Our History - Chapter 4
Chapter 4... "The Fire Falls" (1971-1977)
After approximately eight years, the Holy Spirit began to speak to Pastor Ezell about returning to the full-time ministry. At the same time, He was moving in the life of Pastor Nipper. When Pastor Nipper made the decision to resign his pastorate and go into higher education, the Lord had already spoken to Pastor Ezell about returning to Boulevard Assembly.
When Pastor Ezell returned to the pulpit in the spring of 1970, he was filled with the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit as never before. A dynamic new era in the life of the church was about to begin, and the Holy Spirit confirmed it with a mighty miracle. Lola Bates, the mother of Linda Ezell and mother-in-law to Don Ezell, had suffered greatly for many years with a severe back problem and other physical illnesses. She had just been released from the hospital where she had been treated for a blood clot in her lungs, and was on blood thinning medication.
In Lola's own words, here is an account of what happened:
"This particular Sunday Brother Ezell was to speak, and I wanted to go for the service. So with several intervals of resting and trying to dress, I went to church. I was so weak I could hardly sit up. At the close of the sermon, he had invited everyone to come down that needed to be prayed for.
In the meantime--this was learned later--Preston Haag told Brother Ezell that the Lord had told him that if I would go down to the altar that the Lord would heal me."
Lola continues: "As the Lord was speaking to him, I was already on my way down. I knelt, and remember saying, 'Thy will be done, Lord," and at this time Preston had made his way to Herb and told him what the Lord had said to him.
I could feel myself passing out -- dying -- and I felt my lips tightening. I could hear them praying; my sister Dot crying beside me."
Linda Ezell, who had come down to the altar with her mother, could feel her mother's hand becoming cold and could hear the death rattle in her throat. Lola had fallen backward when Pastor prayed for her, and now he noticed that she was not breathing. Lucille Alford, a nurse, was called and could not locate a pulse. Lola was dying even as they were praying for her. Pastor began commanding the spirit of death to leave and life to come back into her body. As Pastor leaned over her, praying, suddenly Lola sat straight up, coming up so fast that she hit Pastor in the face!
Lola Bates was instantly healed of her back problem caused by a deteriorated disk, and over the next year was gradually healed of a blood condition...both a miracle and a healing took place in her body as a testimony of the power of God.
The early 1970's were a time of rapid growth and change. The impact of the Charismatic Renewal was felt as newly Spirit-filled believers came seeking a place of worship where the gifts of the Holy Spirit were understood and honored. Under the direction of Pastor Ezell's daughter-in-law, Wanda, the Holy Spirit beautifully anointed the worship. She used her God-given musical gifts to revitalize the congregation's worship times. The church came into a time of great freedom and power in the Holy Spirit.
For a few, this new outpouring of Pentecostal "fire" was more than they cared for and they found churches more to their liking. For every one who left, the Lord sent in many more who were hungering and thirsting for the things of God. Many came in from other denominations, either because they had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit or were seeking it, and with it, a place where they could have freedom in worship and grow in spiritual things.
It was a great loss to the church when Wanda (Mrs. Hal Ezell) died in April of 1973. As pianist, organist, choir director and office secretary, she had greatly enriched the life of the church.
It was in April of 1973 that another major change occurred. The name of the church was officially changed to Harbor Christian Center. By choosing a name which did not emphasize denominationalism, Pastor Ezell recognized and made welcome the new members of the family of God which the Holy Spirit was drawing together. They came from all church backgrounds, and from none...Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, non-denominational Christians and many with no previous church affiliation.
From its beginnings as a church made up primarily of white, middle-western, traditional Pentecostals, Harbor Christian Center was growing into a vibrant, beautiful fellowship of believers from many backgrounds and a variety of racial and ethnic groups. In a time when "white flight" to the suburbs was the trend in many churches, Pastor Ezell was firmly committed to ministering to the community in which the Lord had placed him. The church was becoming truly representative of the Body of Christ with all its diversity, yet one in the Spirit.
About this time, an individual who was to become a very important part of life and growth of the church began attending Harbor Christian Center with her family. Debbie Passalacqua Coloma, just out of high school in l972, soon became Pastor Ezell's secretary, receiving her training from Wanda Ezell.
