Our History
In 1982, the Lord brought Rev. Valson and Laly Abraham to the Alta Loma area where they began to meet with a few families for prayer twice a month in different homes.
In 1984, Rev. Valson Abraham founded India Gospel Outreach (IGO) a mission organization devoted to training and sending church planters to plant churches.
After five years in 1987, Rev. Valson Abraham assembled ten of these families that had been gathering regularly for prayer and discussed the formation of a church.
The church was founded and incorporated by Rev. T. Valson Abraham and named India Christian Assembly (ICA). It became affiliated with the India Pentecostal Church.
Due to the extensive teaching and travel ministry of Valson Abraham, he enlisted different ones to assist in the ministry of ICA. Those who assisted at various times in ministry included evangelist John Thomas who was ordained as pastor at India Christian Assembly. Some graduate students from Fuller Theological Seminary were enlisted to assist in the church ministry. Also assisting from 1992 was Rev. Dr. P.A. Philip and later, Rev. George Kuruvilla, both students at Fuller Seminary. All these served only in part-time or interim positions. Another student from Fuller Seminary who attended and was very active in the church was Mathews George. He was ordained by ICA in 2006 and now serves as a pastor of an American church in Tennessee.
The vision included reaching the Indian diaspora scattered in many countries. God helped Valson Abraham to minister among Indian families in the Los Angeles area from 1977 and founded the church known as India Christian Assembly in 1987.
In the late 1980s, the young fellowship began to rent facilities in different churches. For several years, the fellowship met on the premises of the United Methodist Church at Norwalk. As of September 2014, ICA meets at Word of Life church in Ontario, California.
In April 2000, Alexander John, was brought to the U.S. to assist as the first full-time pastor of India Christian Assembly. A graduate of India Bible College & Seminary (IBC), he served ICA till April 2014 and became the full time pastor of India Christian Fellowship (ICF) in San Diego. ICF began as a daughter outreach church plant of ICA.
We are grateful to what God has done in and through ICA to reach out to diverse kinds of people in different locations. We are blessed with diverse families and singles who make ICA their home church.
From the beginning, India Christian Assembly has tried to reach people from different backgrounds. The Lord has helped ICA reach out to diverse language groups from India, and also Americans. On any given Sunday, ICA has at least 8 to 10 dominant languages represented in the congregation. Services are conducted in English, but special songs and prayers are offered in different languages.
Most of ICA's present membership comes from non-Christian and nominal Christian backgrounds. The services are designed to present the gospel to nominal Christians and all seekers of other religions, as well as giving solid spiritual food for more mature believers.
ICA has a thematic teaching approach as well as a committed team who preach and expound the Word of God along with Senior Pastor T. Valson Abraham. Those who are part of the teaching team are Worship Director Santosh Abraham, Dr. Mathew P John and Dr. Achankunju Pappy.
Every year, India Christian Assembly hosts an annual retreat to minister to people in depth and to allow them an extended opportunity to wait upon the Lord. Regardless of spiritual background, these retreats have become enriching times, bringing people closer to the Lord.
ICA stresses the importance of fellowship to strengthen spiritual growth. Many meaningful and important bonds are formed over the weekly snack times and monthly dinners.
We thank God for his grace and favor upon ICA.
Pray for us, and if God leads you, join us to obey the Great Commandment and fulfill the Great Commission as we reach out to the Los Angeles Community and beyond.
