African Indigenous Churches also known as African Independent Churches (AICs) are churches founded in Africa, by Africans and primarily for Africans (Ayegboyin, D. and Ishola, S. 1997). This new category of Churches is quite different from the one that American and the European missionaries planted in Africa.

They started evolving from 1888 with the founding of a native Baptist Church in Lagos which broke away from First Baptist Church Lagos (a mission Church planted and led by American missionaries).

Many others followed what that Native Baptist Church did and later individuals started establishing churches as founders. Since then, the emergence of these new Churches has become rampant in other countries particularly in the United States, Sub-Saharan Africa, with a large number of followers. In fact, today, these African Independent Churches have grown up to the extent that some identify as Pentecostal, Praying Churches, Prophetic Movements Churches, etc. They have become a force to reckon with in terms of propagating the holistic gospel of Jesus Christ in Africa and around the world.

One of such churches that have had a great impact on both Africans and non Africans, and on society for years is the Revelation Church LA. Founded by an African of Congolese and Kenyan descent, the church is based in Los Angeles, California and is attended by Latinos, Asians and Africans too.

The founder Lovy Longomba Elias was born in Nairobi, Kenya on November 25, 1985. His father Lovy Longomba Sr. who is of Congolese ancestry was a member of Orchestra Super Mazembe, a Congolese band, and his grandfather Vicky Longomba was a member of TPOK Jazz. His uncle Awoko Longomba is also a renowned soukous/makossa musician who has won many awards.

Lovy Elias started his musical career after high school, a hip hop/soukous musical group called Longombas which he co-founded with his late brother Christian and cousin Masengo. The group won several awards in Kenya in their heyday.

Lovy and his late brother Christian relocated to Los Angeles, CA in 2007 and disbanded the group. He then became a pastor, and now focused only on writing and producing for other artists. He was nominated for a Grammy award in recognition of his work with Iggy Azalea.

In 2013 Lovy started Revelation Church as a prayer group in Woodland Hills, CA and held weekly meetings, bible studies, and fellowship out of his living room. The studies were encapsulated in Bible teachings, prophecy, deliverance, manifestations of signs, and wonders.

The church grew beyond the accommodation of his living room and in 2016, Elias began renting space to accommodate the growth of his congregation . And on July 14 of the same year, Revelation Church was born and started holding fellowships in Van Nuys, CA.

Revelation Church was formally founded in 2017, a year after it was moved out of Lovy’s living room. The congregation has since grown to more than a thousand members with thousands more joining them for services online.

On April 3, 2019, the founder started live streaming his teachings on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. After years of renting space, on Feb 7, 2021, Revelation Church relocated its headquarters and worship center to their own building in Simi Valley, CA. The auditorium located at 580 E Easy St Simi Valley, California is valued at well over 8 Million Dollars.

The congregation gathers every Thursday from 7:40pm -11pm and on Sundays at 10am – 2pm for sermons led by the founder.

Revelation Church is committed to her doctrines of teaching the love of Jesus to the world. Their prophetic ministry is rooted in the principle of building stronger families through biblical and practical education.