She remembers that Sunday morning attendance averaged only about 200 when she first began coming. At that time the church nursery consisted of one room where Lovie Critchfield cared for infants and children through age 5.
The platform of the church was larger than the present platform and there were prayer rooms behind it. There was a baptistery, which was eliminated during a later remodeling. Theater seats rather than pews filled the sanctuary. Hymnals were still used, but were soon replaced by transparencies and an overhead projector, giving the people freedom to clap their hands or raise their arms in praise during worship.
Mrs. Edna Ezell recalls one baptism in particular during this time period. The baptismal service had ended and the tank was being drained when a elderly, frail and sickly man came forward and asked Pastor to baptize him. It was very important to him that he is baptized then and there, so Pastor had him lie down in what little water was left in the tank. He had to splash the water over the man in order to baptize him, but it was good that he did, for the man died before the next baptismal service.
The early '70's at Harbor Christian Center were characterized by frequent guest's speakers such as Joe Jordan, Derrick Prince, Bob Mumford and Juan Carlos Ortiz. Nightly prayer meetings and a Monday night deliverance ministry made for a full schedule.
During the '70's, Pastor Ezell trained several young men who later went into the ministry. Among these were Mike Landsman, Dennis Burke, George Watkins, David Porras, Ed Dufresne, Harold Brinkley, Pete Chavez, Garland Hinds and Tony Mason. On the occasion of Pastor Ezell's 50th anniversary in the ministry, Pastor George Watkins, now of Mount Vernon, Washington, recalls those days of training. He remembers that not only did Pastor Ezell teach them how to preach, to counsel and to relate to people, but he also taught them the not-so-spiritual aspects of the ministry, such as how to clean the church and make sure the building was locked when they left after services ended. Pastor Ezell was known for arriving at the church very early each morning to begin his day with time in the Word and prayer. Try though they might, these young pastors-in-training could rarely get there before him!
Dennis Burke and his wife Vikki came on staff in July of 1973 and were with the church until August of l975. They were the first full-time youth ministers, starting with three young people at their first meeting and seeing the group grow to 150, with about half of those attending regularly.
Like others who were a part of the church in those days, two things stand out in the Burke's memories: The worship and the teaching. Pastor Ezell always tried to be totally open to the direction of the Holy Spirit. There were times when the Spirit was moving so powerfully that the entire service was taken up with worship and the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. At such times, Pastor would willingly put aside the message he had spent so many hours preparing, in submission to the move of the Spirit.
The teaching in the early 1970's was life changing for many that came in during this time from denominational churches. Derrick Prince taught on demonology; Kenneth Copeland on prosperity; Kenneth Hagan on faith; Pastor Ezell and others taught frequently on healing and the gifts of the Spirit. In addition to the regular services on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening, there was an abundance of prayer meetings, special seminars and services and activities. With all the varied teachings and meetings, Pastor Ezell worked diligently to keep the congregation on a "balanced diet" spiritually, avoiding an overemphasis on any one area of doctrine. His first concern was always for God's perfect will for the people He had given him, that they would be fed on the pure Word of God, not only abundantly but in a balanced manner.
In 1974, Gary and Judy Duerner and their sons began attending H.C.C. Like so many others, they felt the love of the people and pastor and grew spiritually under Pastor Ezell's ministry. In time, the Duerners moved to the Sacramento area where they are now involved in a televised ministry.
On the occasion of Pastor's 50th anniversary celebration, Gary described Harbor Christian Center as "a factory producing butterflies." Many come in as "caterpillars" but as they are nurtured and grow in the cocoon of God's Word, they mature into beautiful "butterflies." If one of these "butterflies" falls or becomes hurt in some way, the church ministers healing to them until they are strong again. Gary also recalled Pastor Ezell's comparison of the church to a hospital. Just as there are patients, doctors and various helpers in a hospital, so it is in the church: Some come in need of healing, others minister healing, and still others offer needed support in a variety of ways.
In the early '70's, the Lord drew to Harbor Christian Center a man who would be instrumental in helping Pastor Ezell purchase the land and buildings necessary for the continued growth of the church. This man was Raul Cardona. Soon Pastor Ezell was sharing with him his vision of a Christian school, and enlisting his expertise in real estate to arrange property purchases along Wilmington Boulevard.
