Hollywood United Methodist Church
| Hollywood United Methodist Church | |
|---|---|
| First United Methodist Church of Hollywood | |
 | |
| 34°06′16″N 118°20′20″W / 34.10444°N 118.33889°WCoordinates: 34°06′16″N 118°20′20″W / 34.10444°N 118.33889°W | |
| Location | 6817 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles, California 90028 |
| Country |
 USA |
| Denomination | United Methodist Church |
| Website | hollywoodumc.org |
| History | |
| Founded | March 16, 1930 |
| Administration | |
| District | Los Angeles District, California-Pacific Annual Conference, Western Jurisdiction |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Rev. Kathy Cooper-Ledesma |
| Pastor(s) | Blair Trygstad, Associate Pastor |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | John West |
| Music group(s) | Chancel Choir |
| Hollywood United Methodist Church | |
|---|---|
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Thomas P. Barber |
| Architectural style(s) | English Gothic Revival |
| Designated | December 4, 1981 |
| Reference no. | 248 |
Hollywood United Methodist Church is a United Methodist church located at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Highland Avenue in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.[1] Its English Gothic architecture and the giant HIV/AIDS Red Ribbon on the bell-tower have made it a prominent landmark in Hollywood. The church's facilities, in addition to housing an active congregation, are used by the private non-religious Oaks School and have been the settings for many movies including Sister Act and Back to the Future.[2]
History
Construction on the first building, the Recreational Hall, was started in 1927 by a group of congregants who began organizing the new church in 1909. The rest of the structure was completed on March 16, 1930.[3]
Architecture
The church building was designed by Thomas P. Barber, and based in part on the English Gothic style of Westminster Hall in London. The structure is steel-framed concrete, with the sanctuary roof having an open hammer beam construction.[4]
Use as a movie filming location
Due to its convenient location in the heart of Hollywood and its mixture of Gothic and modern architecture, the church has been used frequently as a filming location for Hollywood movies. The "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance scenes in Back to the Future and Back to the Future Part II were filmed in the church's gymnasium. Interior scenes for the movie Sister Act were filmed in the hallways, classrooms, and offices of the church, although the film crew repainted the interior to make it appear much older. Scenes from Anger Management, Big Momma's House, Jarhead, People Like Us, and several other movies were filmed on the premises.
The Oaks School
The Oaks School is an independent private K-6 school founded in 1985 which rents space from the church. The school is non-religious and not affiliated with the church, although the school and church communities do work together frequently and share some staff.[5]