The Church of God in Central California has been active and alive for more than a century. With churches that have been on the front lines of ministry since 1898, the message of the Church of God has taken root in this vast area from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. From small farming communities in the Valley like Exeter and Laton to mountain communities like Oakhurst and Mariposa; from seaside towns like Santa Maria to booming metropolises like Fresno, the Church of God has developed thriving churches with a significant witness.

   Headed by our District Coordinator, Roger Chamberlain, and aided by his most capable wife and secretary, Pat, the District maintains an office in Visalia. Roger is involved in helping with conflict resolutions, pastoral search committees, and as a resource for local pastors and churches.

   The mission of the district is to connect the individual churches together in cooperative ministry so each local congregation can be the body of Christ in their community, reaching the unchurched with the good news of the Gospel, and discipling those who are reached. This is done through three divisions: The Pastor’s Division, The Local Church Division, and the Outreach Division.

   Through the Pastor’s Division there is significant ministry to pastors and their families throughout the Central California Churches. With regular district ministers’ meetings, personal contact by the District Coordinator, pastoral prayer partners, the SHAPE ministry, and other special events, our goal is to support, encourage, and equip pastors and staffs and their families to be the leaders they want and need to be. Healthy pastors are critical to healthy churches. Roger is a practicing Marriage and Family therapist and maintains a part time counseling practice. These skills and abilities have proven invaluable as a resource to the churches in the Valley.

   The Local Church Division exists to support, encourage, and help you in any way possible to be the church God wants you to be. The District Office functions as a resource and support for all the churches. Information is maintained and transmitted from the Office to all of the member churches. Most recently, the Coordinator and the District Office have begun the assembling of names to create various data bases for use by local congregations to further their ministries in youth, music and worship, senior adults, boards and committee training, children’s ministries, and many other areas of need and interest. The District will be helping groups of leaders from around the District to get together face to face or electronically to enable further training and support to be accomplished.

   The Outreach Division has the responsibility of both searching for ways to support, encourage and challenge the local churches of the district to influence our unchurched culture for Christ, as well as exploring avenues of cooperative outreach that will enhance the outreach ministry of the local church. We are reaching out to plant Hispanic churches in the Central Valley. With Spanish-speaking congregations in Parlier, in Porterville, in Exeter and two in Fresno, the challenge to get on the cutting edge of church planting in the Hispanic community has been taken up by the District. There is much more to be done to reach out to the exploding population of Hispanic citizens but the Central Cal District is answering the call. Whether it is through cooperative church planting, helping local churches to take up the challenge of planting a church as part of their own outreach ministry, or providing resources for new and innovative ways to reach the lost for Christ, the Outreach Division exists to keep before all the churches of the Central California Association the mandate to go into all the world with the message of hope.

  Through the work of the Annual District Convention and the ministry of the Executive Council, the churches in the Central California area are helping in many ways. We maintain a Credentials Committee that overseas the credentialing and licensing of ministers and associates, as well as churches. This group also lends a hand in matters of church conflict.  The District maintains strong ties to the Church of God nationally and has an influence in the decisions made for the Church of God as a whole. When representatives from the Central Cal Association speak, their voices are heard throughout the Church of God Movement.

   When you support the work of the Central California District of the Church of God, both with finances and prayer, you are supporting a wide range of ministries that have impacted lives for more than a century. And with your faithfulness, we will impact lives for years to come. This is the ministry of the Central California District. It is your ministry. It is our ministry, together.