Bishop Rejoices Over Church’s Future Home

First, he read the statement. Then, Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer rested his text on the podium and began talking in that familiar sweeping style, the style that took a congregation of 200 and built it into a mega-church big enough to buy the Great Western Forum. The style of a preacher.

“OK, that’s what the notes say,” Ulmer told a news conference convened for the formal announcement that his Faithful Central Baptist Church in Inglewood had signed a $22.5-million deal to buy the Forum. The sale of the 17,500-seat arena, sealed on Friday, marks the first time a U.S. church has bought such a large sports and entertainment venue.

“Now, I just want to tell you this has been one of the most amazing journeys of my life,” Ulmer said.

“In the Bible, there are stories about people dying and being resurrected. Well, this deal has died and resurrected more times than I can remember. I mean, it was dead. D-E-D dead, as they say where I come from. So this is an example of a real resurrection.”

The popular pastor who resurrected the deal has been known in Inglewood for his powerful sermons for the better part of two decades.

Since Ulmer arrived at Faithful Central on Florence Avenue in 1982, the congregation has grown to more than 8,000. That has made it one of the largest in Southern California, but it also forced it to hold three separate Sunday services.

Ask the 53-year-old Ulmer how he built the church and he rubs his eyes, at a loss for words. His admirers say it’s an uncommon ability to explain the Bible in everyday language. His actions provide part of the answer: Walk with him and he can’t resist the urge to rest his arm on your shoulder like an old friend.

“I don’t know how we grew so fast because we really aren’t doing anything different than other churches. It’s teaching the word of God in a practical way,” Ulmer said.

$1 Million Raised in 60 Days

Church members like Ronya Brown say their faith in Ulmer is so strong that when he asked for their help in raising money for the Forum, the middle-class African American congregation raised $1 million in 60 days.

“Bishop is a man of God,” said Brown. “Not only is he a preacher, he’s a teacher, too. He can relate to just about anybody. When you trust someone like that, you know what he’s doing is for the good.”

On Friday, dressed in a sharp pinstripe suit, Ulmer described his vision of finally creating a Sunday gathering place for the entire congregation and leasing out the building to build economic power for the church.

Faithful Central will use the Forum for Sunday morning services on a regular basis starting on Easter, making it one of the largest houses of worship in the country. The inaugural service will be held on New Year’s Eve.

The Forum will be used on other days of the week by the new ABA basketball team, the Los Angeles Stars, and the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks. Other events scheduled at the Forum include Disney on Ice, Sesame Street, and concerts by Elton John, Billy Joel and Cher. A conference center, hotel and shopping complex are planned for the grounds.

Ulmer said his church would not be converting the Forum into a church filled with religious icons and statues. Sunday worship will use a modest collapsible set that can be built up and broken down with ease.

Trying to explain the deep spirituality of his congregation, Ulmer turned to an old saying about how faith transcends any edifice.

“We’re not turning this into church. That’s not the vision,” Ulmer said. “You see, some people go to church. Black people, we have church.”

Born in East St. Louis, Ill., Ulmer received an undergraduate degree in broadcasting and music from the University of Illinois. He came to Los Angeles while in the Marines in the 1970s and said he received a calling to minister. He was ordained at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church.

Ulmer said he has always had a vision that church should go beyond stained glass windows and delve into economic empowerment for the community. He expects that the creation of the hotel and conference center at the Forum will provide hundreds of jobs, building what he calls bridges between faith-based groups and corporations.

“We found a way to make an investment in this community,” Ulmer said. “We’ll make a difference because we are different. And that difference is our commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.”