It was started as an outreach ministry for the Senior Citizens in downtown Los Angeles. Then, Dr. Virginia Cruz Roberts felt a calling to start a Seniors Ministry group in Chula Vista. The congregation was entrusted to the care of Rev. Nilo Jaren Lapasaran Jr, Senior Pastor of Jesus Our Hope International Assembly. Ptr. Ronald Tan was installed by the So Ca. District council of the AG upon the recommendation of Rev. Lapasaran.. Reinforced by some of JOHIA’s choicest leaders, namely: Abesamis, Altres, Abellas, Lopezes, Ulandays, Palads, Cruzes, Sadorras, Oquendos and the Gonzagas.

New Hope International Christian Center formerly known as International Charismatic Center was founded/pioneered by Dr. Virginia Cruz-Roberts in November 1996 in Burbank, Ca.

For over a year, the group was meeting at FilipinoAmericanCenter of Los Angeles (FACLA) at 1740 West Temple Street, Los Angeles every Sunday from 10am to 12 noon. The name was changed to New Hope International Christian Center (NHICC) on March 7, 1999. At that time we also adopted in full, the vision laid out in the Assemblies of God “We Build People”. Our sense of mission coincides directly with the Reaching, Planting, Training and Teaching emphasis of the Department of Foreign Missions.

A more suitable facility was found at 3030 West Temple St. and the growing congregation moved in July 2000. The Angeles family arrived in April 2001 to join the staff. A transition in leadership occurred when Ptr. Tan had to undergo medical surgery for his scoliosis. Ptr. Eric was installed as Interim Pastor in September 2001. In April 2002, Ptr. Richard Murphy arrived and was petitioned to be the Youth Pastor. The church continued growing and in October 2002 an evening service was started at Southland Christian Academy Day Care Center in Bellflower, with an initial attendance of 19. By December the attendance in Los Angeles was peaking at 80, which started raising some concerns regarding parking and building fire code occupancy violations. Concerned about possible penalties, the leadership decided to move out of the facility and temporarily move into the Bellflower Day Care Center, which was made available by its owner, Cerritos Desert Reign Assembly of God. January 2003 marked the move to the present facility at 16400 Woodruff Ave.Bellflower, CA.

The Lord started adding on new families and soon the different departments and ministries began developing: Worship Team, Youth, Children, Couples, Men, Women, Singles, Prayer, Music, Tambourine, MusicSchool, Home Cells, BereanSchool of the Bible, Visitation & Follow Up, Food Groups. The first batch of Corporate Church Members was inducted in March 2004.

Rev. Gunder & Mercy Grace Balista and their family arrived in September 2004 and joined the Pastoral Team. They later moved on the Fresno to join Holy Ground Family Fellowship.

The Lord continued to bless the work and a daughter church was planted in the city of Alhambra, 22 miles north of Bellflower. Pastor Kelm Masuecos served as outreach pastor until Pastor Nil & Nida Fernandez took over the leadership. They later moved the growing church to Glendale and has now been recognized as a Parent Affiliated church, known as NHICC Glendale.

In Dec. 2007, the congregation in Bellflower moved to North Long Beach renting the facilities of Glad Tidings Tabernacle

at 1900 E South St., Long Beach, CA where services are currently being held Sundays at 4:30 pm.

OUR BELIEFS