A Parish Church in South Park
Christ United Presbyterian Church occupies an entire city block on Fir Street in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego. The congregation has long described itself as the area's parish church, meaning it cares for both the religious and secular needs of its neighbors. From a self-serve food pantry on the corner of Fir and 30th Streets to a regular outdoor jazz concert on its plaza, the church opens its doors and grounds to the wider community.
Its mission statement names three commitments: to celebrate and practice faith-based generosity, compassion, and inclusive love in service to the Savior's world. The congregation's recent articulation of that welcome, "We celebrate and strive to practice the radical inclusive love of Jesus. All are welcome here, including those voices long silenced," appears across the church's materials and at the top of its policies page.
Three Congregations Become One
The story of Christ United begins in 1921 with the founding of Brooklyn Heights Presbyterian Church. Thirty-five years later, in 1956, the Reverend Doctor George Walker Smith founded Golden Hill Presbyterian Church, located at 22nd and Market in South Park. With the support of the Presbyterian Women organization, Smith built a congregation that became a human rights leader in San Diego. He went on to become the first Black school board member in the city, and his legacy of civic engagement alongside spiritual formation still shapes the church's identity.
In 1981 the two congregations accepted an invitation to merge, forming Christ United Presbyterian Church. The combined body continued Smith's legacy of justice and civic engagement. In September 2026 the church marked seventy years of ministry in South Park, celebrating choir voices raised in worship, deacons who served the least of these, elders who guided with wisdom, and members who simply showed up Sunday after Sunday to be the church. The anniversary service was framed as a testimony: "the fruit of generations who prayed when the way wasn't clear, who gave when resources were scarce, and who believed when belief was costly."
The anniversary narrative connected past and present: "With our current pastoral leadership, Dr. Kerry Allison, we are destined to impact our community with the love of God." The congregation describes itself as rooted in Scripture, committed to its neighbors, and open to all who seek a spiritual home.
Sunday Worship at 10:30
Sunday morning worship begins at 10:30 a.m. and follows a three-part rhythm the church calls Gathering, Listening, and Responding. In the Gathering, the congregation hits the reset button through a shared prayer of confession printed in the worship bulletin. The Listening portion centers on the Word, both read and proclaimed in a contemporary message. The service closes with the Responding, where worshipers bring their offering and are challenged to enter the world to serve.
The service is described as tradition without being too rigid or formal. Music carries a gospel flavor that has become a hallmark of the congregation, with deep roots in the African American preaching and singing tradition. The weekly bulletin follows the Service for the Lord's Day, drawing on Reformed worship resources that the congregation names among its influences. Services are livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person, and recent sermons are posted for later viewing.
A Music Program with Gospel Soul
Christ United maintains one of the most vibrant music programs in San Diego. The Chancel Choir, a Soprano Alto Tenor Bass ensemble directed by William "BJ" Robinson, sings a wide repertoire of anthems, hymns, and spirituals. Rehearsals currently take place over Zoom, with members recording their parts and compiling them for virtual services. Anyone interested in joining can email BJ Robinson at the church office.
The Praise Team sings every fourth Sunday, bringing a different spirit of worship and praise. A Men's Chorus performs every fifth Sunday and on Father's Day, a tradition that draws full-throated support from the congregation. Together with the chancel choir and visiting ensembles from across San Diego, these groups form the heart of an Annual Concert Series, which includes a well-known production of Handel's Messiah performed every second Sunday in December.
The series also welcomes outside groups from the San Diego community, and donations during Sunday morning worship help support the work. On Saturdays during the warmer months, the church opens its plaza for Jazz on the Plaza, a free outdoor concert featuring Earl Vaults and New Vision of Praise. Recent editions have featured guest appearances by Harmonic Souls. The series has become a South Park favorite, drawing neighbors for an afternoon of music in the open air.
The Self-Serve Pantry and Community Outreach
On the corner of Fir and 30th Streets stands the church's outdoor self-serve pantry. Open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the simple wooden structure invites neighbors to give what they can and take what they need. The principle is very simple: give what you can, take what you need. The church maintains an Amazon Pantry Registry for those who wish to contribute specific items, and the pantry is one expression of a broader commitment rooted in Isaiah 58:7: sharing bread with the hungry, bringing the poor and homeless into the house, clothing the naked, and never ignoring one's own flesh.
Christ United leads worship and provides mentorship at the San Diego Rescue Mission about every quarter. Members volunteer with the Rescue Mission's mentorship program and support its work of sharing the Good News of Salvation with men, women, and children experiencing homelessness. The congregation also partners with New Day Ministries, formerly Presbyterian United Ministries (PUM), which serves people without the resources to keep a permanent roof over their heads. New Day welcomes volunteers and donations; the office can be reached at (619) 232-2753 or info@pumsd.org.
Other gatherings fill the church's life with the small rhythms of a close-knit neighborhood. The Men's Fellowship and Community Life committees have hosted free shredding days in the parking lot, fellowship Game Days with lunch provided, and CPR and AED training in the Fellowship Hall. A Back to Church Block Party fills the surrounding streets each September, and a Juneteenth Celebration extends worship with a special Fellowship Hour.
Two Schools on One Campus
The Christ United campus hosts two schools. The McGill School of Success is a charter school founded in 1991 that uses the church's facilities Monday through Friday. McGill provides a whole-child academic and social well-being experience that includes the arts, music, dance, physical education, visual arts, theatre, Spanish enrichment, leadership development through the seven habits of happy kids, and a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. childcare program served by the YMCA. The Neighborhood House Head Start program, a federally funded pre-school, also operates on the campus.
