The Journey Foursquare Church: Our First 20 Years

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The entity began as New Life Christian Fellowship of Redding, California, which later operated under the name associated with Journey Church in the Redding area. The "first 20 years" of this Foursquare Church history span from the 1987 incorporation through to 2005 (roughly 18 years), with steady growth continuing afterward.

Founding & Early Corporate Structure (1987–1989)

November 4, 1987 — Official incorporation date. New Life Christian Fellowship of Redding, California, was filed as a California Domestic Non-Profit Corporation by incorporator Rick Green. It was recognized under IRS 501(c)(3) status. This marks the legal birth of the organization.

1989 — Merger/affiliation with Faith Alive Church, Incorporated. The nonprofit joined Faith Alive Church. Officers listed at this time:

Larry Cherrison – CEO

Loretta McGowan – Secretary

Rick Green – CFO

February 13, 1989 — Letter from Rick Green (CFO) to “John.” Green explicitly stated the intent to keep the 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation active “to bring forth a mission from Faith Alive Church.” This preserved the legal entity during the affiliation period.

Independence & Re-Incorporation (1993)

February 21, 1993 — Separation from Faith Alive Church and re-incorporation as an independent California Domestic Non-Profit Corporation. This is the pivotal “stepping out on faith” moment in the Journey Church timeline. New officers installed:

Wendell McGowan – CEO (Senior Elder / Senior Pastor / President of the corporation)

Lauren Stubbs – Secretary

J.D. Donaldson (John D. Donaldson) – CFO

Church secretaries at the time: Lauretta McGowan and Diane Donaldson. Official church address established: 1933 Gold St., Redding, CA 96001. The original budget created by Rick Green (based on 1986 projections) was formally adopted. The church’s Constitution, By-Laws, and Statement of Faith were created and placed on record.

1993 — Assets at separation: $100. Wendell McGowan “stepped out alone on faith.” This is described as the launch point for the independent church body.

Governance Structure (Established 1993 and Consistent Through 2005)

The church has always operated with exactly three officers of the non-profit corporation (CEO/President, Secretary, CFO). Board of Directors = Board of Elders (Senior Elder + all existing elders), as defined in Articles III and IV of the By-Laws. Governance model: The church is governed by the Board of Elders and is explicitly “not a democracy.” Senior Elder = Senior Pastor = President of the corporation (tradition since inception). Sequence: Wendell McGowan → Rick Green (temporary) → Wendell McGowan resumed. Vice President/Secretary of the Board of Elders = Secretary of the non-profit corporation. CFO is an administrative role (not required to be an elder, though elders have occasionally filled it).

Financial & Ministry Growth (1986 Projections → 2005 Reality)

Original 1986 budget projections (used as the baseline): – Yearly income: $52,000– Pastor’s salary: $25,000 (48% of revenue) By August 8, 2005 (letter date): – Annual income: approximately $300,000– Pastor’s salary: $52,000 (only 17% of revenue) – Total assets controlled: well over $1,000,000 (including real estate) – The church had grown from $100 in assets (1993) to substantial financial stability and property holdings.

Summary of the First 20 Years (1987–2007 Approximate)

The letter closes by noting the “fruit of the spirit” that had grown from Wendell McGowan’s 1993 step of faith—reaching across Redding, the country, and the world by 2005. The corporate and spiritual foundation laid between 1987 and 1993 remained unchanged through 2005: a small, elder-governed, three-officer nonprofit that grew dramatically in resources while maintaining its original non-democratic, elder-led structure.