35 Year History of Christian Bible Fellowship: “A Church on the Move”
In the beginning: 1965 - 1971
The vision for reaching and ministering to Filipinos living and working around the world has always been the response to the Biblical mandate of the Great Commission. In obedience to God’s calling, Dr. Frank Obien and his wife Rose Marie Lorenzana, founded the work of Campus Crusade for Christ in the Philippines in 1965 where they met Pastor Bayani Mendoza, then pastor of the Alliance Church of Quezon City. Dr. Obien challenged Pastor Mendoza to consider working among Filipinos in America.
Upon returning to America in 1968, Dr Obien, along with his parents, Dr. Ermie Obien & his wife Avelina, who founded and was pastor of the Filipino Methodist Church of San Francisco in the 1940’s and Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley in the 50’s, launched the Philippine Ministries for Christ in America (PMCA) to help plant Filipino churches.
Panorama City: 1971-1974
Assisted by Dr. John McArthur and partnering with Grace Community Church of the Valley, Pastor Mendoza and his family was sponsored to lead the Philippine Ministries for Christ in America, Southern California, in 1971. The first PMCA service was held at Thanksgiving at Grace Community Church of the Valley. As a result, in 1972 - 1973 Bible Studies were held in the homes of the Libatiques, the Primaveras, and the Hilarios, to name a few, to form a nucleus to subsequently plant a church.
Hollywood, California: 1974 – 1975
In February 1974, Pastor Mendoza, Pastor Luong, Peter Lieve, and Prudencio Ganzon, drafted and signed the Articles of Incorporation and was registered on March 1974 as the “Hollywood Bible Fellowship”, and met at the World Opportunities Headquarters in Hollywood, California.
Van Nuys, California: 1975 - 1976
In February of 1975, the church moved to the facilities of the Missionary Alliance Church of Van Nuys, and changed it’s name to “the Pilipino Bible Fellowship”.
Alhambra, California: 1976 - 1982
The church moved to Alhambra in October 1976. Pastor Ed Lacaba became the Interim Pastor and the church began to grow as new families were added. Pastor Ben Cabral became pastor in 1977 and served to 1984.
In February 1978, the church moved to the Calvary Baptist Church facility, also in Alhambra, where the church membership greatly expanded. In November, 1978, the name was changed to “Christian Bible Fellowship” (CBF). In September 1981, the church affiliated with the Conservative Baptist Association of Southern California (CBASC).
Rosemead, California: 1982 –1987
In April 1982, the church moved to Hope Union Free Evangelical Church facility in Rosemead where in 1985 Pastor Emil Boniog became the pastor. Covina, California: 1988 – 1990 In May of 1988, the church moved to the Covina Methodist Church facility in Covina.
Montebello, California 1990 – 1997; Alhambra 1997 - 2003
The church merged with the New Life Calvary Chapel with Pastor Ernie Montealegre in July of 1990, which was meeting at the First Baptist Church of Montebello. The church kept its name CBF while moving to this facility. Pastor Boniog was called to pastor a church in Seattle and Pastor Montealegre became the pastor of CBF. In 1993 Pastor Montealegre and CBF explored the possibility of starting a sister church in Northridge, California. That led to the planting of the Northridge Christian Fellowship in 1994 under Pastor Montealegre which later moved to the Simi Valley and is now the Christian Fellowship Church. Pastor Norman Decena became the pastor of CBF that same year. In April 1997, the church moved to the Unity Church facility in Alhambra and met there until June of 2003.
Arcadia, California: 2003 – Present
In June 2003, CBF moved to the Lutheran Church of the Cross. In January, 2005, Dr. Oscar Baldemor and his wife Lynn,, former staff, Campus Crusade Philippines, Executive Director, Conservative Baptist Assn of the Philippines, CBASC Director of Church Planting, and founder/pastor of Fil-Am Gospel Fellowship of Long Beach, was invited to be the present pastor. Dr. Baldemor, invited Dr. Frank Obien, who served with Dr. Baldemor in the Philippines in student ministries and was a church planter with CBASC in Sun Valley, California, to help him and Pastor Jem Mendoza and his wife, Maricar, the son of the founding Pastor Bayani Mendoza, at CBF. The Obiens accepted. The journey of the Christian Bible Fellowship is truly one that only God could orchestrate. We look with great anticipation for what God is going to do in reaching the goals of the church in the next few years. |
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