A Revisionist History of the Church on Brady?

Question

Is the history of the Church on Brady being gradually rewritten? The focus of this discussion will center on matters of concern to those members who were a part of the Church on Brady before, during and after its transformation to Mosaic.


A Brief Timeline of the Church on Brady

(Compiled from interviews with ex-church members, written materials saved by said members and what little information can be gleaned from the internet)

1969 Thomas Wolf takes over as pastor at the First Southern Baptist Church of East Los Angeles located at 715 Brady Ave.

Over time, church members begin to simply refer to it as “the church on Brady.” Eventually, the name was changed to “The Church on Brady.” “Bro. Tom” pioneers “Oikos Evangelism”, a person-to-person evangelism strategy based on reaching out to one’s “circle of influence.” Church membership grows under his leadership.

Early 1980’s Bro. Tom plays a crucial role in the formation and implementation of the Montebello Police Chaplaincy Program.

During this time, the Church on Brady establishes several “daughter” congregations which later became independent churches. One of these was Inland Community Church in Chino, California.

“Brady” begins to experience overcrowding issues. Inquiries were made to the owners of several nearby properties but the owners were either unwilling to sell or set too high a purchase price.

1983 The congregation outgrows the original building. On May 1, the “Share the Vision” campaign is launched to raise funds for building expansion. The goal is to raise $700,000 to begin construction.

1985 On October 13, the “Build the Vision” campaign is initiated to raise additional funds to complete church reconstruction. The goal of $450,000 is met.

1987(?) Construction of the new sanctuary and support buildings is completed.

Early 1990’s The Church on Brady sponsors the “Spare Not” conference. Erwin McManus is asked to participate as a guest speaker.

1994 After 25 years of leadership, Pastor Thomas Wolf accepts a teaching position at Golden Gate Seminary in San Francisco. Erwin McManus is called to become Lead Pastor at the Church on Brady. Tom Wolf agrees to stay on as teaching pastor.

1996 Pastor Thomas Wolf is asked to leave the Church on Brady. Church elders cite “leadership conflicts” as the reason for this action.

By the late 1990’s the congregation had once again outgrown its facilities. Sunday worship services are expanded to include 3 morning services and one evening. The original church site can no longer expand to accommodate the growth in attendance and parking congestion.

1997 June 27, “Believe the Impossible” campaign. The congregation is asked to give sacrificially towards the purchase of new facilities. The initial fundraiser is held at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Between $500,000 and $700,000 was eventually raised over the course of the campaign. Mosaic leadership begins scouting for available properties. The promotional brochure for the campaign stated that the search would be conducted within the “Los Angeles area.”

1998(?) The name is changed from The Church on Brady to Mosaic. The name change was necessary since the congregation was moving towards selling the original church site on Brady Avenue in East Los Angeles.

Between 1997 and 2006 church leadership entered into serious negotiations for the following properties:

1. Rosemead School of Counseling located in Walnut.
2. Chicago Title Building, Rosemead (asking price far beyond what the congregation could afford).
3. A space in the soon to be built Artist and Loft center in downtown Los Angeles.
4. The Carlson Building.
5. Bimbo’s Bakery, Los Feliz (negotiations ended in 2004, not surviving through the escrow process).
6. New Hope church property, Los Feliz (2005). “Crash”, a fundraising campaign to raise additional money towards the purchase of New Hope, was announced to the congregation but was never implemented when the property owners failed to respond to further inquiries.

All of the above negotiations failed.

*An informal inquiry was made to the owners of the Soho nightclub in downtown Los Angeles, but there were no formal negotiations to purchase it. In 2006, informal inquiries were made regarding an abandoned school property in Silverlake.


The Church on Brady under Pastor Thomas Wolf

Under the leadership of Pastor Thomas Wolf, the Church on Brady, a small, nearly dead church in an economically depressed part of East Los Angeles, rose to become a thriving multi-cultural congregation which earned a national reputation for its innovative approach to personal, one-on-one evangelism along with accolades from the Southern Baptist Convention for its unusual commitment to the foreign mission field. In addition to its commitment to evangelism, the Church on Brady fostered an extensive discipleship ministry for its members. The Church on Brady was also known for its positive contributions to community involvement not only in East Los Angeles but also in several of its surrounding cities.

Below are the items that turned up during an internet search on the Church on Brady:

Find Articles.com Scouting for Souls, March 1996, Marc Spiegler (Brief commentary on the early work of Pastor Thomas Wolf)
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_n3_v18/ai_18056292

When Pastor Thomas Wolf first came to Southern California's Church on Brady in 1969, the situation seemed dire. The Southern Baptist church in East Los Angeles had seen its historically Anglo following erode to 45 people as the neighborhood became mostly Mexican. Facing fiscal problems and demographic change, church elders even considered selling off the dilapidated property. Today, after more than a quarter century of Wolf's leadership, the Church on Brady boasts services averaging 700 worshippers, drawn from an ethnic mix as diverse as East L.A. itself.

Global Spectrum & University Institute

http://www.crew-ministries.com/Crew%20Ministries/global%20spectrum.htm

[Outlines the accomplishments of Pastor Thomas Wolf and Carol Davis.]

