In 1985, Pastor Philip and Rose Whitwell lead the HOSEA ministry in Los Angeles, CA. While vacationing in San Francisco they sensed a burden for the city that they couldn’t ignore. After returning home they began to intercede for the city and the Lord impressed upon Pastor Whitwell to open a church and men’s home in San Francisco. He soon returned to San Francisco and began looking for a suitable location. The Holy Spirit eventually led him to a small building on the corner of Height and Steiner Street. With a small contingent of men from Los Angeles they were able to renovate the downstairs portion of the building to house approximately 12 men. This was the beginning of what would eventually be called the House of Stephanas Evangelistic Association, or HOSEA Ministry of San Francisco.
In 1989, the church was in need of a pastor. After much prayer the Lord led Pastor Philip to look amongst his dedicated members for a temporary replacement. This led to the selection of a member that consistently demonstrated the love of God and a gift for preaching the message of salvation. The appointment of Pastor Ella Henderson was initially accepted on a temporary basis but it was evident that the Lord’s favor was upon her. During that time, God sent Minister Arlando Hall and Minister Ernie Sisneros to assist with the church and the men’s home. The Holy Spirit led them to establish an effective curriculum based entirely upon prayer and studying the word of God.
In 2000, the Lord directed the leadership of the ministry to change its name from HOSEA to Shekinah Christian Fellowship, meaning “My glory is with you”. The ministry continued its legacy of love and outreach by eventually moving to the Avenue Theater on San Bruno Avenue. The ministry was responsible for significant upgrades and modifications to hold our worship services in the facility. During that time the Lord continued to add to our membership in order to continue the work of Christ in San Francisco.
In 2006, the Lord appointed Pastor Tyrone S. Hillman, Jr. to lead the ministry. We are expecting continued success as we fulfill our mission of being the most faithful and loving church that reconciles San Francisco to the heart of Christ.