The Strategic Cities of the Central Pacific District
There are many strategic communities throughout our district where launching churches that multiply themselves will have great impact in those regions and cultures. However, in order to be strategic, we have prioritized the following major urban areas in order to gain the needed momentum: San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento/Central Valley, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Honolulu.
San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco: Was founded in 1846 as a military fort, and today the Bay area has a population of 12 million. With the bay, the mountains, and the bridges, the views are incredible. It is a world class city with very little Christian presence, dominated by secular humanism of every stripe, less than 5% evangelical Christian. It is a city that is very focused on serving the poor – something we could learn from as the Church. The challenges are huge, but the opportunities are limitless in this very influential California city!
Sacramento/Central Valley
Sacramento: Was founded in 1848 by John Sutter Jr. as a port city on the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in conjunction with the gold rush in the nearby Sierras. The metro area now has a population of 3 million, making it our district’s second largest urban center. Centrally located, it is close to both the mountains and the ocean, with the typical California climate. Seven percent of the population are evangelical Christian. Couple that with a lot of new growth and you have plenty of room for new churches.
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City: Was founded in 1847 as a Mormon settlement, and today has a metro area population of 2.5 million, 65% of which are Mormon. It is a beautiful city surrounded by spectacular mountains full of ski resorts and great hiking and camping. The missionary focus of this culture is just asking to be redeemed. At 1.5% Christian, Utah is officially an unreached people group with incredible opportunities to launch churches.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas: Was founded in 1905 as a railroad town. It wasn’t till 1931 that gambling was legalized in Nevada, and the boom began in the 1940’s. Interestingly enough, in spite of the reputation of “Sin City,” this metro area of over 2 million people is reported to be around 9% Christian and has some of the largest evangelical churches in our region. But as you can guess, with the fastest growth rate in the country, there is room for plenty more.
Honolulu
Honolulu: Was founded in 1804 by King Kamehameha I. This city with a population of 1 million is obviously one of the great resort cities of our country. Adjacent to Waikiki, it’s hard to begin to describe the beauty of this place, to say nothing of the climate and warm ocean waters. There is also no lack of things to do – especially if you like the ocean. But spiritually it is as dark a place as any of our cities. With a history of spiritism coupled with the leisure/tourism culture that pervades Hawaii today, receptivity to Christianity is low, with 2% of the population as believers.
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