Christian Church | Pacific Southwest Region

The Pacific Southwest Region will celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a special event on Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 4:00 pm PT. The annual event will take place at the Disciples Ministry Center in Fullerton – 115 E. Wilshire Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92832.

This year’s theme will be “A Moral Response for Such a Time as This,” based on the scripture from Esther 4:14 (CSB-Christian Standard Bible): If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s family will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.

Featured at this year’s MLK Jr. Celebration will be Rev. Terry “TJ” Coon, Jr., Senior Pastor at Abundant Life Christian Church. For those who are unable to attend in person, the MLK Jr. Celebration will be live streamed on our Disciples PSWR YouTube channel.

“Disciple of the Year” Award

Included in the event was a presentation of the annual “Disciple of the Year” award. An award to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was established by the Pacific Southwest Region (PSWR) in 1974. Each year since that time, one or more members of a Disciple congregation in the PSWR have been recognized for their efforts on behalf of justice and peace, either in their local community or through organizations and initiatives serving these causes beyond the congregation and surrounding communities, nationally and globally. Nominations are accepted annually by December 5th. Please read the guidelines on the nomination form and recommend an individual(s), congregation or unit who meet those criteria whom you feel ought to be considered for this honor.

This year’s recipient will be Rev. Tanya Lopez, Senior Pastor of Downey Memorial Christian Church. Rev. Lopez has been involved in church leadership at the congregational, regional, and general levels. She is also currently serving as the First Vice-Moderator of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Pacific Southwest Region.

She is a proud first-generation bilingual daughter of immigrants and sees herself as a bridge to help bring communities and generations together. She believes faith and justice cannot be separate. And that passion for justice is part of all she does in her work both in and outside of the church. She has been active across Los Angeles County with various immigrant rights organizations and community organizing groups as she continues to live into her call of being an active participant in co-creating the Kindom of God for all.

She has a background in Psychology and Education. She earned her BA in Psychology from Cal State Fullerton and her Master of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology. She was ordained into Christian Ministry in 2022.

She and her husband, Rev. Al Lopez, are the proud parents of two wonderful girls and love spending time with their two feisty dogs.

We invite you to enjoy the video from last year’s 2025 MLK Jr. Event on our Disciples PSWR YouTube channel.