LIFELINE ASSEMBLY OF GOD - TIMELINE IN EL PASO, TEXAS
2019
Rev. Fa’asaoina Opeta Senior Pastor of Garden Grove Samoan Assembly of God & Rev. David Mamea Senior Pastor of Vista/O’side Samoan Assembly of God felt the calling to start a church in El Paso. They scouted the area and worked out the rental agreement with St. Paul United Methodist Church at $50 per usage of the facility on 7000 Edgemere Blvd. We started with a small room that accommodated about 30 people.
Between the Garden Grove AG church and the Vista/O’side AG church, there was a rotation of people that would travel to El Paso on the weekends. They would arrive early Saturday morning, staying the night at Rev. David Mamea’s home in Las Cruces, NM (about an hour away) and having Sunday service (preaching, leading worship, leading service, etc.). Service time was 12:30 pm.
2020
From January-March the rotation of people continued until COVID hit. Everything came to a halt and Vista/O’side AG streamed online services to help keep the church engaged.
2021
Rev. David Mamea began to pray for a team that would willingly go to El Paso. The idea of starting another rotation of people didn’t seem feasible. In July a team of four answered the call. The official Church Plant team for El Paso was Jerry & Toliu Tua, AJ Liuchan & Noah Laga. They officially moved to Las Cruces in September.
November 14 was the first official service under the Church Plant team. We now used the church hall and changed our start time to 11:30 am.
The Church Plant team also established the LIFELINE name as well as the vision mission statements. Lifeline was considered a Parent Affiliated Church and our official mother church was Vista/O’side Samoan Assembly of God.
2022
February was a month of new direction. We began to do heavy on-line ministry involving Monday Motivations & Midweek Muscles. We also began Wednesday Bible Studies.
In June, Noah Laga left to return to school and we were also blessed with our own room.
On November 27 the Southern California Section (Pulega) (SoCal) blessed our church, officially establishing Lifeline Assembly of God as part of the Samoan District Council. We also baptized our first group of people: Teloma & Esther Umaleava and Jordan & Evonne Levu.
2023
In April, Lifeline was officially recognized at the Samoan District Council in Alaska. Our Church Plant team also became ministers of the gospel at this same conference (Pastor Jerry & Toliu Tua certified ministers; Pastor AJ Liuchan licensed minister)
On May 21 we announced Pastor AJ returning home to California and Pastor Jerry & Toliu officially taking over Lifeline Assembly of God.
September 3 Lifeline blesses its first group of members.
October 1 Lifeline blesses first officers – Secretary Chauncey Phillips, Treasurer Annrose Howard.
First deaconess blessed Mao Savea.
October 15 Lifeline’s first White Sunday and first children’s blessing (Tyreque Tinoisamoa,
Devaughn Tinoisamoa, Ladarion Tinoisamoa, Riley Chitty).
October 27 Lifeline’s first newborn baby – Amaris Pelesala Umaleava.
October 28 Lifeline’s first Music Shop for drums.
November 4 Lifeline installs Senior Pastor Jerry Tua & Toliu Tua and family “Momoli”.