| Mariners Church | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Non-Denominational, Evangelical Christian |
| Website | marinerschurch.org |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Kenton Beshore |
Mariners Church is a non-denominational, Evangelical Christian megachurch located in Irvine, California, situated in central Orange County. The church is a member of the Willow Creek Association.
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Mariners Church began as a small group of Christians who met for Bible studies in homes in the Newport Beach area starting in 1963. In 1964, this group organized the first Newport Beach Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, an event that has occurred annually ever since. As the church grew, it moved from holding services in a family home, to a series of rented locations, including Monte Vista School, Mariners Elementary School (the location from which the church derives its name), Corona Del Mar High School, and a small office building on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach.[1]
In 1967 the first full time pastor was hired. The church purchased and built its first owned facilities at the corner of Bison and Jamboree in Newport Beach. In 1980 the church split, and a portion of the church formed a new church called South Coast Community Church on a portion of the property where the church is located today. In 1996, the church reunited. For several years, services were held in both locations.[2][3]
In 1998, the church swapped the Bison property with Liberty Baptist Church, which had a property adjoining the South Coast Community church property. Finally, the church purchased another adjoining property from the Irvine Company for $18 million, expanding the campus by 18 acres (73,000 m2) to reach its current size. The church built and opened Port Mariners children’s building in June 2005 and the new Worship Center, bookstore and café in November 2005 at a cost of approximately $35 million. In November 2006, the church raised initial funds to build a new student ministries facility (Student Center), a chapel, a parking garage (completed October 2007), and remodeling of the administrative building, at an expected cost of $33 million. The project was completed in October 2008.[4]
In November 2009, Mariners became a multi-site church when it launched a second campus location in Mission Viejo.[5]
On 3 October 2011 Mariners started airing on KBRT weekdays at noon Pacific Time.
Mariners currently averages 9,000 in attendance per week, making it the 58th-largest church in the United States (this ranking includes multi-site churches) and the second-largest church in Orange County, after Saddleback Church.[6]
The church campus sits on 46 acres (190,000 m2) of land at the corner of Newport Coast Drive and Bonita Canyon Drive in Irvine, California. Church facilities include an 81,000-square-foot (7,500 m2) worship center that seats 3,300, bookstore, café, a 63,000-square-foot (5,900 m2) children’s ministry building named Port Mariners, the Student Center middle/high school and college ministry facility, a wedding/funeral chapel, a three story church administrative building, parking structure, and play fields. Proceeds from the "Global Bookstore and Café" go toward the church's international missions and outreach programs. The church also operates a separate Mariners Resource Center located in Santa Ana, which sells used items donated by church members.
“We believe Jesus is the only Son of God, who came to earth as a man, died for our sins, and came back to life again. We believe in all who in faith trust in Him as their Lord and Savior to forgive their sins are part of the worldwide body of Christ”[7]
Raised a pastor's son in La Canada Flintridge, California, Kenton graduated with his bachelor's degree from Biola University in L.A. and his master's degree from Biola's Talbot School of Theology. In 1978, Kenton came to Mariners as a college pastor. He loved Mariners' dream to reach out to those who weren't currently attending church - for whatever reason - and share the truth that God loved them more than they could ever know and, in 1984, he became Mariners' Senior Pastor. He has overseen Mariners stunning growth from a church of less than 300 to one of 15,000.[9] In 2008, Kenton marked his 30th year at Mariners.[10]