On Easter, South County residents were invited to a special
experience: two worship services sponsored by San Jose’s Cathedral
of Faith were held at the Cinelux Tennant Station Theater. More
than 500 people attended, surpassing expectations and requiring the
use of two auditoriums.
On Easter, South County residents were invited to a special experience: two worship services sponsored by San Jose’s Cathedral of Faith were held at the Cinelux Tennant Station Theater. More than 500 people attended, surpassing expectations and requiring the use of two auditoriums.
According to Kurt Foreman, Cathedral of Faith’s Director of Operations, Morgan Hill is the first expansion effort of the nondenominational church. With 12,000 members it is ranked in the 100 largest U.S. churches; 7,000 people attend the San Jose campus weekly.
The new Morgan Hill ministry is a “one church, two campuses” concept. The weekly services held in the shopping center, 750 Tennant Station Way, at 10 a.m. , have their own worship team, band, multimedia and a campus pastor on duty. However, the main message is shared via video from the San Jose campus, 2315 Canoas Garden Road.
Cathedral of Faith has had a long history of serving the South Bay community. In 1965 the Reverend Kenney Foreman came to San Jose to conduct a crusade at the Friendly Bible Church. When that church’s pastor resigned shortly thereafter, Forman accepted the invitation to become his replacement.
At the same time, he began a weekly television show broadcast on channel 11, the ABC affiliate. “Kenny Foreman Presents Abundant Living” became so popular that it was syndicated nationwide, but Forman has never accepted for himself any of the money generated by the show. It is now seen Sunday mornings at 8 o’clock on KTSF, channel 26.
In 1976 the church bought 14 acres of property at its present location. Construction began immediately, but the building wasn’t completed until 1981. In 1993 the church built a 17,000-square-foot Reaching Out Center, key to the church’s ministry of feeding and helping in other ways “people that no one else is caring for.”
As attendance continued to grow, the church built a 30,000-square-foot Family Life Center in 1998. It has two functions:
– Personal development through youth intervention programs, adult education, computer and learning opportunities, recovery ministries, job resources and discipleship programs.
– Improving health and fitness through dance/aerobic training, nutrition workshops, strength and cardiovascular training, organized sports and recreational activities.
In 2002 a prayer center was added to the site.
The Cathedral of Faith in San Jose offers 87 ministries, something to attract nearly everybody, including the following:
– All Star Kidz (elementary students)
– The Mix (junior high)
– The Rock (high school)
– Singles on the way up (ages 30+)
– Marriage Builders (married & engaged couples)
– Chosen Generation (55+)
– Celebrate Recovery (12-step programs)
– Single Parent Ministry
– Worship Dance and Band
– Sign Language Team
– Hip Hop Dance Team
Members of the new Morgan Hill campus will have an opportunity to decide which small groups will be established locally. It is likely that priority will be given to programs for children and youth.
Cathedral of Faith has a long history of serving the poor. Plans are already being made to form some kind of partnership with Morgan Hill’s own ecumenical food program, Reach Out. For example, perhaps the cathedral’s Produce Mobile can make weekly visits to the site behind St. Catherine Church where Reach Out’s facility is located. Cathedral of Faith is noted for its extremely diverse congregation: “multi-generational and multi-cultural, just like heaven,” according to Foreman.
For more information about Cathedral of Faith Morgan Hill, call (408) 267-4691 and ask for Pastor Mike Garcia.