Some of the properties were acquired without difficulty, but others gave Pastor and Raul Cardona the opportunity to really stretch their faith to its limit. A large building across the street from the church, Pacific Stamp & Stationery, was sold to the church. In time it would be remodeled into our elementary school building. The vacant lots to the north of this building would be needed for parking lot and playground areas--but the owner, a wealthy man with an office on Wilshire Boulevard--had no intention of selling. Pastor knew God had given this land to Harbor Christian Center, and so he asked Cardona to keep calling the owner until a deal could be worked out.
So Cardona called the man...and the man hung up on him. Again and again, he called. Somehow, the secretaries who were supposed to keep unwanted calls from their employer were not able to keep Cardona from reaching him, and time and time again he got through, only to be told, "I am not selling...not now...not later! No!"
Pastor Ezell wasn't fazed in the least. He called together some prayer warriors and together they claimed the land for God in true Biblical fashion. Their "Jericho" was an overgrown, grassy five-lot parcel of land 250' x 125' in size. They formed a circle and Pastor began to pray in tongues and speak prophetically. Then, like Joshua's army, they marched seven times around the lots, singing, praying and claiming the land for the Lord.
Cardona, still a new Christian at this time, just couldn't understand it all. The owner of the land wouldn't even speak to him! And what if some of his business associates saw him marching around a vacant lot, singing? But his pastor had faith for the property, so he followed in his footsteps.
Pastor then told him to call the owner again, tell him they'd claimed the land for the Lord and to give them his price. Cardona just knew what the owner would say, and dreaded making the call. When he did, the response was just what he expected:
"Don't you know when to give up? I don't want to sell! Don't you know I'm Jewish? You're the last people in the world I'd sell to! Don't call me again!" Then he hung up on Raul Cardona...again.
When he reported the outcome of his call to Pastor Ezell, Pastor just smiled and said, "Just wait. We're praying about it. It's just a matter of time."
A month or two passed, and the owner of the lots called Cardona to ask, "What are those lots worth?" Cardona quoted him a price, and the man told him, "I haven't had a good night's sleep since you started calling me. The words 'Sell those lots' just keep running through my mind." By the time the Holy Spirit got done with the man, he was more than ready to sell. He accepted Cardona's offer and the property was purchased by the church.
The Lord also intervened in several other property acquisitions, and in particular the purchase of what is now Halo Hall. For years, whenever Pastor Ezell walked past the beer bar at 1575 Wilmington Boulevard, he would claim the property for the Lord. With a rapidly growing congregation, he saw the need for a fellowship hall, and the property's location, just one-half block north of the church, was ideal. The world saw a smelly, third-rate beer bar, but Pastor saw with the eyes of faith.
Finally, the owner wanted to retire and the property came up for sale. The church made an offer on the property, but there was one problem. The owner had signed a lease with a tenant and that lease had to be honored. Because he needed the cash, the owner sold Harbor Christian Center the property, but it came with a tenant and a lease attached! And that was how Harbor Christian Center became the landlord of an operating beer bar! At least the land and building were ours.
Again, Pastor's faith went to work on the project. The tenant was not particularly pleasant, but Pastor just kept smiling and letting the Lord work things out. Along with Cardona and others, Pastor would lay hands on the building, claiming it for the Lord's use and applying large amounts of faith and prayer to the situation.
After a few months, the tenant was having trouble coming up with the rent. For some unexplained reason, business had suddenly dropped off--and it had been good before the church bought the place! Soon the tenant asked to be released from his lease and Pastor agreed to do so. Once again, the Lord had answered his prayers.
Raul Cardona remembers Pastor Ezell as being "like a locomotive." He would not deviate from Scripture and the will of God, or from the strong love he had for the Body of Christ.
In 1974 a new outreach of Harbor Christian Center began which would have a far-reaching impact on the lives of many in Mexico. A short time before this, Pastor and Mrs. Ezell had attended a Charismatic conference in Rome. This conference allowed Pastor Ezell to witness first-hand the mighty move of the Holy Spirit, which was happening at that time in the Roman Catholic Church. It was God's way of preparing his heart for what lay ahead for Harbor Christian Center.
