Monterey Church

This is in response to Dell A. Yes the sermons are fundamentally grounded in the Bible. No pablum or feel good Christianity here. If that’s what rocks your boat then by all means you’ll have to find it some where else. You’re right about not compromising with the world either, Jesus did the same. So if the sermons bother you because you wanted to hear something that validates what your life style then I can see how you would be offended. The Pharisees were deeply offended when confronted with the truth. The truth is we are in fallen world and if you can’t see prophecy staring you in the face and want to live in a feel good Joel Osteen prosperity any thing goes kind of church then you’re so right, this church is not for you. I want to be slapped with the truth, I want to hear how to prepare for what’s coming, not hear validation of my own way of thinking.

I love this place. It’s over at York school now, which isn’t nearly as cool as being in the state theater, but Pastor James is still awesome. Great messages, practical style no fluff, no bologna teaching. I don’t fall asleep in church, anymore at least, Bryan keeps me interested, I’m not really sure how, but he does. Been going here for awhile, I highly recommend it.

This church really likes to portray itself as contemporary and relevant, not like the stodgy old churches of yore; even their old website, strangely replaced recently by a canned-​looking (maybe they were going for minimalist?) new layout, was stuffed to the gills with über-​trendy graphic design elements in an attempt to appeal to the media-​savvy web 2.0 generation.
Unfortunately, despite the (admittedly very cool) vintage movie theatre setting (rented on Sundays, by the way; the rest of the week it is a real theatre), rock-​band style music, and predominance of middle-​aged-​or-​younger parishioners in dressed-​down jeans and casuals, the church is pretty shockingly fundamentalist. On both occasions that I attended (because hey, first impressions can be wrong) the preacher (Lead Pastor, Bryan James) made a handful of rather offensive (and ignorant) statements about science and academia, mainline Christianity, and more liberal culture in general, that honestly sounded more like something I would hear from a Southern Baptist, than a young-​ish guy in street clothes, back-​lit by neon. This would be surprising and distasteful anywhere, I think, but even more-​so given Monterey Church’s projected image, and in light of the fact that Monterey has a fairly young population, what with the military personnel stationed nearby, and several universities and colleges in the area. Aside from the conservative rhetoric and rather grating delivery, the content of the sermons is problematic too — James is no exegete, and this ineptitude shows in sermons that often lack clarity, insight and even textual/​historical accuracy.
But James is a Bible Belt import from Georgia, out to rescue the lost west from secular decadence (a fact he is apt to remind everyone of in one of his frequent, recurring and somewhat off-​topic personal anecdotes, if his accent doesn’t tip them off first) and Monterey is in that middle-​Cali purple zone between the more liberal south and more conservative north, so maybe none of this is too out of the ordinary.
Bottom line: If you actually want some insightful, thought-​provoking or (gasp) educated theological and spiritual discourse to go with your chucks and jeans, this is probably not the place for you. If, however, you’re down for some good-​old-​boy conservative American religion, but with syncopated beats and bedhead, may you find all you seek at Monterey Church.
As for me, I’ll skip out on the snide bigotry and false advertising, and head to the beach instead. At least the starfish don’t think science is a conspiracy.

Best church on the Monterey Peninsula! The Pastor, PBJ is courageous and brings light and truth each week. Don’t want to spend my Sunday morning anywhere else! The Holy Spirit is thick in this place.
Will never step foot in another church on the Peninsula.

The service is contemporary, nondenominational. It is a very welcoming church and the pastor really is in tune with the Lord! A great children’s ministry and worship band. They have many activities outside of Sunday services and provide lot’s of fellowship.

Monterey Church (currently meeting at the Golden State Theatre on Sunday Mornings @ 10:45 a.m.) is totally amazing!
My wife and I discovered it at the invite of a friend and were drawn in by a young, vibrant group of people who have a real and contagious faith.
The rock band that leads worship is top-​notch, and the preaching is down-​to-​earth, applicable and unpretentious. They have a great program for kids, and every Sunday you are welcomed by friendly people and hot coffee.
There are many military families, college students, and people from all walks of life.
Meeting at the Golden State Theatre is very cool, because it gives the atmosphere a very relaxed vibe.
We had visited a number of churches in Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, Seaside but had not found one as authentic and real as this.
Check out their new site: