Oceanside church marks 150th anniversary with two-day celebration

The Oceanside Sanctuary on Freeman Street was formed Nov. 21, 1875, as a small family church in a one-room schoolhouse near Mission San Luis Rey. They called it “The Christian Church at San Luis Rey” because it was one of the first congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination in Southern California. Today, it is one of the oldest continuously active Protestant churches in San Diego County.

The church will hold a community celebration of its 150th anniversary the weekend of Nov. 22-23. There will be a carnival Nov. 22 with games, chili cook-off, live music and food drive to benefit the Sanctuary Pantry along with an “Amazing Race” through historic Oceanside places. On Nov. 23, there will be a sesquicentennial worship service commemorating 150 years of ministry.

Over the years, the church grew from 13 members to several hundred and moved into four different buildings. It called itself different names, but remained the same congregation with the same mission.

“We only exist because of the good work done by generations of people who came before us.” said the Rev. Jason Coker, co-lead pastor at Oceanside Sanctuary.

Here are some historical milestones the church reported from their archives:

• In 1932, Grace MacDonald became the church’s first woman pastor and opened a weekly soup kitchen to feed hungry people during the Great Depression.

• In the late 1960s, Pastor Charles Elswick preached anti-war sermons and marched with activist Angela Davis and 5,000 others through Oceanside on May 16, 1970, to protest the Vietnam war.

• In 2002, church member Betty Young established a computer lab and after-school homework club that served hundreds of local Oceanside students in need of tutoring.

• From 2008 to 2020, when the population of homeless community members grew rapidly in downtown Oceanside, the church provided weekly dinners and supplies for anyone in need.

• In 2016, the church started a food pantry in partnership with Feeding San Diego that serves more than 400 food insecure people each month.

• In 2021, the church partnered with other local congregations to  advocate for an enforceable de-escalation policy at the Oceanside Police Department.

• In 2023, the church worked with other local groups and city staff to provide shelter and aid to more than 100 asylum seekers left each day by Customs Border Patrol at the Oceanside Transit Center.

The weekend-long community celebration includes a carnival from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 22 at the church campus, 204 S. Freeman St., and the sesquicentennial worship service from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 23, with guest speaker the Rev. Yvonne Gilmore, vice president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). music and reflections on the church’s legacy.

Visit oceansidesanctuary.org.