The Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego

Servant Leaders at The Met®

Welcome to The Met! We'd like to meet you!

Our offices are open Monday - Thursday 9-5. Phone: 619-521-2222

Fax 619-521-2233

Mailing Address: PO Box 33291 San Diego CA 92163-3291

Rev. Dan Koeshall, Senior Pastor

Rev. Dan Koeshall has served as the Senior Pastor since January, 2008. After leaving the Assemblies of God when he was outed as a gay man, he served as Music Director and Associate Pastor at MCC San Diego under Rev. Tony Freeman. Following 2 years as Interim Pastor at Pikes Peak MCC in Colorado Springs, he was called in late 1997 as our Senior Pastor. Dan is actively involved in our MCC denomination, represents the church throughout the community, is a member of both the Mayor's and Sheriff's LGBT Advisory Boards, and serves as the Moderator of our Board of Directors. Read Pastor Dan's full bio. He may be reached at x13 or by email.
Lee bowman, Minister of Administration

Lee was born and grew up in Michigan, where he was an elementary teacher for 10 years. Lured by the beauty of the west, he packed up and moved to Denver in 1970 and worked in oil and gas investment and later for a publishing company. It was in Denver that he came out as a gay man, discovered God, and found MCC, all at the same time! After 12+ years on the Board of Directors at MCC of the Rockies, he joined the staff as Church Administrator in January, 1995. That’s where he first met Rev. Tony Freeman, during his Interim Pastorate. In late 1998, Lee was lured again—this time by the ocean and sun, Pastor Tony, and a true heartfelt calling, to be Administrator at MCC San Diego. His interests / passions include photography, writing, hiking, travel, movies and trivia, and collecting penguins - but not real ones. He may be reached at x 11 or via email.
BRIT HEWITT, church office administrator
ARMOND WASHINGTION, music director
Rev. alisan Rowland, STAFF clergy
bOARD OF DIRECTORS

We are blessed with a dedicated, committed, volunteer Board of Directors: Vice-Moderator (for 50 years) Al Smithson, Clerk Marty Sherman, Yoko Tanaka, Beth Kind, Rose Turner, Steve Fitzgerald and Senior Pastor Rev. Dan Koeshall. Serving as Church Treasurer and non-Board member is Paul Cooley.

Community Church

Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego

See our guiding documents here!

We believe in a God who is concerned with every human being personally and accepts each one with unconditional love.
We have found our connection to God through the life, teachings, and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus is our model for care, compassion and community. We also recognize and respect those who find their connection to God through other spiritual paths.
One of the ways in which God speaks to us is through the Bible. We consider its accounts and teachings in light of their historical and cultural context.
We are guided by Jesus’ teaching of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and the Greatest Commandments: “Love God with all your heart; and love your neighbor as yourself.”
We affirm each individual as a unique and gifted creation of God. Building on our history of celebrating diversity in sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity, we are a congregation that welcomes all people.

We are called to:

Teach and practice the Good News of God’s unconditional love for all people.
Welcome home those who have been spiritually wounded or are seeking or growing a relationship with God.
Actively promote equality and justice for all people.
Be fully engaged in our own growth and with others on their spiritual journey to hope, healing, and wholeness.

See more about our beliefs and our bylaws.