Children and youth from both schools often overlap with congregational life. The church hires Sunday School Teachers for its Christian Education program and is currently seeking someone to prepare lessons for a variety of age groups, teach Bible stories and character building, and help lead confirmation alongside the pastor up to twice a year.
Grace Gathering and Bible Study
Midweek, the church gathers online for The Grace Gathering, a weekly Bible Talk that meets on Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom. Participants work through scripture together and welcome newcomers who contact the office for the link.
Presbyterian Women host a Bible study on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom, offering a place for women of the church to study Scripture and support one another. The PW circles also drive a number of the congregation's outreach efforts, including the annual Presbyterian Women's Fashion Show.
Older members find fellowship through the Golden Years Ministry (GYM), which meets monthly on the fourth Thursday at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom or by phone. Open to seniors 55 and older, the group gathers for connection, conversation, and mutual support.
Presbyterian Women and the Annual Fashion Show
The Presbyterian Women of Christ United are known for their outreach and fellowship, including their annual Fashion Show. Recent editions have carried themes like "A Prism of Color and Light," combining faith, fashion, and community in a showcase that supports the outreach ministries the women champion. Tickets are sold by women across the congregation, and the afternoon includes raffles and refreshments in the GWS Fellowship Hall. Proceeds go directly to outreach ministries supported by PW.
Beliefs and Intellectual Influences
Christ United identifies as a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), serving under the Presbytery of San Diego. Its worship follows the Reformed tradition, centering on the Word, spoken, written, and living. As the congregation summarizes it, Reformed worship begins with preparation in the form of confession, hears and touches the Word, and responds to the Word in the world.
The congregation's public reading list reflects this heritage. Works on the influences page include John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion, Reinhold Niebuhr's Moral Man and Immoral Society, and Karl Barth on Christian witness, alongside writings by African American theologians and historians such as James Cone, Cain Hope Felder, and Al Raboteau's Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South. The Book of Common Prayer and the Church of Scotland's Common Order are noted as worship resources, and the church's preaching draws on Feasting on the Word for its lectionary-based preparation. The book list also includes Taylor Branch's Parting the Waters and a biography of Paul Robeson, whose father was a Presbyterian minister.
A statement on sexuality declares, "We celebrate and strive to practice the radical inclusive love of Jesus. All are welcome here, including those voices long silenced." The congregation's recent reflection on Black History Month remembered the work of Howard Thurman, whose writing framed Jesus' ministry as a "technique of survival for the oppressed." Another reflection, "What Happened to Miracles," traced the early church's miracles to its togetherness, doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer, and called the present congregation to deepen those disciplines.
The influences page also lifts up the San Diego civil rights activist Harold K. Brown, a long-time volunteer and community leader whose story is recommended as essential context for understanding the 1960s movement locally.
Prophetic Witness in South Park
The church has continued the civic engagement that marked its founding pastor's ministry. After Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations raids at two South Park restaurants, including Buona Forchetta, Reverend Dr. Kerry Allison joined faith leaders, immigration attorneys, and community activists at a press conference in downtown San Diego to denounce the operations. His remarks on the importance of standing with the mistreated have been quoted in local coverage of the events.
Each spring the congregation gathers around a Seder Meal after worship, often focusing the conversation on issues of immigration and justice. Sunrise services mark Easter morning on the church plaza, followed by a continental breakfast in the Fellowship Hall. Independence Sunday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and a Church Anniversary Service round out the year alongside recurring Sunday celebrations like Celebrating Our Graduates.
Leadership
The Reverend Doctor Kerry Allison is the Senior Pastor. An ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), his pastoral vocation spans more than four decades of service in urban ministry, global mission, church renewal, and theological education. He has sustained ministry partnerships in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, India, Nepal, and Mexico, and serves as Preaching Columnist for Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching, and the Arts, the journal of the PCUSA. He is the founder of the Praxis Prayer Movement and host of the Prayer and Policy podcast, integrating contemplative spirituality with prophetic civic engagement. He holds the Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity degrees and has served with distinction as a university professor in theology, homiletics, and ministerial formation. In his letter to the congregation, Dr. Allison wrote of being "deeply honored and thankful" for the call and eager "to unite with all of you in ministry, worship, and fellowship."
William "BJ" Robinson directs Music and Art, leading the chancel choir and concert series. Juanita Bell serves as organist, and Purnell Strom serves as audio and videographer. The Office Manager is Tina Rees, Rocio Cortez Gomez is the Finance Manager, John Hubbard is the custodian, and Azul Arteaga-Gomez teaches Sunday School.
Visiting and Getting Connected
Worship is held Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. at 3025 Fir Street, San Diego, CA 92102. Visitors can watch live on YouTube or browse recent sermons at any time. The church office can be reached at (619) 239-2346 or info@cupcsd.org, with a fax line at (619) 239-8830.
Members can access an online directory through Instant Church Directory, and the church publishes a quarterly newsletter with updates on ministry and events. Giving is available online, by text to 84321, by scanning a QR code in the bulletin, or by mailing a check to the church office. The Self-Serve Pantry on the corner of Fir and 30th Streets accepts donations any time, and the congregation welcomes volunteers for the Rescue Mission, New Day Ministries, the schools on campus, and other ministries.