An important factor in church growth is the pastor. Pastors must train their congregations to reach out to others. It's difficult when the pastor is out of touch with those he should be reaching. Many Adventist pastors are products of SDA education; consequently, they are limited in their ability to relate to those "outside" the church. Some Adventist pastoral types are primarily bookish individuals who see pastoral work as a necessary step to reaching their goal of administrative or academic work. I have met more than one pastor who was pursuing graduate education while pastoring. I often wondered how much time is spent in soul winning activities when involved in graduate education. Pastors should not be allowed to live off of tithe dollars while pursuing academic study. They should be out knocking on doors and training their congregations in effective soul winning activities. Of course, that may be difficult, since most pastors themselves lack effective soulwinning skills.

 It's incredible that Hollywood SDA church is being singled out as a dying congregation when Hollywood itself is one of the most "happening" cities in the country. The death of the Hollywood church didn't just begin. That church has been actively dying for years.

 The Hollywood area has one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Years ago I mentioned something about Jewish outreach in a church which Elder Spangler was attending as a guest speaker. He pulled me aside and was very interested in working for the Jewish community, encouraging it as an important work. Being neither a pastor or a soulwinner, I didn't think much of what he said applied to me. It did, however, indicate interest in the Jewish community at the highest levels of the denomination. He was killed a few days later in an accident.

Does the Hollywood church have an active outreach to the Jewish community in its midst? If yes, why isn't more said about it. If not, why not?

One of the most famous health food restaurants in the country operated in Hollywood for many years. Known as the Source, many people interested in alternative dietary practices had their first taste of well prepared vegetarian food at one of its tables. Adventists have had a health message for over a century with specific counsel regarding operating vegetarian restaurants in the cities. Why was the Source not connected with the Adventist church? The Self Realization Fellowship  operated a vegetarian restaurant on the east end of Hollywood Boulevard for many years. It may still be there. It was connected to one of its temples, which taught a mishmash of Hinduism and Christianity bound to confuse, deceive, or disgust. The food was hardly even mediocre, yet the place had a  steady stream of guests for years [still may].

Edit: The exact location of this place as well as its relationship to SRF are unclear, in retrospect.  It may have been on Sunset Blvd. I'm not sure if it was or is actually owned by the SRF. This is a place separate from the Lake Shrine on the west end of town.  What I do recall is it was an Indian restaurant which appeared to be connected to the SRF.

What Hollywood needs is a visionary pastor, one who will take some of the advice EGW set forth for soulwinning in large cities. Hollywood Free Clinic, anyone? Sure, there was one. Not connected to Adventists that I know of. Even Jews were operating health food restaurants in Hollywood/Los Angeles. Adventists? Not so much. If the SDA church in Hollywood is dying the death that needn't be, thank the paid clergy in the denomination, the ones with their M.Div.  and D. Min. degrees.

 Perhaps the Hollywood SDA church is now thriving. I hope my perspective is an outdated one.

I first attended Hollywood SDA church a couple of times in 1998, after I first moved to CA.  The church was fairly well attended at that time, a pretty good crowd for the Sabbath morning service.  Then, about 8-9 years ago, when Greg Hoeness was the pastor at Hollywood, they had a contemporary afternoon service there, starting at 12:30.  I used to go there alot for that, at least a couple of times a month.  It was an attempt to reach out to a younger more urban demographic, but I don't think it really worked.  I haven't been there in about 7 years. 

No programming gimmick can keep a church alive.  Ultimately, any church must have a core group of stable people who are willing to show up every week and take responsiblity for duties and offices.  Without this, there is no church.  The pastor's main duty is necessarily going to be nurturing these people.  If the church has people who have a burden for extra ministries, like free clinics, health food restaurants, feeding the poor, etc., then those things can happen, but they are the result of church growth, not the cause.

I say give the pastor and musician a chance. Better yet, give them your prayers.