About Friendship Christian Center

In the early 1990’s while attending Rhema Bible College in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Pastor Gerald Agee received a Word from God to start Friendship Christian Center which was to be located in the West Oakland community in Oakland, California. This was an area he had grown up in as a young teenager and it had become an area that was in a state of disrepair with high crime, major drug activity and prostitution. With God’s mandate Isaiah 61: 4 in mind he began to search for a place that would be suitable to start a church. After looking through the West Oakland area, he located a site for lease in the Grand Food Shopping Center, a small shopping strip center. He immediately told his wife Alesia and took her down to see the location. The site was an abandoned storefront, which had once been a local bar and hangout that Pastor Agee had visited in his unsaved days. After agreeing this would be the perfect start for the ministry, and after much remodeling and repair, Friendship Christian Center opened it’s doors for service on January 2, 1994 at 933 West Grand Avenue. It’s vision reflective of the work assigned by God… “And They Shall Repair The Waste Cities” from Isaiah 61:4.

The membership consisted of approximately 25 individuals. With this group of people, Pastor Agee began to reach out to the neighborhood through community outreaches such as block parties, feeding of the hungry and street witnessing. Progressively the membership grew and by the end of 1995, the church had outgrown it’s space. In 1996, the south wall of the site was knocked down and the sanctuary expanded into the adjoining suite. As the church continued to grow, Pastor Agee knew he needed more space, but there was no more room to expand. One day after consulting with his Bishop, he was led by the Holy Spirit to take a different route home. While on this route, he turned down a particular street in West Oakland, and there before him was a large 12,000 sp. ft. unused building for lease with a sanctuary in it. After negotiating with the owners for a lease-option to purchase and some minor renovations, Friendship Christian Center moved into it’s new site in February 1999. Since that time the church, under Pastor Agee directions, and the members have been striving to bring to past the church vision “And They Shall Repair The Waste Cities”. Friendship Christian Center is a family church that places a strong emphasis on teaching the Word of God, Prayer, and Missions.

In 2003, Friendship Christian Center began it “We Build By Faith” Building Project, which was to purchase and make major renovation at the 12,000 sq. ft. site. The church has completed the purchase phase of the project. When the remodeling phase is completed, the new sanctuary will seat over 850 people and make a bold architectural statement in the West Oakland community. Today, the multi-cultural church has over 800 members on it’s roster and is continually growing.

Friendship Christian Center will celebrate 15 years of ministry of January 2, 2009.

Statement of Faith

• We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
• We believe our God is one, but manifested in three persons.
• We believe man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God, but through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world.
• We believe man’s first step towards salvation is godly sorrow that works repentance.
• We believe baptism in water is by immersion, is a direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers only.
• We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation.
• We believe in Sanctification.
• We believe in Divine Healing.
• We believe in the resurrection of the just and the return of our Lord.
• We believe in Hell and eternal retribution.

Our Goals

• 5,000+ Members
• World Outreach Ministry
• Worldwide Tele-Evangelist Ministry
• 5000 Food for Faith TV Partners
• Friendship School Of Ministry
• Friendship Christian Pre-School/Elementary Academy