A historic chapter in Pentecostal ministry has closed as Angelus Temple and the Dream Center officially separate after 25 years of partnership, marking a major shift for both ministries.
The transition began last September when Pastors Matthew and Caroline Barnett stepped away from Angelus Temple for what was initially described as a sabbatical. That decision is now permanent. During a Feb. 15 service, Foursquare Western District Supervisor Mark Slomka announced that Brad and Stella Reed will serve as the church’s new executive pastors.
Founded in 1923 by evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, Angelus Temple is the birthplace of the Foursquare Church and widely recognized as America’s first megachurch.
At the center of the split is a defining decision. Matthew Barnett confirmed he was asked to choose between leading Angelus Temple or the Dream Center, the outreach ministry he co-founded in 1994 with his father, Tommy Barnett. He chose the Dream Center.
“My time with Angelus Temple and working with the Dream Center together will be years I’ll never forget,” Barnett said. “The Dream Center just kept growing and growing and growing.”
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For years, the partnership blended both, producing widespread impact through evangelism, rehabilitation programs and community outreach.
The ministry extended far beyond Sunday services, offering ongoing, hands-on support for those in need. Leaders described the partnership as something “only God could design,” rooted in the legacy of McPherson’s mission to serve the poor.
The separation is being framed as a release, not a division. The Dream Center is now free to move forward without limitation. “You are fully released to be the Dream Center with no reservations,” he said.
Now, if I may get personal for a moment, I can attest to the multitude of lives touched by the union between Angelus Temple and the Dream Center. I lived at the Dream Center and attended Angelus Temple from March 2015 to June 2017 as a volunteer missionary. I served in Kidz Zone, the veterans ministry, Adopt-A-Block, Celebrate Recovery, men’s ministry and the Connections program. The Dream Center offers so much more, helping the people of Los Angeles while bringing them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When we enter new seasons the Lord has for us, a sense of melancholy can settle in. We look back on time spent in ministry, real and gritty, in some of the toughest neighborhoods in America, loving people who desperately need to know that God loves them so much He sent His only Son to die on the cross so they may be saved.
I pray that both Angelus Temple and the Dream Center thrive in growing the Kingdom of God in their respective seasons. I know I came out of both ministries better, stronger and more mature in my relationship with God.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
