08/16/2026
From Devastation to a Divine Doorway For Christ Church Apostolic
Since the church fire in September of 2025, we have watched the gracious hand of the Lord lead us, sustain us, and provide for us—day after day, need after need.
The very next day after the fire, God opened a door for us to have a place of worship at FountainBlu in Pasadena. From the day of the fire until this very moment, we have not missed a single service. Though we were suddenly without a church building and without the resources to make it all happen on our own, God has faithfully provided everything we needed, exactly when we needed it.
Seven months into this journey, during a time of prayer, the Lord spoke to me to call a pastor that He had put on my heart, whom I had never met, and had only spoken with by phone seven months earlier—Pastor William Wesson of Calvary Tabernacle, a precious man of God.
We met for breakfast, and I have to tell you, I can’t begin to count how many times God has met me in a restaurant, sitting across a table and sharing a good meal. What can I say, sometimes a breakfast table becomes an altar, and an ordinary conversation becomes the doorway to an extraordinary miracle.
During that breakfast, Pastor Wesson shared with me that he desired to retire and felt lead of God to asked if I would consider pastoring his church.
I knew immediately that this was more than a conversation. It was another chapter in the story God had been writing all along.
On August 2nd, the church was completely full as we celebrated Pastor and Sister Wesson’s 31 years of pastoral ministry at Calvary Tabernacle, and I was installed as the senior pastor.
It was a beautiful and sacred moment—not simply the closing of one chapter, but the opening of another - as two churches became one.
To our beloved Christ Church family, I want you to know how deeply thankful I am for you. We have walked through the fire together—literally and spiritually. We have wept together, we have grieved together, we have prayed together. And now, it’s time to celebrate together. Through every uncertainty, you have followed Crystal and I through the flames with unwavering commitment. I look back now to those moments when God was challenging me to preach sermons on the faithfulness of God, even while we were walking through some of the darkest days of our own lives. We preached what we knew to be true about our God, that you can trust His heart, when you can’t see His hand.
Christ Church, You did not abandon the vision. You did not surrender to discouragement. You kept believing when there was little around us that looked like what we had prayed for. God is rewarding His people, and He is bringing to pass the revival He has promised us.
Romans 8:28 is still true, “for we know ALL things work together for the good of them that love God, who are the called according to His purpose.”
What looked like devastation became a divine doorway.
I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to the many churches, pastors, friends, and individuals who have given generously and sacrificially to help us continue serving our church family and our community. Your kindness has been a tangible expression of the goodness of God. Thank you for being there for us.
And we owe a very special thank you to the owner of FountainBlu, Mr. Ali, and to our dearest friend, Michelle, who opened their doors to us and provided a place for us to worship for nine months. I simply cannot say thank you enough. What you did for us during one of the most difficult seasons of our church’s history will never be forgotten.
To our Calvary Tabernacle family: God has brought us together. This is not simply two churches joining together. We believe this is a divine appointment—a joining of hearts, families, and destinies for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom of God.
There is a new chapter before us.
And I know the best is yet to come.
Pastor Jon McDaniel
