About BKCC

Bixby Knolls Christian Church is a racially diverse, multi-generational congregation in Long Beach, California. Join us this Sunday at 10:15 as we worship the God whose love knows no bounds.

"We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord's table, as God has welcomed us."

As an "Open and Affirming" congregation, Bixby Knolls Christian Church welcomes and affirms all God's children, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, physical or mental ability, political stance or theological perspective. (Scroll down for more info about Open & Affirming.)

We believe that church should be a safe place for asking questions about God.  Our mission is not to force you to accept a set of beliefs, or to check your brain at the door upon entering.

We are in covenant with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which emphasizes true community, a passion for justice, and deepening spirituality. Below, you can watch a ten-minute video about how our church is living out its beliefs and identity.



A Word about "Open and Affirming"

Our decision to be "Open and Affirming" is not a decision we made in spite of what scripture says; it is a decision we made precisely because we do take the message of scripture seriously. Throughout scripture, there is a progression from exclusivity to inclusiveness, from local to global, from some to ALL. Earlier commands to exclude certain people from fellowship are consistently re-interpreted so that God's house can become a house of prayer for all people.

  • Ruth the Moabite was affirmed despite earlier prohibitions against associating with Moabites.
  • Job, from the land of Uz, is called the most righteous man on earth, even though earlier scriptures said God hates everyone from Uz.
  • Leviticus forbids foreigners and those who are eunuchs (sex-less) from entering the temple. Yet Isaiah says foreigners and eunuchs are welcomed in the temple, and this is affirmed in Acts.
  • Jesus consistently welcomed those who, according to the laws and traditions of faith, were to be excluded: Samaritans, those who were considered "unclean," etc.
The arc of scripture is long, but it bends toward openness, welcome, and inclusiveness. We seek to be faithful to the God of scripture, the God whose love is for all people.