Orange County ReligionsOrange County ReligionsOrange County ReligionsOrange County Religions

Schmid CollectionSchmid Collectionhttp://www.chapman.edu/argyros/oc.bus.his

Schmid CollectionSchmid Collectionhttp://www.chapman.edu/argyros/oc.bus.his

Orange County Religion

Walter Schmid1902 - 1995

Rancher & Philanthropist

Presented by Brian Chandra

Sponsored by the Walter Schmid Centerfor International Business

Orange County Religion

Definition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion

A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of

narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning

to the practitioners experiences of life through reference to a higher power or truth

The world has more than 4200 religions.

Orange County has representations of most major religions of the world.

The American Indians

The native Americans practiced different cultural and religious traditions.

Bolsa Chica

Mesa, now called Bolsa Chica Mesa, was said to be a place only highly religious leaders were allowed into. Relics were recently found that are believed to be

used by Shamans.

American Sangoma

There is a traditional Sangoma

(African/Indian) healer in Laguna Niguel.

Triangle of Light Healing

In Silverado, there is a Shaman healer who practices Native

American beliefs and traditions in her healing.

Christianity was brought around 1700s by the Spanish missionaries.

La Cristianita Pageant

Held every year in San Clemente, the pageant celebrates the first

Baptism, performed by the Spanish missionaries.

San Juan Capistrano

On Father Juninero’s first attempt to build a mission here, he had to bury the church bell because of an Indian

uprising.

Land ownership

During the Spanish occupation (1770s), many Indians converted to Christianity in

order to own land for agriculture.

Gold Rush1850’s

The gold rush in the 1850’s brought in many Chinese immigrants and with that, came

Buddhism, Taoism, and many other Chinese-based religions.

Pao Fa Temple

Pao Fa Temple was built in 2002 in Irvine, costs more than $5 million dollars and is one of the largest temples in the United

States.

Chapman University

Founded in 1861, Chapman University was founded by members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who believed in equal education for males and females

of all races.

Chapman University’s Fish Interfaith Center

The ground blessing of the Interfaith Center included belssings from Jews,

Muslims, Christians & Wiccans.

First Christian Church of Orange

First Christian Church of Orange is a Disciples of Christ Church which holds

weekly worships and has Scottish Presbyterian roots and is located in Old

Towne Orange.

First Christian Church of Orange

Orangethrope Christian Church holds congregations every Sunday with

disciples worshiping in English, Spanish, French, Creole, Korean, Japanese and

even Sign language. They are based in Fullerton.

Christian Science Society

The Christian Science Society started out with a few families wanting to meet and

are based in San Juan Capistrano.

First Church of Christ, Scientist

The First Church of Christ, Scientist has over 500 churches across the nation and has locations in Costa Mesa, Santa Ana,

Laguna Niguel and Fullerton.

Christian Science Committee on Institutional Work

The committee is focused on how Christian Science can facilitate the

healing Chaplaincy that addresses the needs of individuals in hospitals in

California.

Chapman’s Own Wiccan Group

Chapman University has their own Wiccan Group - Circle of the Triple

Goddess, a club formed in January 2009.

Eckankar

Eckankar, a faith founded in 1965 believes that there is an audible life, or

Holy Spirit, that connects each of us with the heart of God - has a center in San

Juan Capistrano.

THE COVENANT OF THE GODDESS

Yvonne Conway is Orange County’s most prominent witch and she organizes three Meetup.com groups for Witches, pagans

and ghost enthusiasts.

THE COVENANT OF THE GODDESS

The Covenant of the Goddess is one of the largest and oldest Wiccan religious

organizations and they have a local council in Santa Ana.

Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa

The Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa is one of the biggest Calvary Chapels in

California and does podcasts, magazines, distributions, publications and even has

their own radio channel, K-Wave.

Wintersburg Presbyterian Church

They are located in the city of Santa Ana and they provide culturally-sensitive

environments for Asian-Americans and have a congregation about 550

members. They provide classes, ministries and social events for all ages.

First United Methodist Church of Orange

It was the first methodist church to be commissioned in Orange, County, CA and the first church of any denomination to

be in the city of Orange.

First Southern Baptist Church of Orange

It is a small church in the town of Orange that has children’s programs, marriage

building classes, parenting and pre-marriage counseling services

Crystal Cathedral

The Crystal Cathedral is one of Orange County’s main Cathedrals and has

become a tourist landmark due to it’s intricate architecture.

Saddleback Chapel

Saddleback Church started out in 1980 from the back of a U-Haul van

and they now over 10,000 attendees.

President Barack Obama has spoken at their

summit.

Evangelical Formosan Church of Irvine

The church is one of the first churches in Orange County to have Mandarin Chinese

as the main form of communication.

Baha’i

There is a representation of the Baha’i faith in both the town of Orange as well

as Huntington Beach.

Temple Beth El

Temple Beth El was started in 1981 by a handful of families and by 1983, it grew to about 150 households, it now is the largest congregation in Orange County

based in Aliso Viejo.

Mosques in Orange County

There are over 20 mosques in Orange County.

Afghan Islamic Cultural Center

The Afghan Islamic Cultural Center is not only a mosque but also a cultural center that allows anyone from any religion to

go in and learn about Islam.