From 1969-1994 they worked in the future. The Church on Brady brokered a new kind of American church, the apostolic type, rather than the traditional pastoral type. George Hunter III, Reaching the Unreached (1997) examined 13 American apostolic churches. The congregations included Chicago-area Willow Creek and Orange County California’s Saddleback. Though numerically the least by a significant gap, George Hunter found The Church of Brady to be “...the most apostolic congregation in America.” Its focus on multiplication rather than maintenance produced unusual results

Universal Disciple: History of the Church on Brady
http://www.universal-disciple.com/about%20us.htm

[Text is almost identical to the above but this portion is more date specific.]

Perhaps that is why in the early 1990's the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptists informed the Church on Brady that they were sending more missionaries through the IMB than any other church. That translates to first among the 45,000 congregations of the largest evangelical Protestant group in America. At the time, from a base of 400 worshipers, The Church on Brady had sent some 12 to the mission fields. Second place went to a 3,000 worshipers congregation with 3. When they left in the late 1990's, Brady was sending more than 55 full time missionaries. Such a sending ratio places the Church on Brady at the time of Thom Wolf’s transition from senior pastor in 1994 as a kind of Pacific Rim/West Coast Hernnhut of the late 20th century. Hernnhut is the Moravian community of Central Europe in the 18th century. This is God working through ordinary people.

The Church on Brady’s original mission statement included the phrase, “…to be a spiritual reference point east of downtown Los Angeles and a sending base to the ends of the earth.” This original statement was penned by Pastor Thomas Wolf and reflected the church building’s geographical location.

Erwin McManus, the current pastor of Mosaic, repeated this statement in this 2002 interview with T.C. On-Line, but omits the reference to East Los Angeles.

T.C. On-line.org “Mosaic” April 2002, by Mary Jane Welch
http://archives.tconline.org/Stories/april02/mosaic.html

“It’s that core value that has made Mosaic one of the most missionary-sending churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. More than 40 overseas workers are scattered across the world, and many more are preparing to go.
“We realized that Mosaic’s vision is to be a spiritual reference point throughout Los Angeles and a sending base to the ends of the earth,” Lead Erwin McManus explains.

The Church on Brady/Mosaic under Erwin McManus

During the 1980’s and early 1990’s the Church on Brady experienced phenomenal growth in attendance and was facing serious overcrowding issues. An effort was made to purchase a larger property that became available near the corner of Brady Avenue and Whittier Blvd. but was unsuccessful. Attempts were also made to purchase homes on adjacent lots but these efforts also failed. It was at this time that the congregation embarked on a massive fundraising campaign to raise money for a complete church remodeling and expansion on the same lot. {See timeline.}

After the building expansion, attendance continued to grow until once again the church was facing overcrowding issues coupled with serious parking concerns. This time there was no more room on the church properties for expansion. Around this time, Bro. Tom was feeling a pull towards university teaching and began to consider stepping down from his position as lead pastor. He and his staff advisors began to look for a suitable candidate to replace him as lead pastor. It was during a Spare Not conference held at the Church on Brady that the congregation was first introduced to Erwin McManus.

The Church on Brady comes under the leadership of Erwin McManus in 1994.

Conflicting Statements made since the transition of the Church on Brady to Mosaic

The following statements have been made since the transfer of leadership to McManus. These statements appear to contain facts that contradict the history of the Church on Brady. The most troubling statements are those that are direct quotes from McManus himself.

In the following excerpt from his own work, McManus appears to be dismissing the accomplishments made before his arrival at the Church on Brady.

“Unwrapping the Present” by Erwin Raphael McManus. Excerpt can be found at:
http://www.ekerk.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=963&Itemid=437
Update: This link is now broken. Please see instead Catalyst Monthly http://www.injoy.com/Newsletters/catalyst/Full/default.aspx?article_id=22

When I moved to L.A. in 1992, I discovered that a journey of 20 years is as treacherous as a journey of 200. While we weren't trapped in the traditional era of hymns and robes, we'd settled into a 1970s groove. The church had been a forerunner in so many areas and was known for its innovation. Yet the journey from The Church on Brady to our future as Mosaic was a difficult one. The best way to describe it is that we traveled at the speed of sound to get to the present (the speed of light would have killed us!).

When speaking about the reasons why Mosaic does not meet in its own building, McManus fails to mention the “Believe the Impossible” campaign, the “Crash” campaign or the efforts made to secure a new building.

CR On-Line, January 2007, “Growth Trends”, Dr. John N. Vaughan
http://www.thecronline.com/mag_article.php?mid=860&mname=January
(Side note: when considering the words, “McManus saw the church’s attendance double from 550 to 1,000 during the first few years,” keep in mind the growth pattern that had already been established prior to his leadership.)

McManus saw the church’s attendance double from 550 to 1,000 people during the first few years. When McManus came, the pulpit was removed and film clips were being used in worship services. Year long Bible book studies were replaced with 9-12 week Bible book studies. Attendance reached about 1,500 in 2003, 2,000 in 2004 and 3,000 by 2006. After the church property was sold, the church began expansion to multiple rented simultaneous locations.

