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Greetings!
On Saturday, a fledgling trans group, a quintet named Plead The Fifth, will have a concert at the Herrick Chapel at Occidental College (Eagle Rock). One of them is one of our Christine Daniels scholarship recipients this year, Lulu Maxwell, also a member of the Trans Chorus Los Angeles, and a regular visitor to FMCC. Tickets ($15) can be purchased on site, or to ensure a seat, at pleadthefifthmusic.com.
El sábado, el quinteto Plead The Fifth, un grupo trans emergente, ofrecerá un concierto en la Capilla Herrick del Occidental College (Eagle Rock). Una de sus integrantes es Lulu Maxwell, becaria de la beca Christine Daniels de este año, miembro del Coro Trans de Los Ángeles y asidua visitante de FMCC. Las entradas (15 dólares) se pueden adquirir en el lugar o, para asegurar su asiento, en pleadthefifthmusic.com.
I want to thank all of you who have been volunteering around the church lately. SO MUCH has been going on, and it just thrills me to see all the enthusiasm. Thanks to our Media Specialist, Sandra Contreras and her team (Jax, Jair, Patricia, Larry, and Pastor Bam) for getting the new media system set up and operating! Last Sunday, we enjoyed the worship services with brand new equipment! Thanks to all who went to Breaking Bread and those who represented ICMF at the Bienestar event last week. Thanks to Board Members Ed and Roger and Pastor Bam for joining me at the SELAH event last week. Thanks to Raul, Cesar, Roger, Peter, and Ernie for joining me in the Clean-Up Day. Thanks to Ina, Patricia, and Desiree for their amazing work with the yard sale. Thanks to Desiree for her constant watch as the "White Wall" during our 1:30 p.m. worship service. Thanks to Shakina, Robyn, and Peter for staffing Third Space. And thanks for all who joined me for the Vigil held at the Federal Building (Pastor Bam, Louis, Sandra, Peter, Larry, and Reyna) hosted by the Godmothers of the Disappeared. We are an ACTIVE church!
This month was our annual Recovery Month Sermon Series, and each week, we have covered some of the steps from the 12-Step Alcoholics Anonymous program. This Sunday, we will finish the series with Steps 11 and 12 and a sermon entitled, One More Day. If you'd like to read ahead, check out I Thessalonians 5:17 (Modern English Version).
Now, we're one more week away from our 58th Anniversary! Please join me in prayer as we prepare for a big day of worship, food, and fun - all FULL OF SPIRIT!
Pastor Keith
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First reading is taken from Steps 11 and 12,
Alcoholics Anonymous
Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of the Divine will for us and the power to carry that out.
Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Second reading is taken from
First Thessalonians, Chapter 5, Verse 17
(The Modern English Version)
Pray without ceasing.
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Many events have transpired within the last few weeks. Aside from the 2 events announced last week, ICMF choir at Bienestar, and the Breaking Bread event at Casita Del Campo, both on September 15th), we have also had the following:
Trans*Unity yard sale on September 12th.
Church Clean-up Day on September 19th
SELAH event on September 17th
Vigil march at the Federal Building, Downtown LA on September 22nd
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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 | | |
Make your plans now to attend MCC's 58th Anniversary, combined-congregations, and bilingual worship service on October 4th at 11:30 am, followed by a scrumptious lunch, then an incredible 2 pm concert with special guests, Alexandra Taylor Diaz, Silver Lake Choir, to include some of our own FMCC artists.
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On Oct 10th there are two events FMCC/IMCF will be participating at:
City of Huntington Park LGBTQ+ Resource Fair, 11am to 2 pm.
Models of Pride at the Gay and Lesbian Center in West Hollywood, 11am to 4pm.
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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: 09-20-2026: $3,716.00
Facility Rentals: $836.00
Helping Hands: $305.00
Tithing: $2,575.00
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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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