Charlie’s Angels are on a mission, but not the kind you’d expect from the television show or movie.

At Wilshire, Charlie’s Angels is an adult Sunday School class named for its current director, Charlie Burgin. The class has been in existence more than 15 years.

Alvin Burns currently teaches the class. Associate teacher Coyle Stephenson, who taught the class for the first five years, “really defined the class with his skill as a teacher and psychologist and molded it into what it is today,” Burns said.

About 10 years ago, Burns took over the teaching role when the Stephensons moved to Greenville. About a year ago, the Stephensons decided to commute to Wilshire as often as they could, and Burns says that he, as well as the class members, have been the beneficiaries.

“I enjoy most the real caring relationships among the members,” Stephenson said. “The class has a strong sense of koinonia that’s rare, in my experience, and it really is a treasure. They embrace us, and that means a great deal.”

The class, whose members are primarily between 65 and 75, averages about 20 to 25 people on a typical Sunday. “The members are remarkably faithful,” Burns said, “and we generally know where the absentees are.”

The group uses the Smith & Helwys Formations curriculum. “I usually use a lecture by way of introduction,” Burns said, “with a goal of winding up with a general discussion. I am absolutely startled the group gives me the freedom to discuss theological concepts. They’re remarkably attentive.

“I like the mutual love and respect that has developed through thick and thin,” Burns added. “We share sorrows and sicknesses, and there is a oneness that has developed that is just remarkable. People trust each other to share personal prayer requests.”

Lucky and Betsy Lofman, who have been members of Wilshire and the Charlie’s Angels class since the year Bruce McIver retired, enjoy “the rather unique group of people” in the class, she said. “People from different walks of life come together and bond. When I walk into our Sunday School class, I get a warm fuzzy feeling. And we have had exceptional teachers who keep us coming back. I was raised Catholic, so it’s a new experience for me.”