OUR HISTORY = HIS STORY

 

It all started with an unexpected vision in the summer of 1991 after reading Ezekiel 17 in the Bible. 

 

22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. 24 All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. “‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’”

 

Pastor Stephen Chong, then a student in college, had a vision of himself holding a Bible in one hand and preaching to a diverse crowd of people from every race, nation, tribe, and tongue.  There were Caucasians, Asians-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Indians, virtually people from every nation and background.  Then the vision moved to a scene of a huge block party or street party in which various stages were evangelistically ministering to a huge crowd of people.  Praise & worship on one stage, a black gospel choir on another stage, someone sharing their testimony on another stage, to a multitude and myriad of various game stations and food stations to love, bless, and minister to the community. And it was very apparent that it was the state of California. It was here that Pastor Stephen received the call into ministry as a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the conviction for CA—all the way back in the summer of 1991.

 

This vision of an effective, gospel-centered, multi-ethnic church ministry in CA has stayed and tarried with him for all these years, even decades as he, his wife Ann, and their two children sojourned in various callings and places of ministry.  It was this year of 2013 that God spoke to both Pastor Stephen and Ann to take their biggest step of faith and leave a predominantly Korean-American church ministry and plunge into the unknown. So on May 5, 2013 they left and gave up everything—for that one thing of having Christ and following His calling no matter what it would be.

 

Then after much prayer and seeking the LORD’s guidance, both Pastor Stephen and Ann discerned that they were indeed called out to plant a new Spirit-filled, Bible-preaching, faith-moving, soul-saving, life-transforming, miracle-filled, community restoring, world-impacting church in the Irvine, CA area. 

 

But how would this happen? “[God Himself] will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it.” (Ezek. 17:22)  God Himself would plant this and God Himself would gather His people.  Indeed, God called and garnered an incredible launch team that is only growing. A church that would exist to save souls, awaken the saved, and to heal the hurting—a church ushering in and releasing revival. Glory to God!!! So Revival Church was planted and birthed on Oct. 20, 2013. And we've been on fire for the LORD ever since.