A Pentecostal Congregation in the San Gabriel Valley
Calvary Assembly of God stands as a Pentecostal congregation in El Monte, a working-class city in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County. The church's own name says plainly what kind of family it belongs to: the Assemblies of God, a Fellowship shaped by classical Pentecostal doctrine, a high view of Scripture, and a lived expectation that the Holy Spirit still moves today. Calvary channels that stream into a local, accessible ministry on the ground, with a small mailing address, a part-time office, and a public service schedule that is easy to plan around.
Sundays at Ten, Wednesdays at Seven
Worship at Calvary is built around two weekly gatherings. The Sunday service begins at 10:00 a.m., and a Wednesday evening service follows at 7:00 p.m. The church invites people to "join us in person" for both, and a link on the home page points newcomers directly to driving directions. For those who cannot attend, services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and a sermon playlist on YouTube carries the archive forward. Giving is handled online through a dedicated tithes and offerings page, and the church is reachable by phone at (626) 443-9464 or by email at info@calvaryelmonte.com during office hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The mailing address is P.O. Box 4432, El Monte, CA 91734.
Pastor Gary L. Phillips and the Valley's Bible Institute
The senior pastor is Dr. Gary L. Phillips, an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God who has served as a pastor for more than 40 years. He holds a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy from the California Graduate School of Theology, and his teaching reaches well beyond his own pulpit. Pastor Phillips has taught Church Growth Principles at the Latin American Bible Institute, and he serves as President of Liberty Full Gospel Fellowship and Bible Institute of the San Gabriel Valley. He is the author of many teaching manuals that are in circulation throughout Southern California, with translated editions that have made their way to Cuba, Mexico, India, Africa, and other countries. The combination of long pastoral tenure, doctoral training, and an affiliated Bible institute gives Calvary a teaching flavor that comes through in the rest of the church's ministry.
The Great Commission as a Way of Life
The church frames itself around Matthew 28:18-20, the passage in which the risen Jesus commands His followers to "go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." This is the only mission statement a New Testament church could want. The stated purpose carries that same thrust into the everyday life of the congregation: "Calvary Assembly of God is dedicated to discipling men, women, boys and girls to better serve and to better serve one another; men and women who will truly reflect the character and values of a true disciple of Christ in all areas of their lives." The vision side of the page, written in the voice of a letter to a "Soldier of God," leans further into the church's Pentecostal root language, speaking of an "army of intercessors," the wine of the Spirit reviving the church, and a promise that "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."
Calvary's Kids and Family Discipleship
Children's ministry is one of the most visible pieces of Calvary's discipleship work. The children's program, called "Calvary's Kids," is anchored in Proverbs 22:6: "Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it." A long-running series of Kids Kingdom lessons walks children through the life of Jesus and the Twelve Disciples, with titles such as "Become Mighty, Strong & Bold," "Jesus Rides Into Town On A Donkey!" and "A Time For Celebration!" The series continues into lessons on the failures and strengths of the disciples, where the church teaches that "their failures became strengths," and adds seasonal units that honor mothers and fathers, framed as "Her Children Call Her Blessed" and "We Will Serve The Lord!" Each lesson is paired with a printable coloring page, so families can continue the conversation at home.
What the Church Believes
Calvary's "What We Believe" page reads like a working Pentecostal catechism, line by line, in the church's own words. The church teaches that the Scriptures are inspired by God and declare His design and plan for mankind, and that there is one true God revealed in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The congregation holds to the full deity of Jesus Christ as both human and divine, and to salvation as restored fellowship with God through accepting Christ's offer of forgiveness. Two ordinances are practiced: water baptism by immersion after repentance and faith, and Holy Communion as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's suffering and death. The church teaches that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a special experience following salvation, with the initial physical evidence of "speaking in tongues" as it was on the Day of Pentecost. The statement also affirms sanctification as both a positional truth at salvation and a lifelong process, divine healing as a privilege provided for in Christ's atonement, the blessed hope of the rapture of the church prior to Christ's return, the millennial reign of Christ, and a final judgment for those who have rejected Christ.
Reaching the Churched and the Unchurched
The church describes its desire in simple terms: "to reach out to both the churched and unchurched presenting through biblical principle a more fulfilling and successful lifestyle." That pastoral posture runs underneath the rest of the ministry, from the straightforward Sunday and Wednesday services to the children's lessons that families can do together, to the livestream on YouTube that lets people who cannot yet come in person still hear the preaching. Calvary Assembly of God in El Monte is, by its own description, a small and steady Pentecostal outpost that has put its weight behind three things: clear teaching, real family ministry, and the Great Commission at the center.