Our Church

  2. About
  3. Our Church

We’re so glad you’ve taken the first step to get to know us! We are one church with multiple locations in the Greater Los Angeles area.

It has always been Pastor Dudley's heart that the church would reflect Revelation 7:9, which says that in Heaven, there will be “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…” That’s why at Shepherd, we seek to love God and love people — as Jesus did so well (Matthew 22:36-40).

We invite you to experience our dynamic, Biblically sound, and energetic worship services, enriching children’s and youth programs, and practical teaching from the Bible that will help you face the joys and challenges of life. We also welcome you to partner with us as we serve our community and the world through various local and global projects each year. Join us as we lift up Christ so that the world would believe.

Our History

It may surprise you to learn that Shepherd’s history goes back more than a century. In 1912, one-hundred dedicated believers began meeting in an old railroad car to worship God. Located in Van Nuys, California, the congregation became known as First Baptist Church of Van Nuys, and Dr. Jess Moody became its senior pastor in 1976. As the church grew, it moved to an 11-acre property in Porter Ranch and changed its name to Shepherd of the Hills Church.

  • 1987: Dudley Rutherford, a young pastor from the Midwest, moved to Southern California to become the senior pastor of Hillcrest Christian Church in Granada Hills. Over the next eight years, church attendance at Hillcrest Church tripled, and the congregation began looking for a larger location.

  • 1995: Hillcrest merged with Shepherd of the Hills with a combined membership of 1,600 people, becoming known officially as Shepherd of the Hills Church. Dr. Moody retired and Pastor Dudley became the Senior Pastor.

  • 2000: In the years that follow,  Shepherd’s attendance had more than doubled and planted its first church, called Real Life Church, with Kyle Idleman in Santa Clarita, California. Three years later, Shepherd launched Discovery Church in Simi Valley, California with Todd Clark.

  • 2005: Shepherd opened the Family Life Center at its Porter Ranch location to facilitate additional office space, a youth room, and a full-court basketball gymnasium. Shepherd Sports launched the following year, which ministers to more than 3,000 adults and children through sports programs each year.

  • 2008: Shepherd began opening additional locations in the Greater Los Angeles area. With weekly attendance approaching 10,000 people, it became clear that it was time to expand. Around this time, our name was shortened to Shepherd Church.

  • 2017: After raising funds for seven years through the Miracle in the Making campaign, Shepherd was able to open its 3,500-seat worship facility in February 2017.

  • Today: Through the Lift Up Jesus television and radio, Pastor Dudley’s messages at Shepherd Church are broadcast on KDOC-TV, reaching 8.2 million viewers in Los Angeles. It is also broadcast to 500,000 viewers on KNBC in Palm Desert and Palm Springs, CA. Nationwide, Lift Up Jesus can be seen on Direct TV, channel 363 (GEB America Network) with a potential reach of 18 million viewers. Lift Up Jesus in Chicago (WJYS) also reaches 11 million people in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Via radio, Pastor Dudley’s sermons reach 8.2 million listeners on KKLA Los Angeles—as well as 29 million listeners in the United States and Canada on Sirius-XM Radio (Family Talk 131). His sermons are broadcast to 92 million listeners on DYVS radio in the Philippines. Visitors from more than 75 countries tune in to watch Shepherd Church online or archived messages via LiftUpJesus.com each week.

    As we reflect on our rich history spanning over 100 years, it’s evident that God blessed and directed our church each step of the way. He has been so good to us in every season, and we know that the best is yet to come!

Our Values

We believe that everyone is valuable to God and loved by Him. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, He demonstrated that we were worth His very life. Through Him, we are set free from our sins, given a new hope, and instilled with a renewed purpose. And now, God has called each of us to tell others about the Good News of Jesus Christ and simply to share our own story of transformation. As we love and serve others, we are better able to reach one person for Christ. By reaching one person, we can reach a family. By reaching a family, we can reach a city. By reaching a city, we can reach a state. By reaching a state, we can reach a nation. And by reaching a nation, we can reach the world!

Our Core Beliefs

About God

There is one God, eternally existing in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal, and each possesses all the attributes of God. God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and everything in it. (Gen. 1:1, 26-27; Ps. 90:2; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)

About Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is one with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is our Savior, who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for all sin, and was raised from the grave after three days to demonstrate His defeat of sin and death. He ascended into heaven and will return to earth to reign as our powerful King. (Matt. 1:22-23; John 1:1-5; Heb. 14- 15; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; Col. 2:9-10; 1 Tim. 6:14-15)

About The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is one with God the Father and Jesus Christ. Those who accept Christ as their Savior will receive the Holy Spirit to live inside them. The Holy Spirit serves as our comforter, guide, and advocate. The Holy Spirit is given to Christians and provides guidance in living, an understanding of the Bible, and prayerful intercession. (Acts 1:8; John 14:16-17, 16:7-13; Gal. 5:25; 1 Cor. 2:12, 3:16; Eph. 1:13; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2)

About The Bible

Our foundation is based firmly upon the Bible as our ultimate authority on Christian beliefs and a guide to living. The Bible is divinely inspired by God, without error, given to man so that we may know and understand the truth of God and his love. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Ps. 12:6, 119:105)

About Humanity

All people are made in the image of God and were created to live the adventure of following Jesus Christ. Although we, as people, have tremendous potential for good, we also have the freedom to do the opposite if our hearts are not right. Our disobedience toward God is called “sin,” which separates humanity from God. (Gen. 1:27; Isa. 53:6, 59:1-2; Romans 3:23; Ps. 139:13-16; Col. 2:13-15)

About Salvation

Salvation is not something that can be purchased or earned. It is a free gift from God provided by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and is received through faith. It is available to everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. That faith is expressed through repentance of sin and baptism by full immersion. (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-5, Rom. 5:10, Rom 6:3-5, Rom. 5:10, Rom 6:23, Rom 10:9,10 Eph. 2:8-10)

About Eternity

People were created to exist forever. Every person will either exist eternally in union with God in heaven through following Jesus Christ or be eternally separated from God in hell due to refusing to follow Him. (John 14:2-3; John 14:6; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; Rev. 20:11-15)

About Gender, Marriage, and Sex

Made in the image of God, people were created with equal intrinsic value and two distinct biological sexes only male and female. God designed marriage to be a union between one male and female. Sex is to take place solely in the context of a married couple. Because we trust that the creator God is good and wise, we choose to embrace the wisdom of his design. (Gen. 1:26, 2:24; Ps. 139:13-14; Isa. 43:7; Matt. 19:4-5)