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Greetings!
Last Sunday, we finished our Recovery sermon series entitled, One Day At A Time. I want to thank all those who shared their personal testimonies of recovery! We were so blessed by each one.
October is Stewardship Month. We will have a sermon series, and on the last Sunday, we will fill out our annual Commitment Cards for 2027. I invite you to start praying now about your commitment of ministry for next year.
This week: Woo-hoo! We are celebrating our 58th Anniversary! Rev. Troy Perry held the first service of Metropolitan Community Churches on October 6, 1968 at his apartment in Huntington Park, CA. Twelve people showed up to that service, and the number kept growing through its highest membership of over 1200 people! The church began to spread out not only all over Los Angeles, but all over the state, the country, and finally the world! Through all our joys and sorrows, our church still thrives. Rev. Troy and his husband Phillip will be in worship with us, followed by an amazing meal, then a concert with special guest musicians in the sanctuary.
While we have been here for 58 years, our mission is not finished. This week, my message is entitled, A New Day. If you'd like to read ahead, check out Isaiah 43:18-19.
Come expecting a blessing and to be a blessing!
Pastor Keith
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The sacred reading is taken from the Book of Isaiah, chapter 43, verses 18–19.
The Eternal One says: "Do not rejoice only in the past, nor spend all your time recounting the victories of days gone by. Look closely: I am preparing something new; it is happening now, even as I speak, and you are about to see it. I am making a way through the wilderness. Waters will flow where there were none before."
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Collecting needed items for SELAH. This month: New undergarments (especially for men) and socks.
| | Third Space is now open on Mondays and Thursdays instead of Mondays and Wednesdays. | | Our Founders MCC Podcast entitled "Queer Christian Faith" Podcast is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Iheart Radio, audible and our YouTube Channel MCCLATV mcclatv - YouTube | | |
Tomorrow, Sunday, Oct 4, 11:30 one-worship bilingual service, 11:30 am. Followed by lunch then Anniversary Concert featuring Alexandra Taylor Diaz and the Silver Lake Chorus, along with some of our Founders soloists.
| | On Oct 10th there is an event FMCC/IMCF will be participating at: City of Huntington Park LGBTQ+ Resource Fair, 11am to 2 pm. | | |
October 14th, Annual Ministry Reports due
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With the ICE, Homeland Security, and Border Patrol raids occurring so frequently here in Los Angeles, we at FMCC/ICMF realize the fear that many of our congregants have in leaving their homes. We are initializing an immediate ministry called, ANGELS. This ministry is for those who may be fearful of going to the grocery store, the pharmacy, and the department store and need to reach out to an ANGEL for help. It is also for people who may be willing to run these errands (for those too fearful to leave home currently) to let us know you're willing to BE an ANGEL. So, if you need an ANGEL, or if you're willing to be an ANGEL, please contact us at care@mccla.org and we'll match you up if at all possible.
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Rapid Response Network Launches Hotline to Protect Immigrants From ICE Raids in Los Angeles, 888-624-4752
There continues to be a need for a "White Wall" to help protect the attendees of our 1:30 Spanish-speaking service. Please see Pastor Keith.
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Join CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) and other social justice groups who have been gathering weekly in Los Angeles to pray for the return of family members who have been detained or deported.
We invite people of all genders to accompany them and hold our disappeared community members in prayer. We are hurting along with them, and we have their backs.
This vigil takes place every Tuesday, Noon at the Los Angeles Federal Building.
Pastor Bam Noriega
Founders MCCLA
(480)773-0527
| | Order your shirts today from Lulu Madrid for only $25! | | We need additional volunteers to help in the sound booth (see Don Mueller) and broadcast booth (see Sandra Contreras) | | |
Thank you to all who have given so generously through our online giving portal. Our church cannot function without your generosity!! Feel free to continue giving through our website (on PushPay) or simply sending a check in the mail (4607 Prospect Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027). Again, thank you.
Grand Total For Week Ending: 09-27-2026: $3,877.00
Facility Rentals: $650.00
Helping Hands: $362.00
Tithing: $2,865.00
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| Interested in Church Membership? Or, maybe, you just want to know more about our church's core beliefs and history. Set up an online meeting with Rev. Steve Swafford at membership@mccla.org for an individualized study! | | Join us before and after worship for a time of Hospitality in the church courtyard. Martin Miny is heading a team of people to get coffee, juice, and pastries ready each Sunday. Volunteers are always welcome! | |
As we continue to cope with Covid-19, we are changing our protocols. The new protocols are in line with the rest of LA County. Until further notice, here are our guidelines:
1. We will no longer require vaccinations and boosters for church attendance, though we highly encourage them.
2. We will make wearing masks optional. Please feel free to continue wearing masks as you feel comfortable.
3. We ask people that have symptoms of (or tested positive for) Covid, flu, monkeypox, or any other easily communicable disease to please refrain from attending until they are well.
As we have from the very beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to keep in line with the advice of the LA County Public Health Department. Thank you so much for your patience as we navigate new guidelines.
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Rev. Keith Mozingo (Moderator)
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Cesar Maldanado -
Spanish Speaking Ministries
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Patricia Wahle -
Vice Moderator
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Ed Shaughnessy - Treasurer
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MCC Kinship Groups
Kinship Groups offer a safe space of connecting with other people of similar struggles and challenges. We have groups for Trans, PAD, API, God-Talk, and Latinx.
If you have any questions, are interested in a particular Kinship group, or interested in forming another Kinship group, you may email Rev. Hector Gutierrez.
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Let’s Get CONNECTed: Invite More MCCers to Subscribe to this Newsletter!
As the recent General Conference 2025 has just been concluded, and as the spirit of connectedness within our denomination is still in the air, we encourage you to invite more MCCers to subscribe to our denomination’s newsletter.
We are delighted to grow our community by sharing our good news and stories with one another via this platform.
We invite all MCCers to subscribe to our denomination e-news by clicking on the following link: bit.ly/connect-mcc
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In Memoriam:
Rev. Joseph Eugene Paul Breton
December 1940 – September 2026
The Reverend Joseph Eugene Paul Breton—pioneering religious leader, LGBTQ+ rights advocate, and founder of the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C. (MCCDC)—passed away on September 13 in Pasadena, California, at age 85.
Born in Manchester, New Hampshire, and raised in Connecticut, Rev. Breton served in the U.S. Air Force Security Service (1964–1968) before dedicating his life to faith and civil rights activism. Moving to Washington, D.C., in 1969, he worked alongside early movement leaders like Frank Kameny and Barbara Gittings. He co-founded the Gay Activists Alliance and, on May 11, 1971, chartered MCCDC out of his Capitol Hill living room—creating a vital spiritual home for LGBTQ+ Christians.
Ordained by the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) on May 13, 1973, Rev. Breton’s ministry spanned the nation. He served as pastor and interim pastor for congregations in Baltimore, Phoenix, San Bernardino, Orange County, and Riverside, and ministered in New Orleans following the tragic 1973 UpStairs Lounge fire. During the 1980s, he served as a Ministry of Education Instructor in MCC’s Samaritan Institute, teaching the History of Christian Thought, and stepped up as an AIDS vigil coordinator. He also co-founded Great Outdoors in 1977 to foster community through nature.
Later at UC Riverside, Rev. Breton helped establish the campus LGBT Resource Center, the AIDS Education Center, and an LGBTQ+ Studies minor. In 1989, he co-founded Sarum Episcopal Church and St. Aelred’s Chapel, where he ministered until his retirement in 2005.
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