# Compass Bible Church

Compass Bible Church is an Evangelical, non-denominational, multi-site church based in Aliso Viejo, California. The church was founded in 2005 by the current senior pastor Mike Fabarez. It has since then established 7 additional locations, going international with the addition of "CBC Guatemala" in 2015. A Christian teaching institution, Compass Bible Institution (CBI), was also founded by the church in 2019.

## History

After graduating from Moody Bible Institute and Talbot School of Theology, Pastor Mike Fabarez founded Compass Bible Church in 2005 with the goal for people to "understand the timeless information contained in the bible.". The church then began to slowly grow from miscellaneous backyard settings up until acquiring the current building, and continues to grow in scope as the congregation size increases. In 2015, the church had a congregation size of three thousand people and has grown greatly since.

## Compass Bible Institute

In 2019, a Christian teaching institution "Compass Bible Institute" (CBI) was launched as a subsidiary of the church. The school offers numerous degrees and undergraduates in biblical studies, taught by some of the pastors of Compass Bible Church itself. The building of the institution is located across the street of the church itself.

## People

Pastor Mike Fabarez, the Senior Pastor of Compass Bible Church has written multiple publications on theology and expository preaching including 10 Mistakes People Make About Heaven, Preaching That Changes Lives, Lifelines for Tough Times, and Raising Men and Not Boys. These are published through Fabarez's broadcasting establishment "Focal Point Ministries," founded in 1998 (before Compass). Focal Point broadcasts Fabarez's weekly sermons to over 800 radio stations across the United States.
Compass has had numerous guest preachers deliver sermons at its campus, including J. Warner Wallace, Albert Mohler (the 9th president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), and Frank Turek.

## Beliefs

The church holds to classic evangelical convictions, with the bible alone as the foundation for its theology. This accounts for its belief in direct expository preaching done weekly in many different age groups, emphasis on prayer, and constant proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They hold a complementarian position on men and women's roles both inside and outside the church. The church hosted the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood in 2019 for the organization's national conference. The church is also based on a contemporary and modern style in its dress and worship.
Compass believes highly in outreach for its local community to reach people with its evangelistic message. This includes events for Easter Sunday, and its annual "Fall Fest" taking place on Halloween, which has had more than ten thousand attendees.
In 2011 Compass created an advertisement to promote an upcoming Easter service to run in more than 45 movie theatres in Orange County. After paying more than five thousand dollars for three weeks of advertisement, the ad was disallowed by NCM Media News Network due to the mention of Jesus' resurrection. KABC7 did a report on the matter and interviewed Fabarez, who implied that it was an unjust action by NCM, while the NCM backed up their actions referencing their guidelines.

## Locations

Church planting is a "key distinctive" of Compass Bible Church. Since its establishment in Aliso Viejo, CBC has planted seven other locations. Six of these total locations are based in the United States, and one location is international, based in Guatemala.
| Name | Location | Date Established |
| CBC Aliso Viejo | Aliso Viejo, California | 2005 |
| CBC Huntington Beach | Huntington Beach, California | 2014 |
| CBC Guatemala (Iglesia Evangelica La Verdad Biblica) | Guatemala City, Guatemala | 2015 |
| CBC Tustin | Tustin, California | 2016 |
| CBC Treasure Valley | Meridian, Idaho | 2019 |
| CBC Hill Country | New Braunfels, Texas | 2021 |
| CBC North Texas | Frisco, Texas | 2023 |
| CBC Long Beach | Long Beach, California | 2025* |
*Future/ongoing plant