West Angeles Church of God in Christ

West Angeles Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal-Holiness Christian church and a member of the Church of God in Christ denomination. Its main place of worship, the West Angeles Cathedral, is located in the West Adams Historic District of Los Angeles, California.It was founded by Elder Clarence E. Church in 1943. The first sanctuary was located on Adams Boulevard, near Interstate 10 (known locally as the Santa Monica Freeway). In 1969 after Elder Church's death, Charles E. Blake, a son of a pastor and a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, took over as the pastor of West Angeles and has continued to serve as its leader. Blake is now the current Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ denomination.Under Blake's leadership, the church has grown from 40 members to over 24,000. The sanctuary has moved twice, first to a 1,000-seat facility (today called the North Campus) located at 3045 Crenshaw Boulevard, and then to the present structure, the 5,000-seat West Angeles Cathedral at 3600 Crenshaw Boulevard. The Cathedral, built from steel, granite and stained glass, was dedicated in 1999."West A" is known for both its influential pastor, dynamic city ministries and for its celebrity members, which include Magic Johnson, Natalie Cole, Denzel Washington, Stevie Wonder, Michelle Shocked, and Angela Bassett.