Who We Are
At the Congregational Church of La Jolla, God isn't just a word, and Jesus Christ isn't a set of rules by which we judge others. God is a loving presence in our lives, and Jesus Christ—through the Holy Spirit—transforms us into a family which cares for its members and reaches out to the world. Though we cherish our traditional architecture and worship, we are also an open-minded congregation. With the rest of the United Church of Christ, we value diversity, and decry discrimination in all its forms.The Congregational Church of La Jolla is, in fact, an Open & Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. We open our church doors to the full diversity of humankind in God's glorious creation, warmly embracing all differences in age, race, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, mental and physical ability, ethnic and cultural identity, religious background, educational level, and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, we affirm that all those to whom we open our doors are welcome and encouraged to fully participate in the worship, life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, sacraments, responsibilities, blessings, and joys of our congregation's life in Christ.
Though we are a people for whom Christ is the gateway to wholeness and Christianity the way to fulfillment, we engage in sacred conversation with sincere followers of other faith expressions, enthusiastically acknowledging that which we share in common, and joyfully seeking ways to reach out together to a divided world.
We covenant with God and with one another, promising to join together in worship and the celebration of the sacraments, in the study of the scriptures, in sharing the good news with one another and the world around us, in joining in the struggle for justice for the whole human family, and in welcoming into our midst all who seek God and community, that the love of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit may be known and acknowledged in the life of our congregation.Our Covenant
The Congregational Church of La Jolla was gathered in August 1889 when the first worship service was conducted in the small beach resort of La Jolla, California. The congregation originally consisted of Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists. In 1897 the church was incorporated as the Union Congregational Church - the legal name still used by the church.Our History
After the Presbyterians and Episcopalians formed their own churches, the small Congregational Church constructed its current building at the corner of Cave Street and Ivanhoe Avenue in 1916.
The church has enjoyed remarkable stability in its pastorates, and has generally found itself in the mainstream of what has been traditionally known as the Congregational Way. In 1931, our church entered the union of the Congregational Churches with the Christian Connection, forming the Congregational Christian Churches. Then in 1957, our congregation voted to enter yet another union - this time that of the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical & Reformed Church - known as the United Church of Christ.
Our Building
La Jolla's Congregational Church building is an architectual gem in the Spanish mission style. It was designed by Carleton Winslow, who also designed many of the structures in Balboa Park for the 1915 San Diego World's Fair.One of the most prominent features of the church's façade is the simple belltower, which contains a genuine bell from California's Camino Real purchased in the 1950's with funds from a drive spearheaded by the church's Sunday School children.
It is believed that our building is the oldest public building standing in La Jolla.
Though it has been updated and improved on several occasions, it has carefully maintained the integrity of its design. Among those improvements were the building of a pipe organ in 1926, and the installation of beautiful stained-glass windows in the late 1950's and early 1960's. The twelve window panels on the north side of the sanctuary depict scenes from the Hebrew scriptures, while the thirty panels on the south side depict scenes from the life of Jesus.Along with the windows and organ pipes, another striking feature of the interior is the extensive use of California redwood throughout the sanctuary, including the vaulted ceiling and the pews. The rich wood lends the space an air of permanence and depth.
The most recent improvement in the church's physical plant was in 2005, when the church's central courtyard was rebuilt, a project which included new windows and doors in the Sunday School classrooms and the Forshaw Fellowship Hall.
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