Islamic Center of Irvine

The Islamic Center of Irvine located in Irvine is one of the few non-

denominational mosques in Orange County.

Buddhist Temples

There are over 100 buddhist temples in Orange County with most of the major denominations represented - Korean,

Japanese, Chinese, etc.

Orange County Buddhist Church

This temple belongs to the Jodo Shinshu Mahayana Buddhism of Japanese

Buddhism and is located in Anaheim.

Bat Nha Buddhist Temple

This temple is of the Vietnamese Buddhist Faction, holds classes in both

English and Vietnamese, headquartered in Canada with it’s Southern California

base in in Santa Ana.

Jung Hye Sa Korean Temple

Korean Buddhist Temple in Anaheim

Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple

This temple is an affiliate of one of the oldest and largest denominations in

Japan, the Shinshu Otani-ha with approximately 10,000 temples and is

based in Garden Grove.

Won Buddhism O C Temple

Won Buddhism has a branch in Garden Grove.

The Buddhist Center - RKINA

The Rissho Kosei-Kai Int’l(Japanese Buddhist Faction) of North Camera is

located in Irvine

Southern California Buddhist Association

The Southern California Buddhist Association has a representation in Santa

Ana.

Catholic Churches

There are over 100 Catholic Churches in Orange County.

Holy Family Cathedral

The Holy Family Cathedral is a Catholic church of the highest order in Orange

County.

ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE

The Roman Catholic Diocese is located in East Villa Real Drive in the City of

ORange.

Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi of Orange County is based in Aliso Viejo.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

They have churches in every city in Orange County.

Newport Beach California Temple

It is the 6th temple built in California and 4th in Southern California.

Hindu Temples

There about 7 Hindu Temples, 2 organizations and 1 Hindu Student

council in Orange County.

Mandir Temple

Mandir is a Hindu temple, opened in 2005, located in Irvine, CA and is

managed by volunteers who work under the guidance of the Committee

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA

The Swayamsevak Sangh meets every Sunday in Irvine Hindu Temple every

Sunday

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA

The group hosted a Yoga marathon in January to recruit members to the Sun

Salutation form of Yoga.

Hare Krishna Temple

There is a Hare Krishna Temple located in Laguna Beach, CA

Sikh Temple of Orange County

The Sikh Temple of Orange County is located in Santa Ana, Ca.

Religious Schools

There are many religious schools that have been started by people who believe

there is a void in the current school system.

Temple Beth El Religious School

As the congregation grew, they opened a religious school and moved classes to

Laguna Niguel Middle School.

Temple Beth El Religious School (ECC)

The school grew and after they got accreditation from the State Board, they opened up an Early Childhood section.

Chapman University

Chapman University is a member of Higher Educationa nd LEadership Ministry

of the Christian Church (Disciple of Christ)

Our Lady of Guadalupe School

OLGS is one of the earliest and most respected Elementary catholic schools in

Orange County.

Saint Joseph School

The St. Joseph School is located in Santa Ana, since 1913 and is a fully accredited

Catholic School.

Islamic Educational Center of Orange County

They have one of the most multicultural demographics and are of the Shia

denominations, located in Costa Mesa, CA.

Orange County Buddhist School

The Orange County Buddhist School based in Anaheim holds academic

classes as well as sports classes weekly and it is open to the public.

SOKA University

SOKA University is a private Buddhist University that is accredited and is a full

4-year University that focuses on the liberal arts and religion.

Businesses related to Religion

There are over 300 businesses related to religion of which over 100 are Christian

related.

DGWB Advertising

DGWB Advertising is one of the best advertising agencies located in Orange County and they do a lot of pro-bono

Christian-related accounts.

Boomers! Irvine

Boomers! Irvine is a family-fun center with a huge emphasis on Christian education and is located in Irvine.

Pixel Digits

PixelDigits is based in Orange County and is in charge of many church’s websites.

Christian Business Networking

Christian Business Partners is an outfit based in Orange County with regular meetings and networking sessions for Christian Businesses in Riverside, CA.

Trinity Broadcasting Network

The Trinity Broadcasting Network has 3 full-powered radio stations with 2 in

Santa Ana and 1 in Costa Mesa.

Council on American Islamic Relations

The council on American Islamic Relations deals with inter-relgious work

and does Public Relations for the Government in regard to American and

Islamic Relationships.

Religious Charities

There are numerous(over 200) religious charities in Orange County.

Catholic Charities Orange County

Catholic Charities Orange County is based in Santa Ana and they provide funding and basic needs to the needy

while emphasizing Catholic teachings at the same time.

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a Christian-based charity organization that has many satellite offices in Orange County of

which includes Orange, Anaheim, Tustin and Santa Ana.

Bibliography

wikipedia

adherents.com

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~kennyk/oc/early.html

http://www.ocregister.com/news/witch-tombstones-wicca-1843163-witchcraft-orange

http://www.losangeles.com/buddhism/business-directory/orange-county

Bibliography

http://www.usachurch.com/california/orange_county/businesses.htm

http://events.ocregister.com/riverside-ca/events/show/86858662-christian-business-networking

http://www.charity-charities.org/charities/IN/OrangeCounty.html