Shepherd of the Hills Church
Encyclopedia
Shepherd of the Hills Church is a nondenominational megachurch
based in Porter Ranch, Los Angeles, California, USA in the "Southern California Bible Belt".
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.
Some criticize churches like this, calling them "church lite", but others say they help people who find the experience more accessible than traditional churches.
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.
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 was planning to launch hybrids in Lancaster, California
and Compton, California
in 2008.
The church now has campuses in Antelope Valley
, Porter Ranch, Westside and Woodland Hills.
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.
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
based in Porter Ranch, Los Angeles, California, USA in the "Southern California Bible Belt".
The senior pastor is Dudley Rutherford.
In 2008, Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Vista, California. It focuses on activities of growing churches and is non-denominational.It is a periodical from the organization Outreach, Inc...
ranked Shepherd of the Hills 92nd in size in America, with attendance of 7,400.
Some criticize churches like this, calling them "church lite", but others say they help people who find the experience more accessible than traditional churches.
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.
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
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
in Brentwood, California
Brentwood, California
Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 51,481 as of 2010....
.
Rutherford travelled to the new location almost every Sunday to deliver the message.
The church was planning to launch hybrids in Lancaster, California
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
and Compton, California
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
in 2008.
The church now has campuses in Antelope Valley
Antelope Valley
The Antelope Valley in California, United States, is located in northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert...
, Porter Ranch, Westside and Woodland Hills.
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.