West Anaheim United Methodist Church - Orange Campus
Methodist · Contemporary worship · Orange, CA
- Location
- Orange, California 92868
- Denomination
- Methodist
- Worship style
- Contemporary
- Size
- Mid-size
- Ministries & emphasis
- Contemporary, Expository Preaching, Kids Ministry, Youth Ministry, Small Groups
- Google rating
- ★ 4.4 (14 reviews)
- Kids ministry
- Yes
Official websiteWatch the latest sermonStatement of faith / beliefs
What visitors say
It's been my church for 10 years. Bathrooms clean and a open space for children to play. One bench distance and 6' apart. Excellent place that takes very good care of their patients. Big, service in the morning every Monday, come and hear the God's word Need better traffic signs or directions for pick ups LOOKING TOWARDS THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF WEST ANAHEIM THEORY CHURCH February 1956 - July 2025 West Anaheim Methodist Church (WAUMC) has a 70-year history. The church was founded on February 2, 1956, through the ministry of Pastor David Deshler. In its early years, the church purchased 2.5 acres of land at 2045 W. Ball Road, Anaheim, California. The Chapel was the first building constructed in 1958. The chapel has a capacity of approximately 120 people. The main sanctuary was built in 1964 with a capacity of five hundred people. The first worship service at the church was held on January 3, 1965. The church built three more buildings: an education center, a meeting hall, and an office building, and purchased a house at 306 Archer Street in Anaheim to serve as the pastor's family residence. In its first 15 years, WAUMC grew rapidly, reaching a peak membership of 1,700 in 1970. Following the Vietnam War in 1975, many people left Vietnam to immigrate to the United States. In 1980, Pastor Nguyen Xuan Duc met with the WAUMC Board of Directors to express his desire to establish the first Methodist ministry for Vietnamese Americans in the United States. WAUMC welcomed him warmly, and in February 1980, Pastor Nguyen Xuan Son was appointed to begin ministry for the Vietnamese community there. Therefore, WAUMC is the birthplace of the first Vietnamese Methodist Church in the world! After 10 years of ministry, Pastor Nguyen Xuan Son dedicated his time to theological studies, now known as Union University of California. In January 1990, Pastor Tran Trong Luat was appointed the second pastor for the Vietnamese congregation at WAUMC. God abundantly blessed the church. Many Vietnamese families sponsored and assisted by the church accepted the Lord and became faithful and zealous believers. On April 2, 2001, the Vietnamese congregation at WAUMC became an official church of the Methodist Church under the name "Anaheim Vietnamese United Methodist Church". Over time, the number of American believers at WAUMC gradually changed for various reasons. By 2014, most of the English-speaking members were elderly, so they decided to merge with the Vietnamese Church, which at the time had about 150 members, to become a single church. On July 1, 2014, the two churches officially merged under the name "West Anaheim United Methodist Church." After 27 years of dedicated service at WAUMC, Pastor Tran Trong Luat retired at the end of June 2017. Pastor Dang Thao Nhon (Esther) was appointed as his successor to serve the Vietnamese group; WAUMC still has an assistant pastor to serve the English-speaking group. In September 2018, Pastor Thao Nhon was appointed to serve both the Vietnamese and American congregations. Senior Pastors - English Ministry 1. February 1956 - June 1962: J. David Deshler 2. July 1962 - June 1967: George M. Mann 3. June 1967 - April 1968: Robert G. Williams 4. April 1968 - June 1968: Clifford Bacon 5. July 1968 - June 1973: Maxie D. Dunnam 6. July 1973 - June 1975: Jack S. Troutman July 1975 - June 1982: Harold E. Carlson 8. February 1983 - June 1988: Harold Headrick 9. July 1988 - June 1994: Kundan Peter 10. July 1994 - June 1998: Ford R. Miller 11. 7/1998 - 6/2000: Steven Isenman 12. 7/2000 - 6/2005: S. Joseph Paik 13. 7/2005 - 6/2008: Mike Eggleston 14. 7/2008 - 2/2013: Orlando Rivera 15. 3/2013 - 6/2014: Mai Xuan Nguyen 16. 7/2014 - 6/2015: Tom Tran 17. 7/2015 - 6/2017: Luat Trong Tran 18. 7/2017 - Present: Esther Thaonhon Dang Pastors - Vietnamese Ministry Supervisor of West Anaheim Methodist Church 2/1980 - 12/1989: Nguyen Xuan Son 1/1990 - 06/2017: Tran Trong Luat 7/2017 - Present: Dang Thao Nhon Esther
Is West Anaheim United Methodist Church - Orange Campus right for me?
West Anaheim United Methodist Church - Orange Campus may be a good fit if you're looking for contemporary worship, a Methodist church, a church with a kids ministry in Orange. Every church feels different in person — plan to visit a Sunday service, and check the church's website for current service times.
Take the free 2-minute Soul Signature quiz and get churches ranked by worship style, teaching, and family needs.