A Brief History

St. John’s began as a mission in 1922 by St. James Church. It was recognized by the diocese of Los Angeles in 1924 and the new church was named St. John’s. In 1972 the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego was established and St. John’s became a part of it.

The first church building was constructed in 1925 at the corner of Second Ave and Madrona St. The facilities were used for 33 years, during that time a parish hall was built and the day school established in 1950.

In 1954 St. John’s founded a mission in Bonita which has become the Church of the Good Shepherd. In 1955 they founded another mission in Imperial Beach which is known as St. Mary’s by the Sea.

A new site was acquired in 1958 and a new church was erected with the first free-standing altar in the community. St. John’s Day School grew and expanded the facilities with new classrooms. In 1994 an arsonist set fire to the church building and it was completely destroyed. Three years later under the direction of The Rev. Michael Kaehr a new complex of buildings was completed. This includes a church and school offices and a parish hall named after The Rev. Richard Nale who served as rector from 1949 through 1964. The new facilities were dedicated on March 9, 1997.

The Rev. George Keith was called as Rector in the summer of 1997 and Head of School since 1993 where attendance has grown steadily. The new facilities were dedicated on March 9, 1997. With his retirement in 2009, St. John’s begins its search for a rector to walk with us into the new decade.