BP News, Jan 10, 2001, Brittany Jarvis
http://www.sbcbaptistpress.net/bpnews.asp?ID=10121

McManus said God gave him a vision years ago to claim Los Angeles for God. But when it came to buying a meeting place, his small congregation did not have enough money to purchase a nightclub that was for sale.* Years went by and the nightclub was sold. After a quick meeting between McManus and the new owners, the congregation was allowed to rent the club on Sundays for a nominal fee.

*See Timeline

Interview with Infuze Magazine
http://www.infuzemag.com/interviews/archives/2006/10/erwin_mcmanus.html

Erwin McManus:

So some of the things we've done: we've sold our property. I know of churches that sell their property but it's always to buy new ones. We sold our property and went homeless for eight years. Two years ago, we had seven locations in one year. We actually stopped meeting in places with one day's notice that today is our last day. Here we are, we're now a congregation of 3,200 in seven services in four locations across the city. Last year, I was driving 198 miles across the city to get to each location. It was insane.

From Pepperdine University, The Graphic, “Dancing from the Pulpit”, Meredith Rodriquez, News Assistant
http://graphic.pepperdine.edu/living/2005/2005-01-13-mosaic.htm

McManus was a key player in Mosaic’s development and attention-grabbing growth. He started an alternative service to the now-closed church on Brady, six years ago. Since then, it has grown from fewer than 100 members to nearly 2,000.

[Note: McManus took over as the lead pastor of the Church on Brady; he did not begin an “alternative service.” Later in the same article: [Bethany Bovine, a Mosaic church member is quoted:]

“It is not so much about our own agenda here at Mosaic,” said Bovine. “People are passionate about people here.” Perhaps this is why Mosaic does not own a church building. Leaders do not want to focus on a building, rather they want to focus on the body of believers, Bovine said. Instead, the congregation meets at William Carey International University in Pasadena and at a rented salsa club called The Mayan in West Los Angeles. McManus speaks at all three services.

Excerpts from Tu Cuidad Magazine, December/January 2007. Cover story: “Got Jesus Dude? Born in El Salvador, born again in the U.S., Erwin McManus now leads the hippest ministry in L.A.”, Yvette Doss [Taken from hard copy of the magazine]

By his fifth year at the Church on Brady, McManus had persuaded members to sell their building and expand into rented spaces throughout the city. They would become a roving, nomadic congregation made up, as McManus says, of the people, the community. “We did that because we didn’t want people to think the church was a building.”

March, 2007

Ten years later, the congregation continues to meet at various rented venues throughout the greater metropolitan Los Angeles area.

In the intervening years since the “Believe the Impossible” campaign, Mosaic has shifted its ministry emphasis to serving “...the top 15% of innovators and early adopters often overlooked by most churches.” CR On-Line, January 2007, “Growth Trends”, Dr. John N. Vaughan
http://www.thecronline.com/mag_article.php?mid=860&mname=January

Two of the results of this shift in emphasis are:

1. The congregation’s demographics are now mostly comprised of young, single adults with no personal knowledge of the history of the church they are attending.

2. Many of the original members (who do not fit the current ministry emphasis) have left Mosaic to join other congregations.

A few former members requested and received refunds of their donations to the “Believe the Impossible” campaign. The last known donor to request a refund did so in March, 2007. This person received an e-mail response indicating that while a refund would be sent, the money from the “Believe the Impossible” campaign has been spent.

Sometime in February, 2007, the “Believe the Impossible” funds were used to pay off a second mortgage on the financially troubled Inland Community Church, one of the “daughter” churches of the original Church on Brady mentioned above. This property now belongs to Mosaic and has been renamed Mosaic Inland. It is still being used by the original “daughter” congregation. This property is located in San Bernardino County, a little more than 30 miles away from the original site on Brady Ave. in East L.A. and well beyond the original search parameters given to the donors at the fundraising banquet.


In Conclusion:

Since taking over as Pastor of the Church on Brady, Erwin McManus has made many puzzling statements regarding the history of the church he inherited. It seems odd that some errors have been allowed to remain uncorrected while others have been repeated.

The quote below is from an interview in Church Business, “Swimming Upstream: Erwin Raphael McManus’ Postmodern Ministry Goes Against the Current — and Gets Results”, 02/23/2000. by RaeAnn Slaybaugh.

McManus is commenting on the alterations made to a cover photo of him that was featured on a Christian magazine.

http://www.churchbusiness.com/articles/721cover.html

McManus: I think Christian books aren’t as honest as we think. To be frank, a Christian magazine just did a very nice article on me. In the photo, I was wearing a shirt that had a gun on it shooting out butterflies. When I got the magazine in the mail, they’d PhotoShopped out the gun.

When I saw it, I thought, This is the inherent problem with Christianity. We’re not honest. We distort and recreate truth in a way that is palatable to us. When we do that, people hear our messages and they think they aren’t real and they aren’t honest. We think that because we have the truth, everything we do is truthful. We need to not only preach the truth, but be truthful.

This blogger wonders how many former members have been left with an “unpalatable” taste in their mouths.