Website: http://www.all-souls.com/

Church Review
Theology: 2/5
Mission: 2/5
Community: 3/5
Worship: 2/5

Summary: All Souls’ Episcopal Church has a progressive interpretation of scripture. Their interpretations of issues (abortion, homosexuality, etc.) are not rooted in the Bible but have changed because the culture has changed. The gospel message has become a social gospel that leads them to do many good things, but they do not teach that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. The result is Christianity becomes more of a philosophy rather than a belief that God is not silent and has, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, communicated to us through the Bible.

A church not rooted in orthodoxy. We do not recommend people attend this church.

Website: http://www.dignitypacific.org/SanDiego/

Church Review
Scriptural View: 1/5
Beliefs: 1/5
Community: 4/5

Website Review
Site Usabilility: 3/5
Site Design: 3/5
Site Content: 3/5

Summary: DignityUSA is the oldest and largest national lay movement of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Catholics. The primary goal of this group is to change the position of the Roman Catholic Church towards the GLBT community.

Website: http://www.www.apostolicpower.org

Church Review
Scriptural View: 1/5
Missional View: 3/5
Community: 3/5

Website Review
Site Usabilility: 3/5
Site Design: 4/5
Site Content: 3/5

Summary: The Apostolic Church believes Christians are wrong. The Apostolic movement says the Trinity (One God in Three – Father, Son & Holy Spirit) is a false teaching. They are modalists.

(Modalism) is a denial of the Trinity which states that God is a single person who, throughout biblical history, has revealed Himself in three consecutive modes, or forms. Thus, God is a single person who first manifested himself in the mode of the Father in Old Testament times. At the incarnation, the mode was the Son. After Jesus’ ascension, the mode is the Holy Spirit. These modes are consecutive and never simultaneous. In other words, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit never all exist at the same time, only one after another. Modalism denies the distinctiveness of the three persons in the Trinity even though it retains the divinity of Christ.

Present day groups that hold to this error are the United Pentecostal and United Apostolic Churches. They deny the Trinity, teach that the name of God is Jesus, and require baptism for salvation. These modalist churches often accuse Trinitarians of teaching three gods. This is not what the Trinity is. The correct teaching of the Trinity is one God in three eternal coexistent persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Source: CARM)

For a larger and more in-depth work on this matter, I’d recommend The Trinity – Evidences & Issues by Dr. Bob Morey.

The second error the Apostolic Church holds is one that baptism ‘in Jesus name’ is necessary for salvation. This error negates that baptism is an outward sign or expression of what has taken place inwardly. I would recommend you read, Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

With so many theological errors, we recommend people avoid North Park Apostolic Church.

Website: http://www.stjohncross.org

Church Review
Scriptural View: 1/5
Missional View: 2/5
Community: 3/5

Website Review
Site Usabilility: 2/5
Site Design: 2/5
Site Content: 2/5

Summary: As I attended St. John of the Cross I was surprised by how little the congregation knew. I asked some people about their beliefs regarding Jesus Christ, life after death and the Bible. Most people could not even answer the most basic of questions. Many who did answer a question, held to a non-Biblical position. For example they did not think Jesus was God.

The service was standard Catholic liturgy, which I enjoy as it gives me a time to reflect and pray. The message was a simple message about faith. There was no real content during the whole service except for communion, which is a powerful reminder if people approach it with reverence. Overall, there was little this church offered to those looking to learn about God.

We do not recommend people attend this church. We gather from the weak preaching and the confusion of the congregants the Bible is not taught nor held to as God’s word.

Website: http://www.mccsd.org

Church Review
Scriptural View: 1/5
Beliefs: 1/5
Community: 3/5

Website Review
Site Usabilility: 4/5
Site Design: 3/5
Site Content: 3/5

Summary: The MCC is an open and affirming Christian community. From their site: “This means that we embrace people of any race, ethnic identity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, economic status or life situation to be a contribution to this ministry. We are about bringing people into a vibrant, life-changing relationship (as opposed to religion) that following Christ was originally intended to be.” The first MCC was established by Rev. Troy Perry in Los Angeles in 1968, as a particular ministry to the Gay Lesbian Bi-Sexual and Transgender(GBLT) community.

The goal of this church is changing attitudes in the GLBT community toward Christ, and the Christian commmunity toward GLBT people. I agree with this but not in the way MCC intends. It is true that often Christians attacked the GLBT community and are more concerned with specific sin that they forget that Christ conquered sin, all sin. This means that homosexuality is NOT the focus in sharing the gospel with gays. The focus is all are sinners and have fallen short of God’s perfect and eternal laws. (see Romans 3) But clearly MCC has a socio-political agenda that is built on accepting all lifestyles, which is clearly not something that the Bible tells us. Yes we are to LOVE all people, but all of us need to come to the cross and seek forgiveness and leave our lives of sin.

I would not recommend this church as indicated by a poor position on Scripture.

Website: http://sd.ucd.net

Church Review
Scriptural View: 2/5 (They do hold to scripture, but legalistically so.)
Beliefs: 1/5
Community: 1/5 (If you leave, you are told you lose your salvation.)

Website Review
Site Usabilility: 3/5
Site Design: 2/5
Site Content: 3/5

Summary: The site has a plain but simple design. It has a focus on the community, with events and a calendar of activities. They have sermons online in mp3 format. They also have studies and articles online. One of my biggest concerns, is that they do not have what they believe displayed!!!! I know I could listen to 10’s of sermons to try to figure this out, but I don’t really care to do this. Also, they are also known as the ‘International Church of Christ’. This is a cult has had problems on a number of college campus. (read article) I have a friend who did come to Christ through the Church of Christ, but quickly left when he saw the manipulation that occured. They said things like if you don’t stay at their church you are not a Christian, or that you can only be baptized by their Church.

A great site that investigates cults summarizes the following: “The International Church of Christ (ICC), does not deny any of the essential doctrines of Christianity. Aside from its requirements on baptism as a necessary part of salvation, it is Orthodox. Therefore, I do not categorize the ICC as a non-Christian cult. Rather, I see the ICC as a Christian Church with some serious problems; namely, legalistic and excessive control over its members.” For more on this click here.

I recommend that people avoid this group.