Overlake Christian Church
Encyclopedia
Overlake Christian Church is a non-denominational megachurch
in Redmond, Washington
. It was once the largest church in the state of Washington.
, Human Trafficking
and Orphan Care. Overlake is in the midst of its 2012 Vision Campaign in hopes of funding these and other initiatives at a greater level.
(Pastor Rick Warren
) in Orange County, California
until 2004. Howerton has authored one book, "Miles to Cross," co-authored another entitled, "The Relevant Church," and now writes a blog
. The church is governed by a board of elders
.
, Washington in 1969 with a handful of former attendees of Bellevue Christian Church. James Earl Ladd, then president of Puget Sound College of the Bible in the nearby city of Mountlake Terrace
agreed to serve as a temporary, part-time pastor/preacher until a replacement could be found. A pastor from Enid
, Oklahoma
, Bob Moorehead, was invited and became Overlake's Senior Pastor in January, 1970. During the nearly thirty years of Moorehead's tenure, weekly attendance at the Kirkland church campus grew from less than a hundred to more than 6,000. He resigned in 1998 amid allegations of sexual impropriety, mostly related to the 1970s, that he had touched or fondled male members of the congregation. The elders
of the church exonerated Moorehead in the results of their initial investigation, but a year after he resigned they withdrew their support, saying they had discovered new evidence that showed he "did violate the scriptural standards of trust, self-control, purity and godly character required for the office of elder and pastor." As a conservative Christian, condemnation of homosexuality had been a major theme of his preaching.
In the autumn of 1997, the church moved a few miles east to a new 250,000 square foot (23,225 m²) building on 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) along Willows Road NE in Redmond
, Washington. The new building has seating for 5,138. After Moorehead's departure in June, 1998, the senior pastor's role was filled by Rick Kingham, a former Vice President of Promise Keepers
, who led the congregation until February 2007. He stepped down as allegations of inappropriate use of funds were made. Mike Howerton, already on staff as a teaching pastor, became the church's lead pastor in the summer of 2007. The church's membership peaked at over 6,000 in 1997, but dropped to about half that by 2007.
47.6891°N 122.14°W
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...
in Redmond, Washington
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
. It was once the largest church in the state of Washington.
Mission
The church's purpose statement is to: Love God, Love People & Serve the World. Weekend services for adults, students and children are considered the main venues where the Love God purpose is fulfilled. Life Groups (small community groups and support groups) are viewed as the fundamental way the church shows its love and concern for people. The church's Serve the World purpose is accomplished through various initiatives (throughout the Pacific Northwest and the world); the primary of which are centered on HIV/AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, Human Trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
and Orphan Care. Overlake is in the midst of its 2012 Vision Campaign in hopes of funding these and other initiatives at a greater level.
Leadership
The current Lead Pastor is Mike Howerton, who was the "Next Generation" pastor at Saddleback ChurchSaddleback Church
Saddleback Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The church was founded in 1980 by pastor Rick Warren...
(Pastor Rick Warren
Rick Warren
Richard Duane "Rick" Warren is an American evangelical Christian minister and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, currently the eighth-largest church in the United States...
) in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
until 2004. Howerton has authored one book, "Miles to Cross," co-authored another entitled, "The Relevant Church," and now writes a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. The church is governed by a board of elders
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
.
History
Overlake Christian Church began in KirklandKirkland, Washington
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...
, Washington in 1969 with a handful of former attendees of Bellevue Christian Church. James Earl Ladd, then president of Puget Sound College of the Bible in the nearby city of Mountlake Terrace
Mountlake Terrace, Washington
Mountlake Terrace is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It lies east of Edmonds, Washington, south of Lynnwood, Washington, and west of Brier, Washington. Its southern boundary runs along the King County line. Interstate 5 runs north-south through the city, and services the city...
agreed to serve as a temporary, part-time pastor/preacher until a replacement could be found. A pastor from Enid
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Bob Moorehead, was invited and became Overlake's Senior Pastor in January, 1970. During the nearly thirty years of Moorehead's tenure, weekly attendance at the Kirkland church campus grew from less than a hundred to more than 6,000. He resigned in 1998 amid allegations of sexual impropriety, mostly related to the 1970s, that he had touched or fondled male members of the congregation. The elders
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
of the church exonerated Moorehead in the results of their initial investigation, but a year after he resigned they withdrew their support, saying they had discovered new evidence that showed he "did violate the scriptural standards of trust, self-control, purity and godly character required for the office of elder and pastor." As a conservative Christian, condemnation of homosexuality had been a major theme of his preaching.
In the autumn of 1997, the church moved a few miles east to a new 250,000 square foot (23,225 m²) building on 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) along Willows Road NE in Redmond
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
, Washington. The new building has seating for 5,138. After Moorehead's departure in June, 1998, the senior pastor's role was filled by Rick Kingham, a former Vice President of Promise Keepers
Promise Keepers
Promise Keepers is an international conservative Christian organization for men. While it originated in the United States, it is now world-wide...
, who led the congregation until February 2007. He stepped down as allegations of inappropriate use of funds were made. Mike Howerton, already on staff as a teaching pastor, became the church's lead pastor in the summer of 2007. The church's membership peaked at over 6,000 in 1997, but dropped to about half that by 2007.
Other churches
Overlake Christian Church has founded eight other churches in the area, the largest having over 1400 Sunday attendees.- Northlake Christian Church, Bothell
- Christ Church of Federal Way, Federal Way
- Christ's Fellowship, Kent
- Evergreen Christian Fellowship, Issaquah
- Northshore Christian Church, Everett
- New Light Christian Church, Seattle
- Coal Creek Chapel, Bellevue
- Canyon Hills Community Church, Bothell
External links
- Overlake Christian Church
- Lead Pastor Mike Howerton's blog
- Senior Associate Pastor Dr Gonzales' blog at Overlake Christian Church website
47.6891°N 122.14°W