Members, family, friends, former pastors and special guests flocked to the San Diego Maranatha church Sept. 16 to 18 for a weekend marking the congregation’s 20 years together. Inspired by powerful preaching and singing, the congregation savored it as a high Sabbath.
A Sabbath afternoon program recounted the church’s history. In 1984, two Adventist pastors, Herman Vanderberg and James Dew, discussed starting a new church in San Diego. The next year, George Rainey held an evangelistic tent effort on 61st and Imperial Streets that resulted in the baptism of 125 people. The group became an official company on Sept. 13, 1986. William Penick, with his associate Anthony Boger, became the first pastors.
“I’m glad the conference had the vision to plant a new church,” Penick commented. “It has always been a friendly, loving congregation and one of the best I’ve ever pastored.”
Later, the company met in the Highland Park Baptist Church for more than three years with James Robins, pastor. By 1989, they were recognized as a church. They also put a down payment of $54,000 on a site for a church building at 61st and Skyline. When they paid off the balance of $180,000 in 1990, church membership had grown to 300.
The San Diego Academy gymnasium became their next home while they prayed, fasted and laid plans for a new church. Membership stood at 400. They broke ground in 1993 and moved in on Sept. 1, 1995.
While Ivan Williams was pastor from 1998-2002, the church launched a new evangelistic project. It built its own recording studio and started a radio talk show, “A Brighter Hope.” Steve Henderson also led an outreach to the San Diego Rescue Mission and a prison ministry.
Emil Dean Peeler, pastor in 2003, focused on an evangelistic series called “Soul Food,” and a TV program, “Journey to Joy.”
In September 2004, the congregation welcomed Kurt and Andrea King as co-pastors. “Since these two loving and courageous young people have come to Maranatha, it has been exciting!” one member commented. The couple was ordained-commissioned during the camp meeting sponsored by the Southeastern California Conference black ministries department in July 2005.
