About Us – San Diego Church Reviews

San Diego Church Review & Guide is made up of several individuals who believe it is extremely important for non-christians, new believers and mature believers to find a church that is centered on the Bible. Amongst the reviewers we have several pastors, the editor of San Diego Christianity DMOZ, people with Masters in Theology and more.

If you would like to join us and write reviews, please feel free to apply, email: San Diego Churches. There are two criteria to accepting reviews:

(1) You can’t write a review of your home church.
(2) Further, San Diego Churches is not unbiased. Frankly, no one is unbiased. We all have a particular viewpoint in which we decide to value things by. So all applicants will be asked a few questions to help understand these biases. A few biases in which we evaluate churches by.

a) Does the Church believe scripture is true?
b) How do they interpret Scripture?
c) Does the church have a heart of mission both locally, culturally and worldwide?
d) Does the church desire to glorify God and worship Him, rather than people?
e) Does the church have a community that lives out an active involvement and desire to disciple/hold people accountable and grow them?

These areas are the areas in which we value churches. Some people may not agree with these. We would encourage you to add your comments under the churches in which you disagree. We also would encourage you to start your own website to review churches based on the standards you see fit. We recognize some people may be upset with reviews of particular churches. Our desire is not to make people upset but to pursue God and hopefully, the Pastors of these churches will prayerfully consider any areas that are evaluated as settling for less than the Glory of God.

10 Comments

  1. I just found your website, and I have to say thank you! I grew up in San Diego, and have attended a number of churches in the area. I grew extremely dissatisfied with the lack of “meaty” churches–places where a mature young Christian could go to be fed and challenged, instead of going to pep rallies and rock concerts–and I would have LOVED to find this website about 10 years ago. I have never heard anyone challenge some of the mega-churches I attended until now–and it’s refreshing.
    I no longer live there, but I’ve forwarded to friends and family in the area.

    I do recommend Canyon Community Church in Chula Vista–would be worth a review. It is a small, artistic community, doctrinally sound associated with CMA churches.

    Looking forward to a national review of churches, New York City personally.

  2. If your group spent half as much time sharing the gospel with lost people and ministering to the body of Christ, as you do typing church critiques, there would be more fruit born to the glory of God.

    The tenor of your comments are judgmental, negative and narrow. But hey, it’s a free country. Why don’t you start your own church instead of taking pot shots at ones that are doing their best?

    I won’t be recommending your site to anyone.

  3. I have just experienced this web site and I find it to be a BIG joke. The churches that you highly recommended displayed, (as I read the churches doctrinal beliefs and practices), no real commitment to God. Some of these “Highly Recommended” churches drink, smoke, and live life according to the flesh. So, that tells me that the critics on this web site have no real insight of who God is. God is Holy, what makes you think that you can live any kind of way and make it in to Heaven? This reminds me of the scripture that states,(Matthew 7:13-14)…wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:….narrow is the way, which leadeth to life, and few there be that findeth.” There will be MANY that “say” they love the Lord, but when they stand before HIM, HE shall say depart from me ye workers of iniquity. So my suggestion to those that critique these churches, may need to return to a few of those churches that were rated “poor” and take a second look and listen for once…You might learn the true meaning of salvation. You all are in my prayers!!!

  4. You list churches that hate and exclude people in the name of religion as good churches. You do not recommend churches that are inclusive to all people. It usually boils down to this. The new hate groups of America are many nut-case churches. Much of this hatred is based on homosexuality. Today, ministers are saying that the Bible is against homosexuality.

    The word homosexuality appeared in print for the first time in 1869 in Germany, first of all. Second, only 6 verses in the 66 books of the entire Bible speak in reference to same-sex sex. All of these verses speak about dominance of another person using same-sex sex. These verses do not condemn adult-to-adult consensual same-sex sex. The Bible is talking about forcing someone to have same-sex sex. For example, during times of war, the winning army would rape the foreign army to show they have dominance over them. The Bible only condemns forced same-sex sex.

    Also… why is the sperm called the seed? And, why is the woman called the soil in the Bible? People today love to condemn others by saying there are three main sexual abominations in the Bible. A man and woman practicing birth control, masturbation, and homosexual sex.

    First of all, all abominations are equal in the bible. So, if you eat ham (Lev 11:7-8), shrimp, lobster (Lev 11:10-11), or do you wear glasses to church? (Lev 21:17-20) or do you wear polyester/cotton clothing? (Lev 19:19), well then, you are sinning against God. If you are a man, do you wear short hair? God does not like short hair and clean shaven men (Lev. 19:27). Do you shave? Ooohhh, you are a sinner. Did you marry a virgin? If you did not, you are a sinner. (Lev. 21:13-14)

    Remember, when you use the Bible to judge someone else (using Jewish law), you need to ask yourself, are you following the over 600 Jewish old testament laws yourself? Are you a really a faithful Jew? Er… I mean, Christian?

