San Felipe Mission Church

San Felipe is a desert town set apart on the western shore of the Sea of Cortez in Baja Mexico. It is 125 miles south of Calexico, California. The summers are quite warm and humid, the winters are mild, and the rest of the year is very pleasant.

San Felipe was founded as a commercial fishing port and still operates a sizable shrimp fishing fleet. In recent years the principal income has changed from fishing to tourism and retirement living. San Felipe’s unique “desert meets the sea” location provides an array of activities. There are miles of beaches, fishing, boating, and off road exploring. As many as 250, 000 Americans, Canadians, and urban Mexicans visit annually. The population of 18,000 swells by 5000 from November to April as the North American “Snow-Birds” head south. This large, growing expat population led to the need for an English-speaking church and created several humanitarian organizations, some of which are Sonshine Hacienda, 99 plus 1, Better Together, Voluntarios Sin Limites, Hoy Si Comi, and Club Las Amigas.

The majority of people attending San Felipe Mission Church are retired. They are regular attenders when they are in town. About one-third attend all year, the others are split from 6 to 9 months. The attendance is about 40 in the summer, increasing to 150 at the high end. The fellowship and community of the church is important to them. Ninety-five percent of the congregation have been Christ followers for 10 years or more. They are attracted to teaching that is expository. Understanding the entire word of God and how it applies to their Christian life is a very important part of the Sunday service. They are faithful givers of their time, money, and talents. The annual budget is regularly met and the church is debt free. They meet with the Mexican congregation regularly for worship, teaching, and fellowship.