Pathway Christian Church meets on Victoria Avenue in Riverside, California, an autonomous congregation rooted in the Restoration Movement tradition. The church centers on expository preaching, a thriving Celebrate Recovery program, a Tuesday homeless meal at Fairmount Park through its Hungry Hearts outreach, and mission partnerships that reach into Kenya, the Philippines, and preaching communities around the world.
Rooted in the Restoration Movement
Pathway has no denominational affiliation but finds its roots in what is known as the Restoration Movement, a "Back to the Bible" effort whose defining values include "No book but the Bible," "No Creed but Christ," and "In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, but in all things love." Members are called to learn from Scripture rather than from man-made divisions, traditions, or hierarchies.
The congregation is self-governing. Elders and deacons are chosen from among the members in keeping with the qualifications described in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5. Pathway states that its purpose is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through the reading of the Word, communion, prayer, and fellowship, bringing glory to God in all it does.
The Pathway of Salvation
Pathway teaches a five-step path to becoming a Christian, drawn from Scripture rather than from denominational tradition.
The first step is to hear and believe the Gospel, acknowledging that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who died for sins, rose again, and will return. The second is to repent, a turning away from opposition to God and a change of mind and behavior in line with what Jesus teaches. The third is to confess, declaring with the mouth what the heart has decided. The fourth is to be baptized by immersion in water, which Pathway connects with the forgiveness of sins, the receiving of the Holy Spirit, a clean conscience, becoming a new creation, and a symbolic participation in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. The fifth is to live faithfully, devoting oneself to a life of faith rooted in God's Word for the rest of one's life, or until Christ's return.
Sunday on Victoria Avenue
The Sunday schedule centers on a 10:30 am worship service, which is also livestreamed on YouTube. Before that, at 9 am, three Bible studies run side by side: a New Believer's Study, a Co-Ed Bible Study, and a Women's Bible Study.
Children from nursery through sixth grade meet in the Kelley Building during both the 9 am and 10:30 am hours, so families can drop them off while parents attend the earlier study or the main service. The church's front office is open Tuesday through Friday from 8 am to noon, and the phone line at (951) 781-8465 connects to the main desk during those hours.
Children's Ministry in the Kelley Building
Pathway's Children's Ministry is led by Director Jessica Deam, with Ariel Guffey serving as Assistant Director. Children from newborn through sixth grade gather in the Kelley Building for singing, age-appropriate Bible study, and crafts, with the chance to make new friends each week. Every staff member and volunteer has passed a background check. The ministry rests on Psalm 127:3: "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."
Wednesday Bible Study
A Wednesday Bible Study meets at 6:30 pm, giving the congregation a midweek opportunity to gather around the Word in addition to the Sunday studies.
Celebrate Recovery
One of Pathway's largest ministries is Celebrate Recovery, a Biblically-based program for people working through hurts, habits, and hangups. The evening starts at 6 pm with a $4 dinner, followed at 7 pm by a general meeting with worship music, teaching or testimony, recognition of sobriety milestones, and the Serenity Prayer. At 8 pm, attendees break into gender-specific open share groups, with a parallel Newcomers 101 session for first-time visitors. The night closes at 9 pm with Holy Grounds Cafe, where dessert is always served.
The program works through the "8 Recovery Principles" based on the Beatitudes, and offers gender-specific 12-Step small groups that meet for about a year and work through four booklets for a detailed look at participants' lives. Outreach Minister and Elder Tom Deam oversees Celebrate Recovery alongside other community-facing ministries.
Men's and Women's Fellowship
Pathway's Men's Ministry gathers on the first Saturday of every month at 9 am, building on Proverbs 27:17: "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." The ministry exists for men who fear the Lord and submit to His authority, looking to grow into the leaders Christ intends.
The Women's Ministry is anchored in Proverbs 31:30: "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." It centers on fellowship, service, and growth into the likeness of Christ, and hosts Lit'n Latte, a coffee-and-conversation group built around conversation-provoking reading.
Hungry Hearts and the Lord's Storehouse
Every Tuesday, Pathway's Hungry Hearts program provides a hot meal to Riverside's homeless population at Fairmount Park. The Lord's Storehouse is the church's in-house food ministry, collecting non-perishable items to ease occasional emergency needs within both the congregation and the broader local community.
From Riverside to the Philippines and Kenya
Pathway partners with ministries locally, nationally, and around the world. All Nations Initiative, run by the Propp family in the Philippines, provides disaster and humanitarian relief, creates new families for orphans, recruits and trains Filipino missionaries to unreached people, and helps Christ followers become effective disciple-makers.
The Atlas Uriah Fund supports preachers in three ways: AUF Scholars offers financial support to those preparing to preach the Gospel; AUF Enduring Light is a free preaching camp for boys aged 13 to 19 exploring a call to preaching; and AUF Harvesters is an intensive course for men beginning or sharpening their interpretation and preaching skills.
Tumaini International works in Kenya through child sponsorship, socio-economic job-training, and full-service healthcare. In The Gap is another partner ministry the church walks alongside.
The Staff and Elders
Pathway's preaching is led by Evangelist Evan Strickland, who has served in full-time ministry for over ten years and is committed to expository preaching that handles the Word of God wholly, accurately, and unapologetically.
Tom Deam serves as Outreach Minister and Elder, dedicating more than ten years of service to bringing the Gospel into the local community through Celebrate Recovery, MFI outreach, and community events. Jeff Joseph serves as Executive Director, overseeing practical operations and strategic planning in accordance with California State Law and directing the church's volunteer security team.
Four elders - Bill Estes, Bill Scales, Allan Frisby, and Mike Page - are elected by the members to oversee the spiritual health of individuals and the biblical stewardship of the congregation and its resources. Michael Archie serves as a deacon, providing practical and logistical support to the elders.