Welcome to Tribe
Tribe is a Christian church in Los Angeles, CA. We are a small community of believers and friends, artists and otherwise, united by our love for Jesus and each other. Join us for our service and a meal every Sunday 6-8pm. Everyone is welcome at Tribe, regardless of race, orientation, or faith.
Our central symbol is the table. There’s no need to bring anything to dinner, but if you are a large group please let us know in advance.
Our Location:
Currently meeting virtually via Zoom! Please email us (tribeofla@gmail.com), reach out via social media, or call/text (818-456-6431) if you need the Zoom login info. Returning to our physical location soon -
Oneonta Congregational Church Campus - 1515 Garfield Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
You can find us in “Meeting Room 1,” directly across the hall from the church office. Walk to your left from the parking lot, toward the main sanctuary and into the campus.
About
Tribe is a diverse community of people working out what it means to follow Jesus. We believe in the priesthood of all believers. That means there are no spectators. Everyone is a minister with a part to play. We are part of the historic Christian faith and willingly affirm the truth of its creeds.
Tribe's Leadership
While we don't believe in the clergy/laity divide, we do believe that some are called to lead. David Eppley and Cole Montgomery, two longtime members of Tribe leadership, were formally recognized as our Co-Lead Pastors in January 2017. Dave suddenly and tragically passed away in October 2019. Subsequently, Cole took over as Lead Pastor.
Tribe's History
Tribe began in 2001 in the living room of Rebecca Ver Straten-McSparran and her husband David McSparran, along with their friend Kevin Rolly. Rebecca was our founding pastor and was ordained by the NACCC. Tribe was originally founded as an integral part of the Los Angeles arts and Burning Man communities.
Over the years we have grown and evolved, moving from the McSparran’s home to a space on Wilshire’s Miracle Mile, to a paint factory turned artist complex in Lincoln Heights, to a rotating roster of houses located throughout the Los Angeles area, and finally to our new home on the Oneonta campus in South Pasadena (although we are currently online!).
In 2009 we were blessed to welcome Deb Hirsch as our second lead minister. Deb's leadership gave rise to a ministry team that shared teaching and pastoral roles. Deb's legacy of shared ownership continues to be a vital part of the community philosophy.
Deb welcomed Latina Williams as Tribe's third minister when Deb stepped down in September of 2013, and Latina led our community until the end of 2016. Latina's focus on activism and social justice transformed our community and permanently altered our DNA as a church.
Tribe's Associations
Tribe is associated with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC). We identify with The Congregational Church because of its emphasis on simplicity in organization and its single over-arching statement: “Jesus is Lord."
Common Practices
At our services you can expect to find and experience prayer, contemplation, art, and discussion. We’ve adopted these common practices centered around the initials of our name:
TALK about God – we value open discussion about God, life and spirituality
READ – we value lifelong learning through the study of scripture and the vast scope of writings by people who have travelled the road before us
INVITE God to speak – cultivating a sacred space, a sanctuary, where God can impact our lives
BLESS – encourage those who sit across from us and also actively impact those in our city through volunteering and initiatives
EAT – hospitality & communion are important to us, we eat and drink well!
Contact
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
