At 170 Bimini Place in Los Angeles, Mi Joo Peace Church is an independent, non-denominational Reformed evangelical church known for making the peace of Christ central to worship and service. Founded on January 5, 1975, it defines its mission as “Living in the Peace of Christ and Sharing it to the World.” Its worship life includes Korean-speaking and English gatherings, children and youth formation, prayer throughout the week, and mission sending that has extended to 12 regions.
From a January Start to a Fifth Pastor
Mi Joo Peace Church was founded on January 5, 1975. Over the decades, the meaning of its name has remained central: a church that lives in peaceful stability and shares the peace of Christ with others. That identity connects its Los Angeles worship life to mission work in many regions.
Rev. 송정명 became the third senior pastor in November 1989 and served for 24 years before retiring in August 2013, when he was named emeritus pastor. Before joining Mi Joo Peace Church, he moved to Los Angeles in June 1976, studied theology at Sungkyunkwan and counseling psychology at Korea University, served about 13 years at Tongyang Mission Church, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller.
Rev. 임승진 succeeded 송정명 as the fourth senior pastor and serves as the church's missions pastor. Rev. 박병열 is the fifth senior pastor. The leadership roster also includes associate pastors Rev. Bernard Hong and Rev. 권태준, along with serving elders 김연수 and 이정환.
Rev. 박병열 uses the rose in The Little Prince to describe the lasting value of a life shaped by time and care. He teaches that God knows each person by name and that no individual is merely an interchangeable part of a crowd. The church is a community established by God at the cost of his only Son Jesus Christ's blood, and every soul has worth. His stated pastoral aim is to seek the lost, hold each person's life before God, and serve from grace rather than personal strength.
Peace and the Gospel
Mi Joo Peace Church adopts the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger Catechism as its statement of faith. It follows a gospel-oriented Reformed evangelical direction while remaining independent rather than formally affiliated with a denomination.
The mission statement is joined to John 14:27, where Jesus speaks of peace. The church's emphasis on peace does not replace its gospel focus; it gives that focus a practical shape through worship, teaching, pastoral care, and service. Its understanding of the church places particular weight on the worth of every soul and on treating people as known individuals rather than numbers.
Four Sunday Gatherings, Including English Worship
Sunday worship is divided into four services and two concurrent educational gatherings:
- 8:30 AM: First Sunday service, traditional worship, in the main sanctuary.
- 10:00 AM: Korean-speaking youth worship in the small worship room.
- 11:00 AM: Main Sunday worship in the main sanctuary.
- 1:30 PM: English-speaking worship.
- 11:00 AM: Children's Sunday school worship in the Sunday school worship room.
- 11:00 AM: A meeting for parents of middle and high school students in the small worship room.
The 8:30 service is specifically identified as traditional, while the 11:00 gathering is called the main service. The 10:00 time gives young people a distinct worship hour and room, and the 1:30 service provides an English-language gathering. The Hosanna and Zion praise teams contribute to the church's singing ministry.
Mi Joo Peace Church has also gathered for music worship featuring Messiah, Easter united worship, Thanksgiving praise, and Communion. These occasions reflect a worship life that includes formal preaching, congregational singing, special music, and seasonal gatherings.
Wednesday Worship and Tuesday-Saturday Dawn Prayer
Wednesday worship begins at 7:00 PM in the main sanctuary. On the first Friday of each month, a prayer meeting gathers there at the same hour. Early morning prayer takes place at 6:00 AM from Tuesday through Saturday.
Together, these gatherings make prayer a regular part of the church's week. Wednesday evening provides a midweek worship service, while the monthly and dawn gatherings give the congregation additional recurring times devoted to prayer.
From Infants to Youth
Children's formation begins with infants, preschoolers, and elementary-age children in Sunday school at 11:00 AM. The children's ministry has included summer Vacation Bible School, a children's music school, seasonal presentations, and special gatherings for younger families. These activities give children distinct forms of teaching and worship alongside the main Sunday services.
The middle and high school department has included Bible study, winter retreats, camping, and mission participation. The Shema youth group gathers for Korean-speaking youth worship at 10:00 AM, while an English-speaking youth gathering meets with the 1:30 service. Youth activities have included retreats, camping, and short mission experiences.
Sam Yang serves as an education evangelist with the youth group, and Daniel Kim serves with the elementary department. Their roles place specific responsibility for children's and youth teaching alongside the church's Sunday worship rhythm.
Worship in Song, Word, and Media
Mi Joo Peace TV gathers the church's video ministry, including Sunday sermons, praise and worship, special meetings, and other media. The sermon collection includes messages from biblical books such as Acts, Genesis, Isaiah, Psalms, Galatians, Corinthians, and the Gospels. Older entries in the collection date to 2014.
Online worship is available through the church's YouTube worship channel. Online offerings can be made through Subsplash. A church library is also part of the congregation's study and ministry resources.
Mission Sending and Water for Chad
Mi Joo Peace Church has sent missionaries to 12 regions around the world and supports them through prayer and material assistance. Mission connections have included Kenya, Thailand, Ukraine, Cambodia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and ministry among the Navajo people. Short-term mission work has also included journeys to Mexico and Cambodia.
Short-term teams have combined Vacation Bible School, local evangelism, home visits, and community service. This work has placed the congregation's mission statement alongside practical forms of assistance, including the church's support for clean-water wells in Chad.
In the Chad communities described by the church, families have faced contaminated river water and waterborne illness. The stated cost of one well is $3,500, including five years of maintenance and upkeep, and a well is intended to provide clean drinking water to about 4,000 people in a nearby village. Mi Joo Peace Church's Chad outreach includes a numbered succession of well projects, each representing a long-term commitment to a community's water supply.
At 170 Bimini Place
Mi Joo Peace Church is located at 170 Bimini Place in Los Angeles. The main sanctuary hosts the 8:30 traditional service, the 11:00 main service, and Wednesday worship; the youth gathering and parents' meeting use the small worship room, while children's Sunday school has its own room. Directions to the church lead to that address.
The church's telephone is (213) 381-2202, and mijoopeacechurch@gmail.com is its email address. Mi Joo Peace Church's identity remains centered on worshipping God, knowing each person as a valued soul, sharing the peace of Christ, and carrying that peace from Los Angeles into ministry around the world.