About Our Church
Our Bishop...
At the age of 16, God spoke to Pastor Martin and called him to preach. Having a deep love and great faith in God, Leon did not reject the Lord’s command-he obeyed!
As a young man he attended Kashmere High and was engaged in Track, Field and Basketball. He was exposed to preaching at an early age by his Father & Mother.
The early years of his preaching ministry were marked with a hunger for the Word of God, praying and fasting. Leon knew that the more he knew and understood God’s Word, the more he could say concerning Christ.
So he completed four (4) years of Bible College at L.I.F.E. Bible College and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Biblical Studies and a Master’s Degree from Friends University. He has also completed many classes and courses from other colleges. In 2007, Friends University conferred upon him the Doctorate Degree for the many years he has been in the ministry and for his active participation in the community.
In November 1974, he founded Love, Peace and Happiness Church in Compton, CA with 10 members. In 1993, he organized a second church in Rialto, CA which is growing tremendously under the pastoralship of his son, Pastor Carlos Martin. In January 2010, he reorganized a church in Los Angeles thus making the “One Church in Multiple Locations”. TheLos Angeles Church is growing by leaps and bounds. There is a new excitement in the atmosphere and God is adding to the church daily. Presently he has over 1000 members.
Bishop Leon Martin is known for his dynamic preaching and teaching of the Word and Seminars on Soul Winning. He can be heard on the radio raves throughout California. He has been on the radio for over 25 years and his radio ministry has touched millions of lives. His radio program has been rated the #1 program on KTYM Radio-1460 AM. His radio program has been rated the #1 program on KTYM Radio-1460 AM. He recently began a new radio broadcast on Sunday mornings on KJLH Radio-102.3 FM which is owned by Stevie Wonder.
Bishop Martin is also known for the “big top tent” where hundreds of souls have been saved, delivered and set free. Through Bishop Martin’s teachings in the inner city as well as his commitment to the work of the Lord, hundreds and thousands of people have accepted Jesus Christ and their lives have been wonderfully transformed into the image of God. God has given Bishop Martin a vision and many people have been richly blessed through his ministry.
Bishop Martin and his wife, Jacqueline have been married for 38 years with three beautiful children– two sons and one daughter, all of which are in ministry and four granddaughters and three grandsons.
In the Triune God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; Jesus Christ is true God and true man.
- The Holy Spirit is a divine person.
- All scripture is given by inspiration of God.
- All have sinned and come short of the glory of God and are in need of salvation.
- Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men.
- It is the will of God that every Believer be filled with the Holy Spirit.
- Healing is provided in the redemptive work of Christ and is available to every Believer.
- The Church consists of all those who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
- There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust.
- In the personal, visible, imminent return of Jesus Christ.
- In water baptism and observance of the Lord’s Supper.
We have the same spirit of faith; according as it is written,
I believe, therefore have I spoken; we also believe and therefore speak. (II Cor. 4:13)
Father, in the name of Jesus, we come into your presence thanking you for Love, Peace & Happiness Family Christian Fellowship. You have called us to be saints in Downey, in Rialto and the world. We thank you that we all speak the same thing. There is no division among us: we are perfectly joined together in the same mind. As we lift our voice in one accord, we recognize that You are God and everything was made by and for You. Grant unto us, who are Your representatives here, that we might speak your Word with boldness; that You will confirm Your Word with signs following.
We thank You that in our fellowship, we have workmen in abundance and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work. We have in our fellowship Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of this body, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a mature person. None of our people will be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. We will speak the truth in love. We are a growing body of believers- 3000 strong. We have every need met. We speak health and prosperity for all our fellowship.
You are able to meet the needs of people who come: spiritually, mentally and financially. We thank You for the wisdom of God in meeting those needs. We thank You for blessing us with the proper building in meeting those needs. We thank You for our children’s ministry which is growing. Our fellowship is prospering financially and we thank you that our church is debt free. We thank you that we have a 100% tithing church and there is not a God-robber among us. We thank you that we have more than enough to meet every situation. We have everything we need for carrying out Your great commission. We are a people of Love…Love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
We speak the Word and thank You that the Word is living big in all of us. We call into being those things that be not as though they were. We thank You for your presence among us. We lift up our hands and praise your Holy Name.
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior; and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge and holiness; to give it a place in our affections, prayers and services above every organization of human origin; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrine; to contribute cheerfully and regularly, as God has prospered us, towards its expenses, for the support of a faithful and evangelical ministry among us, the relief of the poor and the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. In case of difference of opinion in the church, we will strive to avoid a contentious spirit, and if we cannot unanimously agree, we will cheerfully recognize the right of the majority to govern.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotion; to study diligently the Word of God; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintance; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be kind and just to those in our employ, and faithful in the service we promise others; endeavoring in the purity of heart and good will towards all men to exemplify and commend our holy faith.
We further engage to watch over, to pray for, to exhort and stir up each other unto every good word and work; to guard each other’s reputation, not needlessly exposing the infirmities of others; to participate each other’s joys, and with tender sympathy bear one another’s burdens and sorrows; to cultivate Christian courtesy, to be slow to give or take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, being mindful of the rules of the Savior in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew, to secure it without delay; and through life, amid evil report, and good report, to seek to live to the glory of God, who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
When we remove from this place, we engage as soon as possible to unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.
Love, Peace, Happiness Family Christian Fellowship is affiliated with The Convention of Covanting Churches.
In November 1974, Jacqueline and I took a large step of faith, first to accept the calling into the ministry and secondly, to establish a New Testament church in the Los Angeles area. The vision of Love, Peace and Happiness Family Church that the Lord gave us was to a family church committed to evangelism, teaching and the integrity of God’s Word and discipling the believer to maturity in Christ.
God has honored that faith, and today, Love, Peace and Happiness Family is a well-respected, vibrant congregation in our city. I am very pleased with the spiritual foundation that has been laid and the dedicated people who have given their time, talent and resources for the body of Christ.
Yet, I believe that these past few years have only been the beginning of what the Lord has planned for us. We’re entering into some of the exciting days of our church’s history. Together, we stand on the verge of accomplishing something big for the glory of God in the city of Downey and Rialto.
I believe the Love, Peace and Happiness Family Church is at a crossroad. The decision that we make about our participation in Kingdom Advancement could mean that the harvest is either ripe or left in the field (Rev. 14:15, John 4:35, 36).
The Lord is calling out people who will dare to believe and accomplish BIG things for the Kingdom of God. I believe the body of Love, Peace and Happiness Family is that kind of people.
As Pastor, I will be praying for you daily concerning your participation in Kingdom advancement. I am looking forward to the good things that the Lord has in store for us. Let us enter into this challenge prayerfully and with enthusiasm, knowing that “we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us“.