Anglican Church of the Resurrection, San Marcos, CA

The Anglican Church of the Resurrection was born out of an ongoing reformation within the worldwide Anglican Communion. This reformation is based on an understanding of the person and nature of Jesus Christ as being the sole source for salvation & eternal life and the authority of Holy Scripture. The Anglican Church of the Resurrection was planted on September 4, 2006 when her first pastor, The Rev. Dr. Eric Vawter Menees, and a group of dedicated lay leaders met at the Community Christian Church and School in San Marcos, California and re-dedicated themselves to Christ and pledged to form an Anglican Church that would conform to the doctrines and discipline of the Anglican Church world wide.

The first service was held the following Sunday, September 10, 2006 with more than 250 people in attendance. Thanks to the hospitality of the people of Community Christian Church and their Pastor Michael Law, Resurrection met and worshiped in that space for fifteen months.

This time was absolutely essential in forming the foundation of our church. Immediately the Vestry was elected and established a Purpose Statement that exists to this day: “To Proclaim Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life and to Live in the power of His Resurrection.” The vestry affirmed our belief in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the inspired word of God containing all things necessary for salvation.

Affirming the historic Creeds as our statement of faith, Resurrection grew and matured in that first year. On January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany, 2008 she moved into her own space on Vallecitos de Oro in San Marcos where she continues to proclaim the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In 2009, the Anglican Church of the Resurrection was one of the 21 founding parishes of the new Diocese of Western Anglicans, when it was approved as one of the first dioceses of the new Anglican Church of North America. In November 2009, the Rev. William A. Thompson was consecrated as the first bishop of the diocese.

In September 2011, Rev. Menes left ACR to be consecrated the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin. At that time, the Rev. Dennis Kelly became our interim rector. In August 2012, Fr. Kelly retired and was replaced by the Rev. William (Bill) Gandenberger, the current Rector and Pastor of the Anglican Church of the Resurrection.