History

From its beginnings in the late 1880’s to the present, Carpinteria Community Church has brought together generations of Christians who desire to do God’s will by spreading His love throughout the world.

Carpinteria Community Church was created in 1929 through the union of the Presbyterian and Methodist churches of the Carpinteria Valley. The Methodist Overture, dated September 20, 1929, suggested that the religious needs of the community “would be best served by an independent community church” and the Presbyterian Response agreed that a nondenominational community church would “better serve the cause of Christ and promote the interests of morality and religion than a denominational church.”

 Members first met under a large oak tree on L. B. Hogue’s property. It was not until 1936, during the pastorate of Reverend Dean Francis Babbitt, that planning began for building on the current site. Emma G. Wood gave the land for the new site and matched all pledges dollar for dollar. A dedication ceremony for the sanctuary wing was held on February 15, 1942. The education wing, now housing our preschool, was built later, during the ministry of the Reverend John Imbach, Jr., with three classrooms dedicated to the memory of his son, John, who died in Vietnam. The Scout House, dedicated in the late 1980's, was built by members of Boy Scout Troop 50 and other church volunteers.