Back in Wilmington, two men, Pete Rivera and Steve Borer, began speaking to Pastor about opportunities for ministry in Mexico. Steve, a retired military pilot, encouraged Pastor to start flying missions to Mexico. Pete Rivera told Pastor about ministry opportunities just across the border in Baja as well as in Los Mochis, many miles to the south in the state of Sinaloa.
It was in 1974, on Pastor Ezell's first trip to Los Mochis, that he met a man who would become both his closest friend and God's instrument through which tens of thousands of Roman Catholics would receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Pastor had been invited to speak to a small group of local ministers who were planning a citywide evangelistic campaign for their city. The meeting was held outdoors, behind the home of a Congregationalist pastor.
As Pastor Ezell was teaching them about the Holy Spirit, he noticed a man wearing slacks and a leather jacket come into the meeting. He sat down directly in front of Pastor Ezell and listened intently as he taught about the blessings of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. When Pastor Ezell looked up, he saw tears running down the man's cheeks as he said, "I want the Holy Spirit!" Pastor immediately stopped teaching and laid hands on the man before him, praying that God would release in him the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. As he did so, the Holy Spirit came upon this man in a mighty way and he immediately began speaking in tongues.
This man was Father Lomeli, a Roman Catholic priest. It was through him that God gave Pastor Ezell an open door to minister in the Catholic churches of Mexico. This American Pentecostal pastor and this Mexican Roman Catholic priest soon became the closest of friends, an improbable friendship that endured for the remainder of Pastor's life, for he had found a brother in the Lord whose love for Jesus Christ equaled his own. They recognized the doctrinal and traditional differences between their churches, but the Holy Spirit reminded Pastor Ezell that God accepted him just as he was, and likewise, He accepted those Catholics who love Him with all their heart. Both came to understand that in God's sight, they were equal members of His family.
Not long afterward, Pastor was invited to speak at Father Lomeli's church in Los Mochis. There was a large wedding at the church that day, and to Pastor's complete surprise, Father Lomeli called him forward during the ceremony and asked him to tell the people about the Holy Spirit. Working through an interpreter, Pastor did so, and 150 wedding guests received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that day!
While the ministry to Catholics in Los Mochis was developing, the church's outreach to Mexico was moving in another direction also. For a number of years, Pastor's older brother had been involved in building projects in Mexico. Because of this, Pastor Ezell knew the need for material assistance with the construction of churches and orphanages as well as the need for teaching and encouragement of Pentecostal pastors of small, impoverished churches.
Steve Borer took Pastor on a few trips to Mexico to look into such outreaches, and before long Pastor was totally "hooked" on both flying and Mexico ministry. At this time, various Christian pilots such as Richard Mann, Dave Pugh, Norwood Patterson, Rich Oribe and Ted Fornier, as well as Steve Borer, donated their time and the use of their aircraft to make the trips to Mexico. One of these pilots, Richard Mann, was a certified flight instructor. He provided inexpensive flying lessons at Torrance Airport to equip pilots for this flying ministry. One of these men who began his training in June of 1975 was Ed von Delden, who later became Chief Pilot for HCC's Mexico ministries.
About the time Ed received his license in the fall of 1975, Pastor Ezell realized that for maximum efficiency and effectiveness, the church needed its own plane. During a morning worship service, he asked for pledges and donations toward the purchase of a plane. The congregation responded enthusiastically and soon the church became the owner of a six-passenger Cessna 206. It was a wonderful load-carrier, ruggedly built with a fixed landing gear and big tires which enabled it to land just about anywhere. It was christened the Halo Plane, for Harbor Airlift Outreach. Before it was put into service, the congregation gathered at Torrance Airport to lay hands on the beautiful red and white plane with a gold dove on its tail and dedicate it to the Lord's service.
On July 23, l975, Pastor had just returned from a two-day trip to Mexico in the Halo plane when he told the congregation, "God is going to lay something on this church they've never heard of, never thought of, they've never dreamed of doing before. I fully believe we've come into some exciting things as a group of people."
He shared his vision for ministry in Mexico with the congregation as he told them of the his trip to Baja. Norwood Patterson, the pilot on this trip, had had to fly "VFR" --Visual Flight Rules, without navigational instruments. Because of heavy clouds, they had to fly until they found an opening, and they had flown under the clouds at an altitude of only 300 feet. When they couldn't find their destination of San Quintin visually, they flew over, through and under heavy cloud cover until they were able to land at a dude ranch. The next day, when they were able to continue to San Quintin, they again had to land on a dirt landing strip that was narrower than the distance between the wheels of the plane. In spite of difficulties, the trip was fruitful. Pastor was able to share the Gospel and teach about the Holy Spirit. Two Catholic priests were among those with whom he was able to speak.
