A Progressive Open and Affirming Congregation in Bakersfield
First Congregational Church of Bakersfield sits at the corner of Stockdale Highway and Real Road, in the southwestern part of the city. Founded in 1892, it is a congregation of the United Church of Christ that describes itself as progressive, inclusive, and Open and Affirming, welcoming people of every age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, economic reality, physical ability, mental health status, and faith background. The church has built much of its identity around that welcome, pairing traditional worship with a wide network of outreach ministries that serve neighbors across Kern County.
The congregation's tagline - "Real people. Real questions. Real love" - reflects a ministry that takes questions of faith seriously. The church teaches that "God is still speaking," values extravagant welcome, and unites members in Christ's love even when they see things differently. Communion is open to all and observed monthly; baptisms are offered to children and adults alike.
Sunday Worship at the Corner of Stockdale and Real
Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM in the Sanctuary and runs about an hour. Greeters welcome visitors at the main entrance on Real Road. The service follows a traditional format - music, scripture, prayer, preaching, and a sermon - but the style is relaxed and meaningful rather than formal. Music is a blend of traditional hymns, spirituals, instrumental pieces, and contemporary choruses.
Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, and everyone is invited to receive. On the fourth Sunday of each month, the congregation gathers in Plymouth Hall for intergenerational worship that includes all ages, hands-on and interactive. Every service is livestreamed on YouTube, with recordings available afterward for those who want to watch or listen later.
After worship, most Sundays include a coffee hour in Plymouth Hall with coffee and snacks, a chance to meet people and catch up before heading home.
What to Expect When You Visit
First Congregational Church goes out of its way to put first-time visitors at ease. Dress is entirely up to the individual - jeans, shorts, t-shirts, dresses, and Sunday best all fit in. Nobody will be asked to stand up or introduce themselves. Greeters will say hello and offer a smile, but visitors are not put on the spot.
Children are welcome to stay with their parents in worship, or families can send kids ages 4 to 12 to Godly Play, a creative story-centered Sunday morning program in the Kids Zone of Plymouth Hall. Wiggles, giggles, and quiet talk are all fine.
Plenty of onsite parking is available, with the closest spaces along Real Road, near the Sanctuary entrance. The building is ADA accessible, and public transportation is available via GET bus Route 46, which stops directly in front of the church on Stockdale Highway.
Smartphones and tablets may be used during worship to follow along with the digital bulletin, scripture readings, and giving links. The Order of Service E-Bulletin is emailed weekly and posted on the sermons page.
Ministry Led by Rev. Nancy Bacon
The congregation is led by Rev. Nancy Bacon, who preaches that faith is less about having all the answers and more about having the courage to ask the big questions. She is described by members as honest, humorous, and deeply committed to justice, with a goal of cultivating a space where doubts are respected, wonder is encouraged, and what she calls a "politics of love" can shape the Bakersfield community.
Members describe her as someone who makes newcomers feel like they have finally found a seat at the table, regardless of where they have been. Whether someone is a lifelong seeker, returning after years away, or unsure what they believe, the invitation is the same - come visit, come curious, come tired, hopeful, skeptical, or searching.
Food Pantry: Wednesday Mornings on Real Road
The Food Pantry is one of the church's most visible ministries. Every Wednesday morning from 8:30 to 11:30 AM, while supplies last, volunteers distribute free groceries to anyone in need - no questions asked. The pantry partners with the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) Food Bank to keep shelves stocked.
Recipients check in using a simple electronic system required by the food bank, with volunteers helping first-time visitors through the process. Privacy is respected. Those who want to support the ministry can donate food, give financially, or volunteer to pack and distribute bags.
HOPE Project: First Sundays for Unhoused Neighbors
The HOPE Project is the church's monthly outreach to neighbors living without shelter. On the first Sunday of each month, after worship, volunteers pack and deliver care bags and PB&J lunches, along with hygiene kits, socks, and blankets, to those experiencing homelessness in the community.
The project is built on the idea that no one should feel invisible. Volunteers can join on distribution Sundays, donate supplies, or help prepare bags in advance. The work is simple but the impact is real: a meal, a prayer, or a moment of human connection.
Neighborhood Café: A Free Monthly Community Meal
Every third Thursday of the month, Plymouth Hall is set up for the Neighborhood Café, a free community dinner from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. Up to 100 hot meals are served, first come first served, with no sign-up, no ID, and no strings attached. It is open to anyone hungry, lonely, or simply looking for connection.