    How about the New Testament? Divorce is strictly forbidden by the Bible in both testaments, as is remarriage by divorcees (Mark 10:1-12). When a man dies childless, his widow is ordered by Biblical law to have intercourse with each of his brothers in turn until she bears her deceased husband a male heir. (Mark 12:18-27) As a good and faithful Christian, do you follow these verses? Or you do conveniently ignore these versus but quickly use any other Bible verse to show your hatred of others?

    So… why is the sperm called the seed? You’ve heard it a many times but have you ever thought about it? Do you think they use the word seed, because it is a nicer word to use in church than the word sperm? No, that’s not the reason.

    What happens when you plant an apple seed in the soil? It grows into a tree. The pre-scientific knowledge of the Jews was that the male sperm was the entire baby and the woman was the incubator. They thought that by masturbating you were killing Jews! Homosexual sex, you are murdering Jews. Practicing birth control by spilling the seed, murder! Also, they thought you had a finite amount of sperm also. The Jews were trying to build a nation and needed as many men and women to keep their nation going and they needed men to fight in their wars.

    The discovery of conception by sperm fertilizing the female egg was not until 1843 by physician Martin Berry. The Catholic Church bases their condemnation of condom use based on Aristotle’s theory that the sperm was the entire baby a theory of hundreds of years ago. The Catholic Church has completely ignored the discover of egg fertilization in 1843 by Martin Berry. It’s obvious as to why it’s so easy to hate others when the hatred comes from lack of education or when an institution completely ignores scientific fact.

    The Bible was written in the context of the culture and scientific knowledge of the time of it’s writers. There were few people that populated the earth when the Bible was written. There was very little science, medical knowledge, etc during the time the Bible was written also.

    Many people are fast to take six bible verses about homosexuality and use these to hate others. Yet there are hundreds and hundreds of bible verses that apply to you but you completely ignore these. Do you belong to the, “surely you don’t mean me club,” do you?

    Hatred of others comes from lack of education. Anyone who hates others in the name of their religion need basic education, use the brain that God gave you and think for yourself. If you think God wanted to you to blindly follow ministers and other people in our world (who hate others in the name of religion) then why did God give you a brain?

    Institutionalized homophobia is disgusting. The real sinners of today’s world are those who promote the hatred of others in the name of their religion. Would Christ be happy that you ignore hundreds of Bible verses but pick out a few verses to hate others?

    I read the bible and I educate myself, and I think for myself, do you?

  5. Whatever you think, you will not be able to change God’s Word regarding homosexuality and will one day have to pay the price for not believing what God has written.

    Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

    Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

    Romans 1:22-27

    V22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, V23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

    V24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

    V25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen.

    V26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

    V27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

    1 Timothy 1:8-10

    V8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

    V9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

    V10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

    1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind

    SAY THIS PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am a sinner and am headed to eternal hell because of my sins. I believe you died on the cross to take away my sins and to take me to heaven. Jesus, I ask you now to come into my heart and take away my sins and give me eternal life.

  6. I just wanted to comment that your site name or home page should clearly spell out that you are Protestant-oriented only. The site name you list, and the ads for it, imply that this is a site that can be used to locate Christian churches. That, in turn, implies an ecumenical approach and openness to all Christian faiths. In fact, you have a very narrow intepretation of what a “good” church is and your critiques, as you admit, are very biased. I really have great respect for your theological beliefs, but I am a devout Catholic, and nothing on your page was helpful in finding a church for me. It would be nice if you were more open and honest about your bias and made it clear on your web site that you are recommending conservative protestant churches only. Then people like me wouldn’t waste our time trying to figure out why you poorly reviewed the churches you did. On another note, I consider myself quite lucky to know Protestants who treat people of different faiths with respect and love, despite our disagreements over articles of faith. Otherwise, based upon the writings on your web site, I may be convinced that Protestants were narrow-minded and have no respect for differing theologies, which is what I took away from reading your critiques. One of the most important missions that Christ has shared with us is the mission to put aside our differences as brother and sisters in Christ and focus on those things we have in common, to bring Christ’s church together, as it was meant to be. Your web site really works in a manner contrary to that mission.

  7. Thanks for the site. I wish it was more comprehensive and up to date. If you guys were not so mysterious, perhaps you would get more activity.

