Our Story — Harvest Intercontinental Church

Harvest Intercontinental Church-Olney (formerly Bethel World Outreach Church—City of Hope) is a Christian church made up of families from more than 50 nations, committed to helping people discover God’s love, explore their purpose, and impact their community. We believe that every person is loved by God, and that God desires a personal relationship with them through Jesus. We’re on a mission to bring the message of Jesus to the whole world. Imperfect people are welcome here, because we’re imperfect ourselves. It’s a place where you can experience God’s move in your life, and watch Him move through your life.

Harvest Intercontinental Church – Olney is the global headquarters of Harvest Intercontinental Ministries Unlimited (HIM-U), a dynamic, multicultural missions movement with one purpose: to win the lost at all cost and make as many disciples for Christ as we possibly can in our generation.

Our story began in 1990, when Bishop Dr. Darlingston G. Johnson and Pastor Chrys Johnson were attending a pastors’ conference in the United States from their homeland of Liberia. Just before their return, Liberia was engulfed in a brutal civil war, closing all borders. Stranded and seeking God’s direction, they received a word that became our foundation: “Don’t be refugees—be missionaries.”

That divine instruction birthed what is now a global church planting movement. From our very first service with 17 people at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Harvest has grown to become a worldwide missions and church planting network.

Today, Harvest Intercontinental Church – Olney serves as the epicenter of a global vision. With over 480 churches planted across six continents—Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America—we are actively fulfilling the Great Commission. Through local and international missions, evangelistic crusades, humanitarian outreach, and leadership development, we are bringing the Gospel to the nations.

Our current campus sits on 60 acres in Olney, Maryland, and includes a 68,000-square-foot educational center and a full gymnasium. Each week, more than 2,000 people from over 50 nations gather here, making Harvest a vibrant example of what it means to be a truly intercontinental, multicultural, and mission-driven church.

We are deeply committed to:

Global church planting
International missions and outreach
Equipping believers to fulfill the Great Commission
Establishing local churches in unreached and underserved communities
Building schools, clinics, and training centers
Empowering leaders and transforming nations through the Gospel

In 2020, we rebranded from Bethel World Outreach Church – The City of Hope to Harvest Intercontinental Church – Olney, reaffirming our commitment to reap a global harvest for Jesus Christ.

At Harvest, missions is not a department—it’s our identity. We are raising up missionaries, sending out laborers, and planting churches because we believe that no one should live or die without Christ.

Join us as we continue to reach the world, one nation at a time.