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Our Story & Leadership

Leadership

We are guided by a dedicated team of pastors, staff, elders, and deacons who believe in equipping others for ministry and fostering authentic community.

Senior Pastor
Rev. Karla Shaw

Installed in 2017, Pastor Karla brings thoughtful leadership, deep faith, and a passion for connecting the church to the world. Building on a foundation laid by the five senior pastors before her, she is leading Point Loma Church into a new season of vitality focused on relationships, mission, and growth.

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Our Staff

Our Story

At Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church (Point Loma Church), we are part of a legacy that began more than a century ago—with a Sunday School that gathered in 1897 and a sailboat ferrying worshippers across the bay. What began as a small, faithful community has grown into a vibrant congregation rooted in Christ’s love and committed to serving the world.

Officially incorporated in 1937, Point Loma Church was built on a vision to be a broad and welcoming church home for all Christian believers in the Point Loma area. From the first chapel services in 1938 to the bustling ministries of today, every generation has contributed to the shaping of this church. We've seen God’s faithfulness through seasons of growth, expansion, leadership transitions, and new calls to mission.

Over the decades, we’ve added sanctuaries, classrooms, community spaces, and a heart for service that has only grown deeper. Point Loma Church remains a beacon of hope in the neighborhood, drawing people into deeper faith and into a community committed to loving everyone to LIFE—with everything we have.

As we continue our journey, we honor our history while living into God’s unfolding future. Through worship, learning, outreach, and fellowship, we are transformed—and we strive to transform the world around us.

Our Vision, Mission & Values

Our Vision

Loving Everyone to LIFE with Everything we Have

Our Mission

Through authentic community we seek to Experience Jesus, Journey into Deeper Faith, Strengthen the Church, and Transform our World.

Our Values

We are a good home

We are intergenerational

We inspire engagement

What We Believe

Point Loma Church is a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Our beliefs are:

  • We believe in one God who exists in three persons whom we worship as the living and true God.
  • We believe the Bible is the infallible and inspired word of God and has authority in all areas of faith and life.
  • We believe human beings were created in God’s own image, but because of our rebellion against God, we are separated from God’s abundant and eternal life.
  • We believe that because of God's love for us, God sent Jesus to die a criminal's death on a cross so that we might be reconnected to God forever.
  • We believe salvation is a gift of God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus, but initiated by God.
  • We believe the Holy Spirit is the power of God present in followers of Jesus to transform us more and more like Christ from the inside out, while also empowering us to redeem God's world.
  • We believe we are called, not just to a personal relationship with God, but into a movement called the Church.
  • We believe as members of the Church, we are called to participate in the work of ministry, using all that God has given us.

More information regarding our theological belief and our intersection with culture issues can be found on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) website.

Becoming a Member

You don’t need to be a member to worship with us, participate in events, or get involved in ministry. But if you’re ready to take the next step in your faith journey and make PLCPC your church home, we’d love to walk alongside you.

Becoming a member means joining in covenant with this community to grow in faith, share your gifts, and help shape the future of our church. We offer new member classes throughout the year, where you can learn more about our beliefs, history, and mission—and meet others who are exploring the same call.

Whether you’ve been attending for years or are just getting to know us, we invite you to belong.

Fill out a membership application