    What I really need is a solid Bible Study. No, I don’t want potluck and bad singing. I want solid Bible study with a group that actually knows something. I am fed up with the Calvary model of the scholastically blind leading the well-fed uninformed. I am equally disappointed with the preoccupation with all else EXCEPT Bible study.

    You could do this community a BIG SERVICE by helping people find good locations to grow in our knowledge andunderstanding of the Word. I actually called Bethel Seminary . . . and was told the students there go to studies in their own churches. Same goes for the faculty.

    Does anyone have a handle on this need?

  8. Commented in the wrong place. “judge not lest ye be judged………” “how can you remove a spec from your brother’s eye if you have a log in yours”………. Jesus Christ . May the L-rd G-d Adonai show you His abundant love so you will know how to love ALL people instead of condemning us based upon your paradigm……………..

  9. This is in response to Rev. Spitz.

    Let’s look at two particular verses that homophobic fundamentalists often quote that seem to be against gay people. These two verses, both of which appear in the book of Leviticus, are:

    “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22)

    “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” (Leviticus 20:13)

    Below, we’ll take a look at other scripture verses that are in the exact same book of Leviticus as the above verses.

    “For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.” (Leviticus 20:9)

    Imagine what would happen today if we killed every child who was disrespectful to his parents. Fundamentalists explain this verse away, saying that it is part of the Old Levitical Holiness Code and is not meant to be taken literally.

    But the above verse is just a mere 3 verses before Leviticus 20:13, one of their favorite anti-gay scriptures which, of course, they do choose to apply literally.

    It’s just incredible, isn’t it?

    Fundamentalists change their entire methodology of scriptural interpretation when it suits their purpose, even when dealing with verses that are a just couple of sentences away from each other!

    “If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has discovered her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from her people.” (Leviticus 20:18)

    Imagine what would happen today if we deported every man and woman who had ever had sex together while the woman was having her period. Fundamentalists decline the opportunity to take this verse literally, which is merely 5 verses after Leviticus 20:13.

    “Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property.” (Leviticus 25:44-45)

    Did you ever wonder where racist, uneducated people in the 19th century got the idea that slaves were just property and not people? Directly from the above verse, which fundamentalists do not, of course, take literally.

    “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.” (Leviticus 19:27)

    “Bible-believing” fundamentalists never preach against the evils of shaving, as they do not take this verse literally for our day. Of course, they most certainly would do so if they had a personal bias against shaving, but apparently, they do not.

    “…and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.” (Leviticus 11:7)

    As you can see, the book of Leviticus also prohibits the eating of pork (a swine is a pig). Of course, fundamentalists do not choose to use this verse to preach against eating pork. The thought of pancakes, eggs and bacon sound delicious… oops!, you are sinning by eating bacon (it says it in the Bible) or do you just ignore this Bible verse so conveniently?

    Sadly, however, they have no problem abusing the Bible to condemn gay and lesbian people. Remember, it’s about their personal prejudice against gay people, not about a true desire to understand what the Bible actually says.

    “…do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear material woven of two kinds of material.” (Leviticus 19:19)

    Farmers in this country almost always grow more than one kind of crop in their fields. In fact, they often must do so for ecological reasons. Fundamentalists do not apply this verse literally. If they were to preach against farmers, there would be an uproar, and rightfully so.

    Fundamentalists also ignore the Biblical command not to wear clothes that have two different kinds of material. The shirts that many fundamentalists are often seen wearing must be a cotton/polyester blend, the most common in the United States of America. They may be “Bible believing” Christians, but this is yet another verse that they don’t believe should be applied to today.

    Fundamentalists also like to use Leviticus 18:22 to justify their anti-gay prejudice. That verse says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” Perhaps you have heard some people refer to gay people as an “abomination.” They get the idea directly from Leviticus 18:22. But did you know…

    The Bible says that eating shrimp and lobster is an abomination: “But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you.” (Leviticus 11:10)

    “They (shellfish) shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination.” (Leviticus 11:11)

    “Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales; that shall be an abomination to you.” (Leviticus 11:12)

    The above exercise proves that anti-gay fundamentalists selectively quote the Bible. They enthusiastically and openly embrace those parts of the Bible which affirm and justify their own personal, pre-existing prejudice against gay people, while declining to become as enthusiastic about verses like the ones listed above.

    After all, how many times have you heard a fundamentalist say that eating shellfish was an abomination? But they sure don’t hesitate to say it about gay people, do they? What does that tell you?

    If homosexuality is such a big bad sin, why didn’t it make the top ten list? Also Christ never spoke against homosexuality and since he is God, I mean, you believe he’s God right? Then why didn’t Christ speak out against it? Well… the reason why Christ did not speak against homosexuality is because it is not a sin. Period.

