Those were the first words that the founding Pastor, Anthony Brown, felt in his heart in the fall of 2006. Having served at several churches, he had grown weary of the games that people, including himself, were playing.
For several months, Anthony and his wife, Melissa, had sensed God placing a passion for those that struggled with addictions, as well as people labeled "unreachable." However, Anthony was unsure about how the bills were going to get paid, considering that starting a church from scratch is difficult and expensive work. But God always provides!
Originally the church was going to be named Freedom Church, to convey the idea that church should be free from the tryanny that can happen from boards and other such things. But eventually the name changed to ONE 80. The idea meaning...well, you probably get it, but just in case...doing a u-turn for Jesus! We were once lost, but now are found. Once blind, but now can see. A 180 degree turn.
The birth of the UnChurch
With Joshua Tree being such an eclectic area, doing it differently just seemed natural. One can grab an early morning latte, rent some climbing gear, go climb a boulder, visit a local art gallery, and even catch a play at the High Desert Playhouse. Joshua Tree is truly unique! Why not capture that idea? God is no killjoy!
So, to continue the theme of doing it differently, ONE 80 is set up like a coffee house. People sit around tables, where they can sip some java, and have a place for the Bible and notes. The walls are NOT the standard white with paintings from local artists on the wall. Pastor Anthony has always believed that God created color, and that we should use them for His glory!
