St Clements Church

What St Clements Church does

St. Clement's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles located at 202 Avenida Aragon in San Clemente, California, operating continuously since its founding in 1929 and designated San Clemente Historical Landmark #1 in 1981. The church is led by Rector The Rev. Patrick Crerar (since February 2012) with a staff of approximately 15, including an Associate Rector, three assisting clergy, a Parish Administrator, Organist/Choir Director, Sexton, and Spanish Service Musician, supported by an elected Vestry.

The parish delivers a traditional Episcopal ministry portfolio centered on three weekly Sunday services — 8:00am spoken Holy Communion, 10:00am Holy Communion with choir, and 12:00pm La Misa en Espanol — supplemented by Christian education programs (Sunday School using the Godly Play Montessori curriculum, Youth Group, nursery care), sacraments (weddings, baptisms), pastoral care for shut-ins, a Monday meditation group, and fellowship groups (Anchors, Martini Club, Covenant groups). Outreach operations include monthly bag lunch distribution to homeless individuals, the Laundry Love program with Christ Lutheran Church (over 100 served since November 2016), San Clemente Military Family Outreach, and the Peaceful Warrior Martial Arts Academy co-run with the San Clemente Kiwanis Club.

The financial model is pledge-based recurring donations targeting 2-10% of member household income, supplemented by plate offerings, wedding fees ($1,500 standard package), martial arts tuition ($30-$90), flower sponsorships ($35-$50), and commemorative tile donations. Distribution occurs through in-person worship at the single San Clemente campus, livestreamed services for remote participation, pastoral visits to homebound members, and a community-led go-to-market motion leveraging social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram), website, and partnerships with local non-profits and the Diocese.

Name

St Clements Church

Legal name

St. Clement's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church

Website

https://scbythesea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Clement's by-the-Sea is an Episcopal parish in San Clemente, California, founded 1929, serving congregants through three weekly worship services (English and Spanish), Christian education, sacraments, pastoral care, and community outreach programs supporting homeless, working-poor, and military families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Episcopal worship services
• Religious education programs
• Community outreach services
• Christian pastoral care
• Sacrament ceremonies

Headquarters

HQ city

San Clemente

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. Pledge-based donations and tithing: Members make annual pledges of financial support. The church encourages proportional giving (2-10% of household gross income). Most members fulfill pledges in installments throughout the year. This forms the overwhelming majority of the church's total operating budget.
2. Plate offerings: Weekly collection plate donations during services. These account for a small fraction of total income needed to fund church operations.
3. Wedding fees: Fees for wedding ceremonies including church rental ($550), clergy fee ($600), organist ($200), sexton ($150), totaling $1,500 for non-members or those with less than 12 months membership. Additional fees for bulletins, outside musicians, and source fee.
4. Martial Arts Academy program fees: The Peaceful Warrior Martial Arts Academy (joint project with San Clemente Kiwanis Club) charges tuition: Initial Registration $75, One Month $30, Two Months $60, Three Months $90, Testing Fee $25.
5. Memorial and commemorative donations: Donations for commemorative tiles, memorial garden contributions, flower sponsorships ($35-$50 suggested donation), and other memorial gifts.
6. Tile engraving donations: Donations for commemorative tiles that represent physical and spiritual connections to the church, with tiles engraved once or twice per year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

St. Clement's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church is a parish within the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles that delivers weekly worship services in English and Spanish, Christian education (Godly Play Sunday School and youth ministry), and life-event sacraments including baptism, weddings, and pastoral care. It supplements worship with community outreach programs supporting homeless, working poor, and military families, and operates a Peaceful Warrior Martial Arts Academy in partnership with the San Clemente Kiwanis Club.