MCC San Diego history

Founded in April, 1970, by Howard Williams and a group of twelve; 33 attended the first worship service at Chapel of the Chimes.
June, 1970, Rev. John Paul Stevens was elected first pastor of MCCSD.
June, 1970, MCCSD begins to meet at Chollas View Methodist Church.
November, 1970, Rev. Elder “Papa” John Hose elected as second pastor.
By the end of 1971, MCCSD grows to just under 100.
By June of 1972, MCCSD membership tops 200.
August of 1974, Deacon David Farrell becomes Lay Pastoral Leader.
May 6, 1975, MCCSD closes escrow on Fern Street church property.
July of 1975, Rev. David Farrell elected as third pastor of MCCSD.
Between 1975 and 1980, MCCSD membership grows to over 400.
August 18, 1982, MCCSD closes escrow on 30th Street church property.
November 14, 1982, new MCCSD church campus dedicated, with a new budget of $147,831.12 (4,500% increase)
Between 1983 and 1989, AIDS takes the lives of over 1/3 of MCCSD membership.
January of 1986, first International AIDS Vigil of Prayer, which evolves into World Aids Day
June of 1990, MCCSD celebrates 20th Anniversary.
December of 1995, Rev. Farrell retires after 20 years as Senior Pastor.
January, 1996, Rev. Dr. Dusty Pruitt appointed Interim Senior Pastor.
July, 1996, Rev. Anthony “Tony” Freeman elected fourth Senior Pastor of MCCSD.
August 3, 1996, Rev. Tony Freeman installed as Senior Pastor.
By August of 1997, MCCSD membership grows to over 300.
December, 1998, with over 800 in attendance, MCCSD holds Christmas Eve service at the Spreckels Theatre in San Diego.
June 2-4, 2000, MCCSD celebrates its 30th Anniversary.
On Pentecost Sunday, June 11, 2000, Rev. Tony Freeman casts a bold new vision.
June 12, 2000, the congregation of MCC San Diego enters in a 14-month period of Fundamental Transformation, seeking to follow God’s will to become a new church for the 21st Century.
June, 10, 2001, The Journey to the Promise, seeking to meet the space needs for our growing ministries, kicks off in a big way with nearly $150,000 in donations and pledges. 2002…the critical 400 weekly attendance barrier is broken consistently.
June 8, 2003, Miracle Sunday garners nearly $900,000 in pledges for a Building Dreams Together Capital Campaign, toward a new church home.
July 27, 2003, with the 30th Street property in escrow, MCC San Diego holds its last worship service at that church campus.
August 3, 2003, the first worship services are held at the interim worship location at The Center in Hillcrest.
August 18, 2003, the Church Ministry Offices move to interim location at 4340 Vandever Ave. in Mission Valley.
August 20, 2003, escrow closes on the 30th Street property.
2004... the Property Aquisition Team continues to actively seek an appropriate church property to meet our ministry needs.
September 2004, Spritual Transformation Team forms to faclitate discerning how we can most effectively be together as a faith community and be the church God is calling us to be.
October, 2005, Pastor Tony Freeman announces this will be his last year as Senior Pastor. (Later determined he will leave in March, 2006); a Pastoral Search Committee is formed
January 8, 2006, Associate Pastor Dan Koeshall’s last Sunday as he goes to Colorado Springs to serve as Interim Pastor at Pikes Peak MCC.
January 29, 2006, the Board of Directors announces that Rev. Elder John Gill of King of Peace MCC in St. Petersburg, will be the Interim Senior Pastor.
April, 2006, Rev. John Gill takes the helm Interim Senior Pastor.
2006 & 2007, the Property Acquisition Team continues to actively seek an appropriate church property to meet our ministry needs; the Pastoral Transition Team guides us through a period of celebration, evaluation and discernment.
August, 2007, the Pastoral Search Team is activated and the search process moves into high gear.
November, 2007, Rev. Dan Koeshall called as senior pastor, to begin serving mid January 2008
January 20, 2008 Rev. Dan Koeshall celebrates his first Sunday as senior pastor.
September 1, 2009: At about 2 PM, Pastor Dan received the word we had been awaiting: escrow had closed on a new church home at Mission Bay.
October 11, 2009: The first worship services in our new church home at 2633 Denver Street, with over 400 people in attendance!
November 21-22, 2009: Dedication of our church by the bay. Watch MCC Moderator Nancy Wilson's remarks on the history and mission of our denomination.
On October 6, 2010, we were hit with a "flood" from rain on the roof and openings from HVAC upgrading. The resulting $300K in damage and renovation (virtually all paid by insurance) proved a blessing in disguise with numerous upgrades and improvements.
June 4-6, 2015, The Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego celebrated its 45th anniversary!
May 2016, solar panels installed making us a greener congregation.
January 2018, we celebrated Pastor Dan's 10th anniversary as our senior pastor.