World Impact history

In 1965, Keith Phillips, a student at UCLA, began teaching Youth For Christ Bible clubs in Watts.

During the 1970's, while retaining a strong emphasis on evangelism, World Impact became more intentional about discipleship.

By 1971, God called Keith to full-time ministry and World Impact was incorporated.

Evangelism to children expanded to teens and whole families.News of the ministry spread to other urban areas of the country and by 1972 World Impact was ministering in San Diego, California, and Wichita, Kansas.

In 1976, the St Louis and Newark ministries began and World Impact moved into their present headquarters at 20th and Vermont in Los Angeles.

In 1977, the Fresno ministry began.

In the early 1980's, World Impact started ministries to the whole person, while keeping its priority of evangelism and discipleship.

In 1981, Morning Star Ranch in Kansas established a two-year discipleship program for young men from the city.

In 1982, the Los Angeles Christian School was opened and Morning Star Ranch was acquired to disciple young men from the inner city.

In 1987, a 10,000-square-foot gymnasium was built for our Los Angeles ministry and Christian School.

In 1990, church planting became the primary strategy to evangelize, equip, and empower the urban poor.

In 1994, the Watts Christian School opened.

In 1999, World Impact hosted the first of three conferences on urban church planting, called Crowns of Beauty, each of which welcomed over 1200 international delegates.

In 2014, developed Fight the Good Fight of Faith.

Both impact structures were considered to represent a 290-million-year-old impact crater doublet until 2015.