Breath of Life Church in Seattle celebrated its 30th anniversary on Oct. 29, 2022 with a full day of music and praise highlighted by a lively sermon from its first pastor, Harold Goodloe.
Special recognition was also given to charter members who still attend Breath of Life: Michele Charity, Herb and Shelia Cheatham, and Gene and Kimberly Trent.
For the afternoon service, the church celebrated the burning of its mortgage and dedication of the building. The day concluded with inspiring musical performances by several groups interspersed with video messages from three other former pastors: Alonzo S. Wagner III, Nigel David and Nathaniel Good.
The church opened in September 1992 following an evangelistic crusade with Breath of Life Ministries at the Washington State Convention Center.
Crowds flocked to the meetings as the crusade progressed under the direction of Charles D. Brooks, Breath of Life speaker and director emeritus. Following the series, Breath of Life Company opened its doors for its first Sabbath service.
Goodloe marveled at how quickly the church’s membership grew from 55 to more than 250, and stated, “It was truly a joy to pastor this church from 1992 to 1998. We will cherish those precious memories into eternity.”
The church rented space for services during its first five years, but then bought property in South Seattle in 1996. In 2002, under the leadership of Alonzo S. Wagner III, the church purchased its current location in West Seattle, as well as the property next door which served as a women’s shelter for a time.
The church has been subsequently shepherded by pastors Nigel David, Wally Lyder, Nathaniel Good and, currently, Hanz Jouissance.
Over the years, Breath of Life members have forged opportunities to network closely with White Center neighborhood through a number of ways including a booth at the neighborhood’s farmers market in the summer, hosting events such as free community health fairs, back-to-school fairs, feeding programs and performing street cleanups through a partnership with the city’s Adopt-A-Road program.
In 2019, the church developed a partnership with West Seattle Interfaith Network, a group of several churches in the area that agreed to pool their resources in an attempt to aid the homeless and others in need.
Fueled by prayer and equipped with the power of the Holy Spirit, the Breath of Life family will continue to build relationships with people and organizations in their community.
