Maranatha Chapel

Specialties

We are a Non-​Denominational church which follows the theological and doctrinal beliefs of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.

Maranatha Chapel was established as a Christian fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ. We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is fully God and fully man, born of the virgin Mary. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins; He bodily rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of God, the Father, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.

Our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed into His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not a denominational church, nor are we opposed to denominations. However, we do not agree with the overemphasis of the doctrinal differences which have led to division in the body of Christ.

History

Established in 1984.

Founded in August 1984, Pastor Ray Bentley started teaching a midweek Bible study in a recreation center, with 30 people. After three months, the fellowship outgrew the center and began Sunday morning services at a local junior high school. The new church continued to grow; by the end of 1986, over 1100 people were attending, necessitating three morning services plus an evening service. On March 17^th 1990, Maranatha Chapel dedicated its first facility, on 4.5 acres in San Diego’s north county community of Rancho Peñasquitos. The church held three Sunday morning services and added a «Sunday morning» service on Saturday nights, to make more room for growth and the attendance soon grew to over 3000. In the summer of 1996, Maranatha broke ground at our current facility on 15 acres in Rancho Bernardo. The building was completed in the fall of 1997 dedicating a new 3000 seat sanctuary, new Sunday School buildings, and a 3000 square foot Bookstore and Café

Meet the Business Owner

Ray B.

Business Owner

As a graduate of Calvary Chapel Bible College, Ray served at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa before beginning his pastoral work. In fall of 1977, Ray founded Calvary Chapel of El Cajon, serving as the senior pastor for four years. In 1981, he left Calvary Chapel of El Cajon to become assistant pastor at Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, California. In August of 1984, Ray left Horizon Christian Fellowship to begin Maranatha Chapel where he serves today as Senior Pastor. In recent years, Pastor Ray has spoke at a Billy Graham sponsored crusade in India, as well as other outreaches in England, Scotland, Australia, Ireland, Africa, China, and the Philippines. In 1992, Ray established Maranatha Christian Schools to equip children with the spiritual, social and scholastic skills to foster a better equipped future community of believers. Ray hosts the daily Maranatha radio show heard on stations across the United States and has authored a variety of books and other resources.