Trinity Vineyard Community Church
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"A Church You'll Love Even If You Have Not Been To Church In A While"
   

History of the Vineyard Movement

In 1974, after working as an assistant pastor at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California, and planting a church called Jesus Chapel in El Paso, Texas, Kenn and Joanie Gulliksen moved to Los Angeles to begin a ministry that had been on their hearts for several years. Starting as a small Bible study the fellowship quickly grew into a church. God prophetically gave the name "Vineyard" to those who initially gather together. In the next few years literally thousands received Jesus Christ through the ministries of the church.

God graciously worked through the many mistakes and failures as well as the successes, as many people were willing to take risks to become like Jesus and to communicate the Good News. Several couples went out and began other Vineyards in California. These churches grew quickly as they made priorities of worship, relationship, healing, training and giving.


John Wimber

In the spring of 1982, John Wimber and several other pastors led their churches into relationship with the Vineyard, as their vision coincided with and completed that of the original Vineyards. It was obvious that God had called John to pastor the pastors, and to train and encourage men and women to pursue what God had given them. As a result, the people called the Vineyard have reached out to bless and encourage churches all over the world, as well as planting churches which have become known as Vineyard Churches.

The Vineyard has extensive and fruitful relationships with many American denominations and pastors, the Church of England, and many other churches in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, Latin America and the South Pacific. These relationships include parachurch organizations like YWAM and World Vision, seminaries like Fuller Seminary, and underground churches in Europe, Asia and China. Many of these relationships have resulted through the personal ministry of John Wimber; others have resulted from relationships with local Vineyard churches.

In 1987, the various Vineyard churches formed a formal church association called the Association of Vineyard Churches. The churches are self-governing, but overseen and encouraged on a voluntary basis by the older pastors who serve as regional coordinators, and in each local area by area pastoral coordinators. There are now over 1000 Vineyard churches worldwide, with the number expected to increase. God however, has shown us not to seek to build the Vineyard, but instead to seek his kingdom and to build His Church, to bless what He's blessing, to love what He loves, and to give ourselves away freely. We want to be like Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our plan is to seek God, and to cooperate with Him as He reveals Himself in the process.

 
 
                     
                   

The international Vineyard movement is a growing and diverse one. For information on the global Vineyard family, click on www.vineyard.org. 

QUICK LINK to the Association of Vineyard Churches (AVC)

CANADA
NETHERLANDS
NEW ZEALAND
SOUTH AFRICA
SWITZERLAND
SWEDEN
UK & EIRE
UNITED STATES

 

"Sing about a fruitful vineyard; I, the Lord watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it." Isaiah 27: 2-3

"I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

 
 

STATEMENT OF FAITH and our philosophy of worship  What We Believe 

What is the Vineyard? 

The Association of Vineyard Churches is a diverse group of churches that partner together to advance the kingdom of God by communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Through many localized expressions, Vineyard churches aim to:

  • Worship God and stand on the ancient truth of the Scripture, the guide for faith, life, and service.
  • Grow as a people of both the Word and Spirit, imbued with power for the purpose of making and nurturing mature disciples of Jesus Christ.
  • Create reproducing missional communities of worship, discipleship, evangelism and service.
  • Serve the Father in the power of the Spirit, following Jesus’ holistic and incarnational ministry of proclaiming and manifesting the kingdom of God.

 
HISTORY OF THE VINEYARD
Beginnings

The Association of Vineyard Churches is one of the fastest growing church-planting movements in the world. The Vineyard story is about ordinary people who worship and serve an extraordinary God. The Vineyard is simply one thread in the rich tapestry of the historic and global church of Jesus Christ, but it is a thread of God's weaving. From the beginning, Vineyard pastors and leaders have sought to hold in tension the biblical doctrines of the Christian faith with an ardent pursuit of the present day work of the Spirit of God. Maintaining that balance is never easy in the midst of rapid growth and renewal.

In 1974, after working as an assistant pastor at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California and planting a church called Jesus Chapel in El Paso, Texas, Kenn and Joannie Gulliksen moved to Los Angeles to begin a ministry that had been on their hearts for several years.

Starting as a small Bible Study the fellowship grew very quickly, necessitating the beginning of other home studies, and the beginning of a Sunday morning worship service in Beverly Hills. Musicians, actors, business people, students, people simply hungry to know, experience, and share God came together in small groups and large meetings, as literally thousands received Jesus. God graciously worked through the many mistakes and failures as well as the successes, as people were willing to take risks to become like Jesus, and to communicate the Good News. Several couples went out and began other Vineyards, quickly growing churches with priorities of worship, relationship, healing, training and giving.

John Wimber was a founding leader of the Vineyard. His influence profoundly shaped the theology and practice of Vineyard churches. When John was conscripted by God he was, in the words of Christianity Today, a "beer-guzzling, drug abusing pop musician, who was converted at the age of 29 while chain-smoking his way through a Quaker-led Bible study" (Christianity Today, editorial, Feb. 9, 1998).

In John's first decade as a Christian he led hundreds of people to Christ. In 1970 he was leading 11 Bible studies that involved more than 500 people. As he became more convinced of God’s desire to be active in the world through all the biblical gifts of the Spirit, John began to teach and train his church to imitate Jesus’ full orbed kingdom ministry. He began to "do the stuff" of the Bible he had formerly only read about.

Growth

As a result, the Vineyard has reached out to bless, encourage and plant churches internationally. There are now (May 2002) about 850 + Vineyards worldwide. God, however, has shown us not to seek to build the Vineyard, but to seek His Kingdom and to build His church, to bless what He is blessing, to love what He loves, and to give ourselves away freely. We want to be like Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our plan is to seek God and to cooperate with Him as He reveals Himself in the process.

In November of 1997, John went home to be with the Lord after suffering a fatal brain aneurysm, leaving behind a congregation of five thousand people and an association of churches reaching more than a hundred thousand people. Since then Todd Hunter served as Director of AVC (until July 2000), followed by Bert Waggoner who moved the national office to Stafford, Texas and is currently the Director of the Association of Vineyard Churches.

The Vineyard's journey has not been a straight path. It winds through many trials and triumphs. If you're interested in more, we recommend Bill Jackson’s book, "The Quest for the Radical Middle". This readable history explores the events, issues and people who shaped the Vineyard in its first two decades.