A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FIRST THAI PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH in the U.S.A.

In 1968, the United States’ government passed a new law allowing people from other countries to come to the USA to work and establish residence. By 1973, it was estimated there were 7,500 Thai living in Los Angeles County of which a few were Christian. As a result, The Thai Community Church of Hollywood was established for three reasons:

            1) To give Thai Christians, and those not yet Christian, the opportunity to worship God in their own language.

            2) To help with both physical and psychological problems of Thai living abroad, and

            3) To bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to Thai living in Los Angeles County and in others parts of the United States.

Consequently, on Easter Sunday 1973 the first worship service of the Thai Community Church in Hollywood was held in the chapel of the Mount Hollywood Congregational Church in Los Angeles with 40 persons present, of which 15 were Thai. The Rev. Soon Il Kim was a senior pastor, with the Rev. Prachuab Dechawan as Associate Pastor. Worship was held at 2.00 PM every Sunday followed by Sunday school and dinner. Most of the Thai Christians who founded our church were originally members of the Church of Christ in Thailand, so the church became a member of Pahk 6 (Bangkok) of the CCT. But distance and communication proved difficult for this relationship, so in November 1981 when the Rev. Prachuab Dechawan became pastor, the church moved its membership to the Presbytery of the Pacific.

They have been times of struggle when it was not clear if our church would survive. But with God’s help, the faithfulness of our members and under the leadership of the Rev. Prachuab Dechawan, our membership has increased in number and our faith has deepened.

In September 1988, the church had outgrown the Chapel at the Mount Hollywood Congregational Church so we moved to share facility as “Partnership in Mission” with the First Presbyterian Church, El Monte in the Presbytery of San Gabriel. We changed our name to the First Thai Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

In 1981, we ban a ministry to refugees of the Vietnam War living in Long Beach. Many Laotians and Cambodians became Christian thrugh this outreach and the Lao-Cambodian Presbyterian Church of Long Beach was founded.

Through out the years we have encouraged Thai Christians in other parts of the United States and have helped establish the following churches:

            1) The Thai Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth with Elder Arom Nataneti as lay leader,

            2) The Thai Presbyterian Church of Chicago with Elder Dr. Chach Thaochalee as lay leader,

            3) The Thai Presbyterian Church, New York, with Elder Kenneth Suwatanasan as lay leader,

            4) Thai Community Church in New York City with Elder Pracha Gold as lay leader,

            5) First Thai Presbyterian Church, San Jose, California with Rev. Dr. Prachuab Dechawan as an organizing pastor.

            6) First Thai-Laotian Presbyterian Church, Las Vegas, Nevada with Rev. Dr. Prachuab Dechawan as an organizing pastor.

To encourage the training of leaders, for evangelism purposes, and for our own spiritual growth, these 7 churches formed the National Thai Presbyterian Council (NThPC). Every year over the July 4th weekend, the Council plans a retreat to carry out our mission. Leaders have pastors of churches in Thailand or former missionaries to Thailand.

Since 1973, our dream has been to have our own property. In February 1995, we moved to our present location of 1.86 acres which we are purchasing for $900,000. We thank God continually for our “new home”. We are in debt, but we are confident God will help us find the necessary funds.

We welcome you to our Sunday worship. Head phones are provided with simultaneous translation in English for those who do not understand Thai. Prayer meeting is held every Wednesday noon in the Chapel. Small groups meet in homes of church members Saturday evenings. Sunday morning begin with worship service followed by Bible classes for all age groups in both Thai and English.

As we moved into the new decade, we look forward to witnessing both to the Thai and other nationalities living in Southern California as well as in other cities across the United States. We ask our friends for your prayers for the continued growth and mission of the First Thai Presbyterian Church in the USA as we look forward to the future.