Our History:

On April 24, 1943, under the leadership of John G. Holder, sixteen residents of the small community of Pacific Beach, California, first met in a home on Reed Street. The population of Pacific Beach was about 6,000 at the time. Their purpose was to establish a new church in their community. John Holder was called as its first pastor and Pacific Beach Baptist Church, renamed First Baptist Church of Pacific Beach in 1954, soon became the fourth member of the San Diego Southern Baptist Association. A temporary meeting place was soon arranged at the Pacific Beach Women’s Club. An undeveloped Mission Bay, natural vegetation and wild marshes then separated Pacific Beach from central San Diego. Many of the local streets were unpaved. Freeways as we know them today were in the distant future. The church’s first baptisms were in Mission Bay. Ground was broken in the fall of 1945 for a sanctuary on Hornblend Street, near Ingraham, where the congregation grew and thrived for nearly thirty years. Construction of that first church building was a great challenge, since even the most basic supplies, like nails and lumber, were extremely difficult to find during WW II. With God’s blessings and the selfless dedication of the members, the essential materials were eventually procured and a strong, vibrant Christian ministry ensued. It continues in Pacific Beach even today.
The original buildings on Hornblend Street, were remodeled and expanded several times before they were finally outgrown. In the mid-1970s, larger facilities were constructed on the side of Mount Soledad, only a couple of miles to the northeast. The new church site overlooks Mission Bay, Point Loma, and downtown San Diego. On a clear day one can even see hillsides in Mexico. The first services at 4747 Soledad Mountain Road were held on the last Sunday in October 1975. We are a financially stable, medium-size, middle class congregation. Our membership includes clerks, carpenters, plumbers, military families from nearby Hartman Military Family Housing, engineers, mechanics, nurses, scientists, homemakers, salespersons, secretaries, and students from all levels in the educational system. Young and old, all are welcome here and are equal in God’s sight!