Set Free had a humble beginning in a little store front building on Yucaipa Blvd. In May of 1993, Pastor Willie Dalgity and his wife Marsha held their first worship service in that building. This was a step of faith as they left their home church, Bryant St. Baptist, with a small group of brothers and sisters to take Jesus to the streets and the drug culture of Yucaipa and the surrounding area. No
money was available for salaries, so we continued at our respective jobs to make ends meet. Most of those reached were poor and many struggled with problems of drug and alcohol abuse and ruined families that are often associated with such. We believed and still believe that there is a forgotten mission field right here in America. So we knew that Set Free Yucaipa was the very spot where God's love could meet the most desperate of human needs. Realizing the limited impact that any one church could have in as large a geographical area as the Inland Empire of Southern California we began to plant churches in other needy areas of the Inland Empire. We trained our own pastors through our pastor school and sent them out with small groups of workers from our own congregation. We started a replication of the work we had begun in Yucaipa. There are now 22 daughter churches. Set Free Yucaipa also sponsors churches in Haiti and St. Vincent, as well as, an orphanage training center in India. These missions have seen a demonstration of the far reaching power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. February 16, 2003 we opened our new facility on Calimesa Blvd., an 18,000 sq ft. building on 3 1/2 acres situated on the I-10 interstate. What incredible exposure! We remodeled the interior and have transformed the former State Farm Insurance offices into a very cool worship center which can seat over 500, state of the art nursery and toddler rooms, and a Kidz Zone for elementary age youngsters. Sundays we are averaging 400 people in attendance at our combined 8:30 am and 10:30 am services. The Spanish services entitled "Mission Yucaipa" is held during the 10:30 am Sunday morning worship service in the garage led out by Pastor Freddie Rodriguez. We are reaching our community in a greater way than ever before. We are also beginning to organize a team to bring to reality the vision God has given us for a Women & Children's home and training center. We have a piece of property in mind and the cost is substantial. We know we serve a God who can accomplish all things. We celebrate our 24th year anniversary this year. Through the years over 11,000 people have gone through our Ranches, Discipleship Program and many other lives touched by what God is doing here. Today we minister to over 1,000 people per year, through our discipleship ranches and residential discipleship. In summary, the Lord has blessed Set Free and helped us in seeing the multitudes here and elsewhere turn to Jesus Christ for salvation. We are asking Him for the workers needed for the waiting harvest, and all the resources needed to see His name glorified through the whole earth. Pastor Willie & Marsha Dalgity