Each meal takes about 25 volunteers to run smoothly - setup crews arrive at 4:30 PM, greeters and servers handle the meal, and cleanup is finished by 6:30. Volunteers must be 18 or older and able to lift, walk, or stand as needed.
Get on the Bus: Reuniting Children with Incarcerated Parents
For more than six years, First Congregational has sponsored a bus through the statewide Get On The Bus ministry, helping children visit their incarcerated parents. The church first organized trips for children to see their mothers around Mother's Day at the women's prison in Chowchilla, then added trips for children to see their fathers around Father's Day at California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo.
The church provides travel bags for the children and their caregivers, serves breakfast before departure, and sends along snacks for the bus ride. A $75 donation sponsors one child's round-trip visit. Contributions can be made by check, with "Get On The Bus (GOTB)" in the memo line, or online through the giving page.
Parolee Gifts: A Christmas Outreach Since the 1990s
Since the 1990s, the congregation has partnered with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, through DAPO/APU, to provide Christmas gifts and essential items to children whose parents are on parole. Each year, members and friends donate and wrap new gifts, along with winter clothing, hygiene kits, and school supplies, which are hand-delivered in partnership with parole officers.
The ministry meets a tender need. Many of these families are rebuilding their lives after incarceration, and the holidays can feel especially heavy. The gifts remind each child that they are seen, valued, and loved.
Godly Play and Intergenerational Sundays
Children have a clear place at First Congregational. Godly Play, a creative, Montessori-inspired program for kids ages 4 to 12, meets during Sunday worship in the Kids Zone of Plymouth Hall. Children learn through stories, wondering, and play, exploring the Christian tradition at their own pace.
On the fourth Sunday of every month, the whole church gathers in Plymouth Hall for intergenerational worship, where kids, teens, and adults share the service side by side. The goal is simple: faith that grows together across generations.
Fellowship Groups for Men and Women
Fellowship is built into the rhythm of the week. On Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM, the Women's Book Group meets in the Fireside Room to read, reflect, and share life in a space of honesty, humor, and sisterhood. On Friday mornings at 7:00 AM, the Men's Breakfast pulls up chairs around good food and good conversation - a casual, come-as-you-are group that checks in, talks about life, and supports one another. The breakfast location rotates, so anyone interested should contact the church office.
The church is also a place to gather for justice. Through Faith in Action, the congregation joins with other community churches and statewide groups to address immigration, police violence, and housing issues.
The Fred and Beverly Dukes Memorial Concert Series
One of Bakersfield's longstanding musical traditions happens inside the church walls. The Fred and Beverly Dukes Memorial Concert Series, established through a gift from longtime members Fred and Beverly Dukes, brings nine Sunday afternoon concerts a year to the Sanctuary, free of charge. Programming runs the gamut - classical, jazz, opera, contemporary, classic rock, pop, blues, and holiday favorites - with professional, local, and emerging musicians. Each season runs from September through May, with concerts at 4:00 PM, no tickets required. Donations at the door help support the musicians.
The series has its own Facebook page, and gifts can be designated specifically to support it through the church's giving page.
Weddings, Memorials, and Facility Rental
The church building is available for weddings, receptions, quinceañeras, memorials, concerts, and meetings. The Sanctuary seats 350 with traditional pew seating and stained glass windows, with an organ and grand piano available for an additional fee. Huber Chapel seats 100 in a more intimate setting, with a pipe organ, piano, and a small stage for a band. Plymouth Hall seats 200 theater-style or 137 at round tables, with a commercial kitchen and Fireside Room available for separate fees. The Fireside Room, with its working fireplace, holds small group meetings of up to twenty.
Outside clergy are welcome to officiate weddings and funerals. Alcohol and smoking are not permitted on church property, and renters carry the minimal required insurance noted in the rental agreement. A Facility Request Form must be completed to begin the process.
Beliefs Rooted in Extravagant Welcome
As a congregation of the United Church of Christ, First Congregational Church of Bakersfield stands within a progressive, mainline Protestant tradition that values extravagant welcome, continuing testimony ("God is still speaking"), unity in diversity, and a just world for all. The church is guided by Jesus's teachings of compassion, grace, and radical inclusion, and is committed to embodying the words of Matthew 25: feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, and caring for the least of these.
Faith here is described as a journey rather than a set of answers. Doubt is welcomed as part of an honest faith. Church is meant to be a place of safety, not shame, and serving others is treated as an act of worship. It is a congregation that has chosen, in its own words, not to check its brain or its heart at the door.