When David Araujo and his wife, Randall Victory Araujo, embarked on their first lead co-pastorate three years ago at The Heart LA Church, they had to work out the details of what that ministry would look like.

“We had been on staffs together before, but we had never been in charge together,” Randall says. “We’ve always been on the same page with our goals, but we didn’t know how to achieve them.”

They started by assessing their ministry strengths and weaknesses. David says that meant setting aside his ego.

“It makes sense for Randall to preach more because she’s good at it,” he says. “I’m confident in my wife’s giftings and abilities.”

Randall has taken the reins in determining the preaching schedule, managing meetings, and casting vision. David oversees volunteer team leaders, finances, marketing, and design. Randall is a full-time pastor, while David works outside the church as a graphic designer.

The Araujos have been married for 12 years and have three children: Ryan, 10; Rose, 8; and Raegan, 5.

David and Randall met during a summer mission trip to a Mexican orphanage across the border from San Diego. The trip’s sponsor was The Champion Center of Las Vegas Church (formerly Mountain View Assembly of God), where Randall’s parents, Tom and Robin Van Kempen, were serving as pastors.

Then a student at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, Randall was home for the summer. David attended the church and had accepted Christ there.

Randall is a fourth-generation Assemblies of God pastor. Her grandparents, Robert and Helen Goree, led Mountain View AG before the Van Kempens did.

When Randall’s parents left the Las Vegas church to pastor elsewhere, the Araujos stepped in as interim pastors for a year before moving to Modesto, California.

David and Randall served on staff at One Church Modesto (AG), initially as children’s pastors. Randall eventually became the church’s executive pastor, while David handled marketing.

After three years in Modesto, the couple sensed God leading them to a more urban ministry setting. They visited San Francisco, Las Vegas, and San Diego before determining Los Angeles was the right place.

“Randall prayed for the Lord to send us to a difficult city, a place where people are not in the habit of going to church,” David says. “My wife has always been an achiever, with a grittiness to stay the course.”

The couple went through Church Multiplication Network training, and The Heart LA received CMN matching funds. Half a dozen adherents of One Church Modesto moved to Los Angeles and became part of the new church plant.

Finding an affordable site proved difficult. Amid COVID-19 restrictions, the Araujos were unable to rent a school or movie theater for services, often the first choice of metro church planters.

“We want to make
disciples beyond
Sunday morning, so
that they minister
in their spheres of
influence. Our desire
is to see the heart
of God in every part
of society.”
— Randall Araujo

The Araujos eventually connected with the owner of a nightclub that had closed because of the pandemic. Remarkably, the owner agreed to lease them a spacious ballroom for one-fifth of the original asking price.

The Heart LA is in the city’s mid-Wilshire district, west of Koreatown, east of Beverly Hills, and south of Hollywood. There are a number of Jewish synagogues in the area, but few churches. Where churches do exist, it’s not uncommon to see a gay pride flag flying out front.

Despite launching during a time when restaurants were shuttered and schools met online, The Heart LA has managed to grow in part because of its high visibility on busy Wilshire Boulevard.

Some people started attending the church after walking in out of curiosity. Word of mouth along with an online presence also played a role in growing the congregation to about 100 regulars.

To help pay the bills, the church subleases space during the week for private events.

Situated in one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the U.S., The Heart LA draws attendees from 20 nations. David, who grew up on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, says he fits in well. His Black-Portuguese father, while an American soldier, married his Vietnamese mother in her native land.

The Heart LA is demographically unique in other ways as well. Most congregants are in their 20s or 30s — and single. In addition to college students, the church attracts schoolteachers, musicians, actors, and artists, many of whom live in nearby apartment complexes. The Araujos hope churchgoers will take Jesus with them to their workplaces and residences.

“We want to make disciples beyond Sunday morning, so that they minister in their spheres of influence,” Randall says. “Our desire is to see the heart of God in every part of society.”

Considering their context, the Araujos say it doesn’t make sense to follow traditional ministry models, such as targeting married couples with children.

“Today’s church planters must think differently and make adjustments in terms of reaching people,” David says.

Randall adds, “The Lord has shown us we need to love those He sends to us.”

Marcia Bethke, who planted One Church Modesto in 2011 with her husband, Kyle, says the central California congregation gladly invested in The Heart LA.

“We believe in David and Randall, and we believe in church planting,” Bethke says. “So sending people to help launch a new church was a joy.”

Bethke believes the Araujos will thrive because of their tenacity, creativity, resourcefulness, and giftedness.

“They are hard workers with incredible grit, and they have a vision and passion for the city,” Bethke says. “They aren’t stuck to traditions or systems, but they utilize them to benefit people and the church. They can do it all: preach, lead worship, marketing, discipleship, evangelism, team building, and leadership development.”

According to Frank Wooden, plant director for the Assemblies of God SoCal Network, a key is that the Araujos minister well together.

“They view themselves as co-planters, not as one of them being the planter,” Wooden says. “They are faith-filled, unafraid of bringing a family into a big city. They both preach, so it is not the same person preparing a message every week. This creates time to utilize their other skills.”

Wooden says the couple’s ministry approach is a good fit for the city.

“For years, L.A. was a black hole when it came to church planting,” Wooden says. “The Araujos are the first of several church planters who have come into the city with a mindset to love it, know the people, and persevere.”

This article appears in the Fall 2024 issue of Influence magazine.