    What is the main message of the New Testament? Salvation. What is the second main message of all the prophets and Christ? To love one another.

    When you see pictures of Christ with women and children, isn’t that nice? Well, in our time, it is so nice and cozy. I love seeing pictures like this and hearing about Christ being with women and children… ahhh, it’s so cute. Or is it?

    The Bible was written in the Middle East about 2,000 years ago. Image today, if a fundamentalist Christian went to the Middle East, today, and held up a sign which said, “Women and Children have value.”

    How long do you think they’d last holding up that sign? Probably not too long and they might even be killed, right? Do you have the guts to travel to the Middle East today and do what Christ did, hold up a sign and say, “Women and Children have value? Probably not.

    So, why is this important? Because Jesus was a radical and liberal of his day. Women and children were considered valueless in his day and in his culture. He had the guts to stand up and say, “Everyone has value.” He had the guts, do you have the guts?

    Now, let’s look at where we live now, in the United States and I ask you, how many times have you as a Christian, have had the guts to hold up signs which say, “Everyone has value,” and “Love one another.”

    Who are the people considered valueless in our society today? Well… gays, lesbians, African Americans, women, and illegal immigrants, etc.

    How many times have you heard someone say a negative thing about a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (a person with both sexes) person and say, “What a minute, everyone has value. Who cares about a person’s sexuality? We are ALL HUMAN and WE ALL HAVE VALUE.”

    My question to you is this, “Are you really a Christian? Are you really Christ-like? Do you insist that everyone has value? Do you actually believe and act like Christ… where you live, work and play? Or do you hate others based upon your personal prejudice and bigotry and falsely quote selected Bible verse’s to prove your intolerance toward others who don’t have the same sexuality as yourself?

    This begs the question, “Why are people homophobic?” Because the only sexuality that homophobic straight people know is their own sexuality. Sexuality is a very strong urge. You grew up straight and never thought about gay sex, because you are straight. If you are straight, it’s very hard to imagine that gay sex would be fun.

    Well… guess what? The same is true if you are gay. If you are gay, you grow up gay and you don’t think about straight sex because you are gay. Gay people can’t imagine that straight sex would be fun. However, gays grow up knowing that there is sexual diversity in our world.

    So, instead of homophobic people realizing that we are a sexually diverse world, they would rather ignore this reality and just promote their own straight agenda. Homophobic straight people insist that you are only a valuable and valid human being if you have their same sexuality. In other words, you are only a valid human if you have my same sexuality. This is called being a sexual bigot.

    Do you say, “Ask Christ to be your personal savior and even though you still sin, you are accepted in our congregation only if you are STRAIGHT and ONLY STRAIGHT.” Or do you say, ““Ask Christ to be your personal savior and even though you still sin, you are accepted in our congregation no matter what your sexuality is.”

    So, stand up be Christ-like. Promoting the straight agenda is disgusting. There is no gay agenda, gays do not want special rights, gays only want equal rights.

    Speaking about rights, you are only a true American if you believe that all humans are people and all people deserve equal rights. How dare you tell me that it is American to have inequality amongst citizens of the United States.

    The hypocrisy of hateful, bigoted, and intolerant false-followers of Christ is breath taking.

  10. I have a couple of comments to make about this site. I am a memeber of the San Diego Church of Christ also known as International Church of Chirst. Your critics reviews are out dated and the church itself has gone through major changes. Your critic stated that they never understood what exactly the church believed. Our beliefs are based on the bible and the new covenant. Catholics believe that you must pray to Mary the mother of Jesus. We would ask “where in the bible does it tell you to do this?” Some churches believe that to truely have the holy spirit you must talk in tongues. We would ask “Where does it say that in the bible?” Most churches and people who read and study the bible try to interpret the meaning.
    Three Fundamentals: 1. Read your bible and pray daily. (Quiet Times with GOD) 2. Fellowship with other believers. (mid week devos) 3. Seek Guidance or Councel (small group devotional) these will help you in your everyday battles with sin.

    Mike West
    I wanted to point out to you that all your Scriptures are from the old convenant. The Old Covenat or Old Testament should be a guide to remind us of where we were and where we have gone. You pointed out that eating shellfish and pork is unclean- Lev 11. However, we are living under the new covenant. Acts 10, Peter is told “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” In the New Testament it does talk about homosexuality being a sin. In Revelations it talks about how that Devil uses this sin and others against us DAILY. Is homosexuality a greater sin then arguing with a parent? NO! ALL SIN is equal in the eyes of the LORD! Does that make Gay people evil? NO! God loves you, he just doesnt love the sin. He HATES sin or the darkness because darkness(sin) and Light (GOD) can not be together.

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