View source for Mission Valley Community Chapel, CA

James Mader had been saved while serving in the U.S. Army Air Corp in World War II. After his discharge, he attended the Providence Bible Institute in Rhode Island and Prairie Bible Institute in Canada, followed by another short course in practical training in Los Angeles. Then he came to San Diego in 1950 as the Assistant Director of the Christian Servicemen’s Center (CSC), with a desire to go full-time into the Lord’s work.

The CSC was run by the Christian Businessmen’s Committee, and one of its board members was Ralph Barker. He and his wife were in fellowship at Marlborough Gospel Hall. Mr. Barker lived north of San Diego in a converted barracks and operated a dairy farm on Mission Gorge Road. He and his wife had started a Sunday School in their home before World War II. The parents would bring them in, then waited for the classes to finish. Karl Hammond from Los Angeles had on occasion come to down to preach to the parents. Mr. Barker, having observed James Mader preach at the CSC, asked him to preach to the adults, and this was the start of what would soon become the Mission Valley Community Chapel.

In the early 1950s, Mr. Barker replaced the barracks with a purchased submarine trainer, which after remodeling became the present home of the Chapel. Mr. Mader was by then teaching Bible classes in various homes. The population in the area was increasing. One by one, people were saved and the need for a church home became evident. An assembly was formed and incorporated in 1953 as the Mission Valley Community Chapel.

Allied Gardens had been established after the war to provide affordable housing for veterans. The wife in a family in the new church did much visitation in the Allied Gardens area, assisting the young families. Many of them came into the assembly. In 1954, the assembly bought a 35-passenger bus to pick up children in Allied Gardens. The bus was also used as a Sunday School room.

Clyde and Kenneth Hammond, brothers of Karl Hammond from Los Angeles, were early leaders in the assembly besides Mr. Mader and Mr. Barker. Doug Thomson from New Zealand was much involved in the work.

The assembly has always had active youth programs, and its focus in the 1990’s was prayer and missions. It has sent missionaries to many foreign countries, including countries in Africa and Indonesia, and to the Philippines, Paraguay, and France. About 110 adults and children were attending Mission Valley Community Chapel in the 1990’s.  By the 2020's with COVID and other factors this was reduced to about 50.