SCCHS for short.

The high school eventually closed its doors and now its traditions live on at Eastside Christian schools.

[edit] School of Theology

Melodyland School of Theology (MST) was a theological seminary college level school and had on its staff Walter Martin, who was also known as the Bible Answer Man and head of CRI (the Christian Research Institute), John Warwick Montgomery noted Christian apologist and lawyer, Dr. John Rea (noted Old Testament scholar and an editor of the New International Version of the Bible. The first president of the the school was Dr. J. Rodman Williams (Charismatic Theologian, author of a Systematic Theology). He was succeeded by Dr. John Hurston in 1981. There was also a branch of the school dedicated to Socal Work. The school granted MDiv. and MSW degrees. Although the school struggled to acquire accredidation throught major regional accrediting associations, they were never quite able to reach this goal. However as the forerunner of Charismatic scholarship, the school influenced other institutions, especailly Regent University in Virginia Beach. At its height, MST drew students from all over the globe. MST was re-named Anaheim Christian School of Theology (A.C.T.S.) in 1981. MST closed in the mid-80's, but still has an active alumni base.

[edit] Anaheim Christian College

Alongside the School Of Theology, there was a junior college called Anaheim Christian College. This school was dedicated to training Christian ministers and workers and awarded Bachelors degrees in Bible, Theology, Ministry, Apologetics, Christian Education, & Church Music. The junior college was successful at getting accredidation, but dwindling enrollment caused it to merge with other schools in the mid to late 1980's.

[edit] Church outgrowth

Several churches grew out of Melodyland Christian Center and went on to continue as organizations in the area.

The building was demolished in 2003.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Yesterland:Other Lands
  2. ^ http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt1t1nc3f9/?layout=metadata&brand=calisphere

[edit] External links