First United Methodist Church San Diego

Name

First United Methodist Church San Diego

Legal name

First United Methodist Church of San Diego

Website

https://fumcsd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Faith-Based Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (61), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAN), Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Early childhood education
• Pastoral counseling services
• Community outreach programs
• Planned giving programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: The church encourages members to give through pledges and regular offerings as acts of worship. Online giving is available through the church's REALM platform using credit card, debit card, or ACH.
2. Preschool Tuition: Children's Growing Center (CGC) charges tuition for preschool services for children ages 0-5, with rates varying by program (Gold, Silver, Purple, Yellow & Orange, Red & Blue Teams).
3. Space Rental: The church offers event space rental for the Mission Valley community, hosting events and gatherings in their facilities.
4. Legacy Gifts (Covenant Circle): Planned giving program where members include the church in their estate plans, wills, or designate as insurance/retirement beneficiaries.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

First United Methodist Church of San Diego is a progressive United Methodist congregation that provides worship services (Traditional, Contemplative/Tapestry, and online Watch Live), pastoral care and counseling, early childhood education through the Children's Growing Center preschool (children ages 0-5), music and arts ministries, LGBTQIA+ affirming programs, racial justice grant-making, legacy/estate giving through the Covenant Circle, and event space rental at its Mission Valley campus.

Product overview

First United Methodist Church San Diego offers a comprehensive suite of worship, ministry, educational, and community service programs. The core offerings include Traditional Worship, Contemplative Service (Tapestry), and Watch Live online worship. Key sub-products include the Children's Growing Center (CGC) preschool, New Life Counseling Center, and Dream School of the Arts. The church provides extensive digital resources through its Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Digital Library with sermons and guided journals, and the Faith, Identity & Public Life educational program. Additional programs include Racial Justice Grants, Covenant Circle legacy giving, Summer Sings music program, Space Rental services, and various ministry programs including The River (LGBTQIA+), Stephen Ministry, and Interactive Wisdom adult education. The church also operates an online merchandise store and offers event space rental at its Mission Valley location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Traditional Worship

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 108 children through Children's Growing Center preschool program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reconciling Ministries NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFUMCSD is officially designated as a Reconciling Congregation, part of the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMNetwork), which supports LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the United Methodist Church. This is a formal affiliation with an advocacy organization promoting full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in the denomination.
• Santee United Methodist ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFUMCSD is invited to join Santee United Methodist Church for the Santee Pride Festival, demonstrating inter-church collaboration on LGBTQIA+ advocacy events.
• St. Paul's Episcopal CathedralminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for interfaith Pride celebration - St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral hosts the Light Up the Cathedral interfaith Pride event on July 15, 2026.
• Transgender Health and Wellness CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFUMCSD volunteers support the Transgender Health and Wellness Center at Out at the Fair event during Pride celebrations.
• San Diego County NonprofitsminorOthersFUMCSD distributes Racial Justice Grants to local San Diego nonprofits engaged in anti-racist policy advocacy and direct services to People of Color, with special focus on health services for communities of color.
• REALM Church SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationFUMCSD uses REALM (church management software by Ministry Brands) for online giving, event registration, and member management. REALM provides the technology platform for the church's digital operations.
• Vanco Payment ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationVanco is the online merchant services system used for processing church donations and contributions, providing secure payment processing for tithes and offerings.
• California State Community Care LicensingcoreOthersChildren's Growing Center is licensed by California State Community Care Licensing (License #372005231 for infants/toddlers and #372000393 for preschool).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• First United Methodist Church of Los Angeles: Large historic United Methodist congregation in downtown Los Angeles with a comparable mix of traditional and progressive programming, urban mission focus, and substantial downtown real estate footprint. Same denomination, similar urban-coastal California context, and parallel preschool/community-service model.
• University United Methodist Church (San Diego): Another United Methodist congregation in San Diego with progressive leanings, similar San Diego regional footprint, and overlapping partnerships with inclusive-affirming ministries. Directly comparable as a same-denomination, same-metro peer.
• Glide Memorial Church (San Francisco): Historic progressive United Methodist Church in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco known for radical welcome, social justice programming, and community services for underserved populations. Directly comparable to FUMCSD's Reconciling Congregation identity, progressive Methodist ethos, and emphasis on social justice grants and outreach.
• First Congregational Church of Berkeley: Progressive mainline congregation in the San Francisco Bay Area with strong LGBTQIA+ inclusion, social justice orientation, music and arts ministries, and a preschool program. Comparable in progressive identity, multi-generational programming, and educational sub-entities.
• All Saints Episcopal Church (Pasadena): One of the most prominent progressive mainline churches in Southern California, known for social justice programming, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, music ministry, and adult education. Operates a preschool and counseling center parallel to FUMCSD's ministries. Strong model-comparable despite Episcopal rather than Methodist affiliation.
• St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral (San Diego): Local San Diego mainline cathedral with which FUMCSD partners on interfaith Pride events (Light Up the Cathedral). Comparable mainline cathedral model, downtown campus, adult education, music programming, and progressive social engagement.
• La Jolla United Methodist Church: Nearby United Methodist Church in the same San Diego metro, serving a similar demographic of families and older adults. Directly comparable as a same-denomination, regional peer operating preschool and traditional/contemporary worship programming.

Regional players

• La Jolla Presbyterian Church: Large regional San Diego-area Christian congregation with extensive children's, youth, and family programming, multiple worship services, and community outreach. Comparable San Diego-area community footprint and ministry breadth, though denominationally distinct (PCA) and less explicitly progressive.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific School of Religion (Berkeley): Mainline (UCC/Methodist-affiliated) graduate theological institution in Berkeley that trains clergy for progressive mainline churches including Reconciling congregations. Relevant as an institutional counterparty and pipeline for pastoral talent serving FUMCSD-style churches.

Others

• Point Loma Nazarene University: Faith-based university in San Diego with undergraduate and graduate programs, music and arts ministries, and community outreach. Adjacent rather than directly comparable, but useful as a regional faith-based educational peer operating in the same San Diego market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FirstChurchSanDiego/podcasts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-united-methodist-church-san-diego

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First United Methodist Church San Diego