Evangelists Go to Beach to Be Fishers of Men

Towels and folding chairs in hand, they look like typical beachgoers as they gather just south of the Hermosa Pier each Sunday morning. With their public address system and acoustic guitars, they could even be planning a beach concert.

But instead of sun-worshiping, they have come for the Church on the Beach, a weekly religious service where sun-tanned “born-again” Christians gather to learn about the Bible.

The services, which come to a seasonal close this Sunday, are like those at other evangelical churches--except that shorts, sunglasses and even bikinis are the norm. Hope Chapel of Hermosa Beach sponsors the services to give outsiders a cutaway view of their church.

“People in general are afraid of church buildings,” said an associate pastor at Hope whose name happens to be Dan Beach. “They don’t know what happens inside, and churches are kind of sacred places. In this way, we show people what it’s like on the inside and that we are open and friendly.”

“We want to be where the people are,” said Rita

Duggins, 28, who helps organize the beach service. “We want to let people know that the church does not necessarily have to be in a building.”

For a self-proclaimed “beach person” like Randy Turner, the service offers a way to worship in his environs.

“I really identify with this,” said Turner, 35. “I have found a common ground with this ministry. . . . In fact, I met my third--and last--wife, Pamela, going here. She is another beach person, and this is my home.”

Phyllis Slater, 26, does not consider herself a beach person, but she said she feels comfortable with the church’s casual but spiritual atmosphere.

‘Sounded Unusual’

“About a month ago, a friend of mine invited me to the service,” Slater said. “It sounded unusual, so I agreed to go.

“The atmosphere surprised me. I used to think that Christians were all conservative-looking, with strict standards. But this church made me feel welcome and at ease. For a time I was going to another Christian church around here, but I felt uncomfortable there.”

Organizers and worshipers agree that another purpose of the church service is to break down misconceptions about Christianity as well. “We want to show that our church is for real people,” said Tim Personious, a Church on the Beach organizer.

“But another reason why we are preaching on the beach is because life around here is crazy. Many are living the fast life--trying to fill themselves with status, money or drugs--when what they really need is the Lord.”

Helped Chapel Grow

Beach said that the beach ministry has contributed to the growth of Hope Chapel, whose membership numbers about 4,500. The beach services draw between 150 and 200, church officials said. In addition, 50 to 60 passers-by stop to listen to the sermon and the music or watch worshipers extend their hands in prayer.

Some worshipers say they like the Church on the Beach because it is more intimate than normal church services. “Small groups are always better,” said Jack Bayley, 33, who frequently attends beach services. “After the service some of us stay to play volleyball, so this gives us a chance for fellowship, too.”

The oceanside setting offers another plus: Full-immersion baptisms are easy. “Sometimes we have taken the whole service down to the shore and baptized people right there,” Harmon said.

Unusual services are nothing new for Hope Chapel, which is affiliated with the Foursquare Church and is only a few blocks from the beach. “Some years ago, we would have the sanctuary walls lined up with surfboards, and people would come in still wet from the beach,” Duggins said.

That is still the character of the church, said Beach, 29, but “we are becoming more of a family church now that those 18-year-olds of seven or eight years ago are married.”

Hope Chapel’s beach service, which begins about 10:30 a.m., is the only one he knows of in the South Bay, Beach said. Although this Sunday’s service is the last one of the year, they will resume next summer, he said.