Product overview

St. Clement's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church is a traditional Episcopal parish offering a comprehensive spiritual ministry portfolio centered around worship services, Christian formation, and community outreach. Core offerings include three Sunday Holy Communion services (8:00am spoken, 10:00am with choir, and 12:00pm Spanish La Misa), supplemented by Christian education programs including Sunday School using the Godly Play Montessori-inspired curriculum, and a Youth Group for community service and fellowship. The church provides sacraments including Holy Matrimony (weddings) and Baptism, along with pastoral care for shut-ins. Outreach programs address community needs through bag lunch preparation for homeless persons, the Laundry Love program for working poor, and support for military families. Spiritual growth opportunities include a Monday Meditation Group and fellowship activities like the monthly Anchors potluck dinner. The church also operates the Peaceful Warrior Martial Arts Academy in partnership with the San Clemente Kiwanis Club, offering youth martial arts instruction with need-based scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Holy Communion (Spoken)
• Holy Communion (With Choir)
• La Misa en Espanol
• Sunday School (Godly Play)
• Youth Group
• Nursery Care
• Holy Matrimony (Weddings)
• Baptism
• Outreach Programs
• Meditation Group
• Hispanic Ministry
• Pastoral Care
• Anchors Fellowship
• Peaceful Warrior Martial Arts Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 bag lunches prepared and distributed monthly to homeless individuals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Christ Lutheran ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Christ Lutheran Church to offer the Laundry Love program, providing monthly laundry assistance to working poor families in south San Clemente at a local laundromat.
• Welcome INN (Interfaith Needs Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for the Welcome INN food program by coordinating monthly bag lunch preparation and distribution, and collecting clothing to be distributed twice a year to homeless individuals in the area.
• San Clemente Military Family Outreach (SCMFO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParish members represent St. Clement's on the advisory committee of SCMFO, a non-profit run by all-volunteer board. Partners with other non-profits, churches, service clubs, veterans groups, and businesses to support military families with holiday gifts and school supplies.
• San Clemente Kiwanis ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project establishing the Peaceful Warrior Martial Arts Academy, teaching Tae Kwon Do to neighborhood youth who could not normally afford commercial martial arts instruction. Program offers belt ranking from yellow belt through black belt.
• Contemplative OutreachminorOthersListed as an informative resource link for those interested in the contemplative dimension of Christian life through Centering Prayer practice.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St. John's Episcopal Cathedral (Los Angeles): Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and parent-body flagship. Operates the same Episcopal liturgical and pastoral model, with comparable community programs and pledge-based funding, while serving a larger urban congregation within the same diocese as St. Clement's.
• Christ Lutheran Church (San Clemente): Local Lutheran congregation in San Clemente, CA, and an actual strategic partner of St. Clement's through the joint Laundry Love program. Operates the same community-led ministry model with comparable outreach focus, congregational scale, and small-staff structure, making it the closest operational peer.
• All Saints Episcopal Church (Pasadena): Large, well-established Episcopal parish within the Diocese of Los Angeles, sharing the same denominational structure, liturgical traditions, and pledge-based revenue model. Comparable in mission, programming breadth, and community outreach orientation as a fellow mainline Episcopal congregation.
• San Clemente Community Church: Local non-denominational or inter-denominational Christian congregation serving the same San Clemente community. Operates with a similar community-led ministry model and competes for the same pool of local Christian congregants and pledge-givers in the immediate geographic market.
• Trinity Episcopal Church (Santa Barbara): Historic Episcopal parish within the Diocese of Los Angeles serving a coastal Southern California community. Shares the same denominational structure, pledge-based funding model, and community-oriented ministry portfolio as St. Clement's, with similar coastal California demographic context.

Broad incumbents

• Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles: Direct parent organization with over 800 clergy and 144 parishes, missions, and institutions. Provides denominational oversight, governance, and resource sharing that shape St. Clement's operating context, making the diocese the broad incumbent governing body for this parish.
• Episcopal Church (USA): National denominational body governing all Episcopal parishes including St. Clement's. Sets liturgy, theology, and broader policy direction that shapes every product and service the church offers, making it the ultimate broad incumbent in the operating context.

Regional players

• St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral (San Diego): Episcopal cathedral in the neighboring Diocese of San Diego, sharing the same denominational identity, liturgical framework, and parish model. Comparable in mission and program structure but operates in a different geographic catchment in Southern California.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5kQlrSCMkmdDOhQhGeKaUA
• Facebookfacebook.com/105499742878135
• Instagraminstagram.com/scbythesea1929
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-clements-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about St Clements Church