Throughout the remainder of the '70's and into the early 1980's, Harbor Christian Center was actively involved in ministry to Mexico. Pastor's secretary, Debbie Passalacqua Coloma, earned her pilot's license so she could be of greater assistance to Pastor in this aspect of his ministry, and by his 65th birthday, he, too, was a licensed pilot. Both became instruments rated so that cloudy conditions and unfamiliar terrain would not be a hindrance. Ed von Delden continued to be a great help, often taking time off from work to fly to Mexico on ministry trips.
Many from Harbor Christian Center had their first opportunities for "hands on" ministry in Mexico through such things as helping to build churches in Camalu, Colonia Guerrero, San Luis del Rio Colorado and other locations. Evangelistic trips brought salvation films and Bibles to small villages. Orphanages were given assistance. Because of the Halo Plane, distances that would have taken a day to cover by car could be reached in a matter of a few hours by plane. Ministry to the Catholics of Los Mochis and later, Navalato, continued as Pastor Ezell worked with Father Lomeli to teach the people what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the release of the Holy Spirit.
When Pastor returned from a trip to Los Mochis in February of 1980, he reported that there were now 15,000 Born Again and Spirit-filled Catholics in the state of Sinaloa, and this in spite of the heavy persecution Father Lomeli had experienced at the hands of his Bishop. Pastor's trips to Los Mochis by this time were a modern-day example of the journeys of Paul and Barnabas as Acts 15:36 record:
"Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do."
On November 23, l983, Pastor and Mrs. Ezell, Debbie Passalacqua Coloma and Debbie's mother, Margherita Passalacqua, were flying home from one such trip to visit Father Lomeli when suddenly the engine of the Halo Plane exploded as a piston rod broke and tore its way through the cowl. The engine's oil supply erupted like a volcano, totally covering the windshield. As Pastor and Debbie worked to control the plane, which now was plunging toward the ground, Edna Ezell and Margherita Passalacqua cried out to God, asking Him to release ministering angels.
The plane plummeted downward, heavy with nearly full tanks of high-octane fuel. The oil-coated windshield obscured the view of the freshly plowed fields below as Pastor and Debbie prepared for an emergency landing. The Lord heard and answered the passengers' prayers. When the plane nosed into the soft dirt, the nose wheel sank in deeply and the plane turned end over end, breaking in half. Pastor was knocked unconscious momentarily, but no one was even seriously injured. It was a miracle that no explosion or fire took place.
As soon as the passengers had been cared for and Pastor was able to get back to Wilmington, he immediately came to the church. One of the secretaries, Joan Davis, remembers when he arrived. He had bruises and abrasions on his face and on his arms. He looked like someone had beaten him. He asked the secretary to drive him to the airport where they had left a church van parked when they'd left for Mexico. On the way to the airport, Pastor was already talking about getting another plane to replace the one they'd left in Mexico, so that the work of the ministry there could go on. He was not a man to let a "little thing" like a potentially fatal plane crash deter him from the work the Lord had called him to do!
A few months later, the church, with the help of Ed von Delden, had purchased another plane, a Cessna 210, a faster plane than the original Cessna 206, and therefore better for the longer trips deep into Mexico.
Our thanks and sincere appreciation go to all that helped make this history possible. Sister Helen Carl, Lola Bates, Hattie Carrigan, Bernice Leenders, Rev. Leonard Nipper, Rev. James Pryor, Tom Irwin, Ed von Delden, Alline Grim, Deborah Coloma, Raul Cardona, Mack & Lucille Alford, Warren & Clara Hodges, Jerry & Cheri Steinker, Dennis Burke, Vava Duran, Preston & Louise Haag, Willa Dean Burrow, Edna Ezell. Special thanks to John Roberts for the use of his VCR and the video of the Ezell's 50th Anniversary / 70th Birthday celebration as well as several videos of interviews done after the home going of Pastor H. W. Ezell.
