• OUR PASTORS •

Pastor Don's association with Harbor Christian Center began at an early age when his parents, Pastor H. W. Ezell and Edna Ezell, and their sons Harold and Don moved to Wilmington in the spring of 1947.

As a pastor's son, Don was very involved in the day to day life of this young and growing congregation. It was a small church in those days, but grew with each addition to the buildings. Pastor H. W. Ezell was the preacher, Mrs. Edna Ezell was the worship leader and the boys provided music, with Harold on the steel guitar and Don on the saxophone. In the late 1950's, he was here to see our present sanctuary built with predominately volunteer labor. By the early 1970's both Pastor Don and Linda were members of the congregation, with Don often serving as a worship leader. It was in April of 1973 that the Ezells saw another significant event in our church's history. It was then that the name was changed from Boulevard Assembly to Harbor Christian Center. During this time changes were taking place which would make Harbor Christian Center what it is today. The Lord was opening up the church to new Christians of all races and backgrounds. We were moving away from a traditional, all-white congregation with mainly Midwestern roots and becoming a church, which truly represented its community and the larger Body of Christ.

In 1977 Pastor Don's father led his first tour group to Israel. It was on one of the many trips that followed that Pastor Don and Linda visited Israel, a trip that would cause the Bible to come alive to them as never before.

During the '70's and 80's, Harbor Christian Center continued to grow, acquiring more land and starting a Christian preschool and day school. On March 15, 1986, Don and Linda and hundreds of friends and family members celebrated Pastor & Mrs. H. W. Ezell's 50th wedding anniversary and 50th year in ministry. Only a few short months later, while Don and Linda and their sons were living in Jonesboro, Arkansas, they received word that Don's father needed surgery for a heart condition. They flew to California to be with him, but the Lord had other plans. Pastor H. W. Ezell went to his eternal reward on September 9, 1986. Then on September 17, 1986 the Board of Trustee as Pastor of Harbor Christian Center installed Pastor Don Ezell.

Pastor Don Ezell had to immediately take on the completion of the work being done on the church in San Luis and the plans for its dedication on November 22, 1986. He also had to direct the construction of the H. W. Ezell Hall and new platform of the church, which would take another year to complete. Within the next two years Pastor Don with the help of Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores would convince the city that we needed a traffic light at the corner of Wilmington Blvd. and "Q" Street for the safety of the church members and the community.

With his vision and love for the community we have developed ministries to the community such as; Sidewalk Sunday School for children, Thanksgiving Dinners nearly 300 distributed yearly, we support The Crossing & Beacon Light Missions to the homeless and a Saturday Bible Distribution where our people go out and give bibles and pray with the community.

Since the beginning of Pastor Don's Ministry we have seen a steady growth and maturing of the church and it's involvement in the community. Pastor Don Ezell has always had a tender heart for his church members and people of the community. He has a sensitivity and compassion for others that not everybody has these days. He has a generosity of always wanting to help others who have a need. Through the years he has kept these qualities and continues to find ways to help others.

Pastor Ralph Giordano was called to serve God at an early age. By the time he graduated from high school, he knew that it would be in preaching/youth ministry.

He began working with teens in Bell Gardens, California. The next step was to enroll in North Central Bible College. Four years later, in 1990, Ralph graduated. In the years, which followed, he did short-term missionary- work in Malawi and Argentina. He spoke to teens in the school system in England as a motivational speaking dealing with relevant teen topics. Ralph also worked at Pinecrest Conference Center and served as a counselor at Teen Youth Camp.

For three and one half years he served as the youth pastor at Cathedral of the Valley Assemblies of God in Palm Springs. In 1999, he was ordained by the Assemblies of God. After serving as a volunteer youth leader for several months, he became H.C.C.'s full time Youth Pastor in February of 2002.

Pastor Ralph's vision for the youth is that they will be equipped and raised up so that God can use them right now, right where they are, to reach their friends for Christ. He feels that if they can experience what is means to be a part of what God is doing here and now, when they become adults they will never be satisfied with merely being hearers of the Word.

HARBOR CHRISTIAN CENTER
1551 Wilmington Boulevard, Wilmington, California 90744 (310) 835-5661
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