Overlake Christian Church

Mission

The church's purpose statement is to: Love God, Love People & Serve the World. Weekend services for adults, students and children are considered the main venues where the Love God purpose is fulfilled. Life Groups (small community groups and support groups) are viewed as the fundamental way the church shows its love and concern for people. The church's Serve the World purpose is accomplished through various initiatives (throughout the Pacific Northwest and the world); the primary of which are centered on HIV/AIDS, Human Trafficking and Orphan Care through fostering and adoption. The church also has a major focus on assisting unhoused people and single mothers in the Puget Sound region.

Leadership

The Lead Pastor is Mike Howerton, who was the "Next Generation" pastor at Saddleback Church (Pastor Rick Warren) in Orange County, California until 2004. Howerton has authored three books, "Ride of Your Life, "Glorious Mess" and "Miles to Cross", and was a contributing author to another entitled, "The Relevant Church." The church is governed by a volunteer board of elders.

History

Overlake Christian Church began in Kirkland, Washington in 1968 with a handful of former attendees of Bellevue Christian Church. James Earl Ladd, then president of Puget Sound College of the Bible in the nearby city of Mountlake Terrace agreed to serve as a temporary, part-time pastor/preacher until a replacement c be found. A pastor from Enid, Oklahoma, Bob Moorehead, was invited and became Overlake's Senior Pastor in January, 1970. During the nearly thirty years of Moorehead's tenure, weekly attendance at the Kirkland church campus grew from less than a hundred to more than 6,000. He resigned in 1998 amid allegations of impropriety. The elders of the church initially exonerated Moorehead, but a year later they withdrew their support, saying they had discovered new evidence that showed he violated normal standards of conduct.

In 1997, the church moved to a new 250,000 square foot (23,225 m²) building on 27 acres (110,000 m²) along Willows Road NE in Redmond, Washington. After Moorehead's departure in June, 1998, the senior pastor's role was filled by Rick Kingham, a former Vice President of Promise Keepers, who led the congregation until February 2007. Mike Howerton, already on staff as a teaching pastor, became the church's lead pastor later that year.

Other churches

Overlake Christian Church founded eight other churches in the area, the largest having more than 1,400 Sunday attendees.