Skyline Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in Rancho San Diego, California, affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination. The church currently averages 2,500 in attendance per week.
History
In 1954, Orval Butcher founded Skyline Wesleyan Church in Lemon Grove, California and served as senior pastor for 27 years. In 1974, because the church had outgrown its original 350-seat sanctuary, a 1,000-seat auditorium was completed. Weekly attendance had grown to about 1,100 when he retired in 1981. Derric Johnson was the youth pastor and music director of the church during the 1960s.derricjohnson.com About Derric Johnsonaccessed 10/03/2026
In 1981, John C. Maxwell succeeded Butcher as the church's second senior pastor. Under Maxwell's leadership, Skyline nearly tripled its average attendance, from 1,100 to 3,000. In 1995, Maxwell stepped down to focus on his international ministry, Injoy, which provides leadership tools and materials to pastors and lay leaders. Maxwell went on to success as an author and "leadership guru."
Jim Garlow became Skyline's third pastor in 1995."Skyline Wesleyan has new pastor, charged with building new church", San Diego Union-Tribune, September 29, 1995 Garlow is often cited as an evangelical leader in the political arena, quoted on issues such as the 2012 Republican presidential primary., CNN, January 26, 2012"Conservative activists scramble to stop Mitt Romney", Washington Post, January 10, 2012 In 2008, Garlow and the church were noted for their leading role in organizing conservative religious groups to support California Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's holding in Obergfell v. Hodges .Stephanie Strom, "The Political Pulpit", The New York Times, September 30, 2011.Jessica Garrison, "Pastor rallies clergy against gay marriage", Los Angeles Times, June 26, 2008. He is a leader in the "pulpit freedom" movement, which insists that pastors should be free to carry out political advocacy from the pulpit, which currently is in defiance of federal law and Internal Revenue Service regulations for "double tax-exempt organizations", that is organizations such as churches which not only operate tax-free but which also receive contributions which are deductible from the donor's federal income tax."Clergy warned about ‘Pulpit Freedom Sunday’" , Iowa Independent, September 30, 2011
In 2000, the church moved to a new facility in La Mesa. (Although the church's address is in La Mesa, it is often described as being in adjacent Rancho San Diego, California"Church's future is set in stone | Rancho S.D.'s Skyline Wesleyan has prevailed over grumbling -- and granite", San Diego Union Tribune, November 28, 2001). The move was plagued by difficulties,"Proposal for church downsized | County OKs revised plan for Rancho San Diego site", San Diego Union-Tribune, August 22, 1996 resulting in nearly $27 million being spent preparing the site infrastructure for a building that should have cost only $6 million."Heaven, earth moved to get church built", The Post and Courier, December 24, 2000. Up until 2012, Skyline had one three-story building, called the "Family Center," which was Phase I of the church's master plan. Four weekend services were held in a 1,000-seat auditorium in the Family Center. Ground was broken in November 2010 for a worship center to include a 2,500-seat auditorium, a multipurpose room/gymnasium, a 200-seat traditional chapel, and a café.Construction begins on Skyline Church worship center, East County Magazine, December 13, 2010 The new 60,000 square foot sanctuary opened in March 2012."Megachurch Holds First Service In New Sanctuary", San Diego 10 News, March 4, 2012
In November 2018, Jeremy McGarity became the Senior Pastor of Skyline Church. Pastor Jeremy merged his church, Seven, with Skyline Church. This was the first satellite campus Skyline Church has launched and would be marked as the start of many campuses. In Jeremy McGarity's third year of being Senior Pastor, he was called to launch a 10/10/10 campaign in October 2021.
References and notes
External links www.skylinechurch.org – Official web site