Our story
What we mean by an abbey
Abbeys began as intentional communities embedded in particular places offering sanctuary and solitude for the weary. They were keepers of the faith; inheritors of a tradition; self-sustaining communities that utilized the skills of its inhabitants for the benefit of all. They were keenly aware of their neighbor's needs and surplus from craftsmen, artisans, and bakers would be offered up freely for the well-being of neighbors.
Since we started, we've been asking, what would a modern day abbey look like in San Marcos, California? What would be some distinguishing features of people who were part of this community? How would the neighborhoods that these people worked and lived in be impacted by such a people?
We dream of such a place on earth as it is in heaven, where people, relationships, and communities are fully united with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Whole and at peace. The Bible's word for this "being made whole/restoration" is "Shalom."
And we think an abbey is a great way to embody this.
Our vision
To form unlikely friends into the friends of God, and join God in the restoration of all things.
We use this phrase to describe our community as it is and as we hope it will be. The invitation takes root first in the neighborhood where we gather for worship, a few streets at a time.
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Unlikely friends
Unlikely, because the most profound friendship of all is God calling us friends, and that is about as unlikely as relationships get. So, there are no bounds on who we might extend and receive the gift of friendship. If God could overcome all of the obstacles that isolate us from Him and from one another, then the church is invited to be in the same process: engaging the social, political, ethnic, and economic barriers that divide us from one another by practicing genuine friendship.
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Friends of God
God chose never to be, except to be with us. That sentence is the center of everything here. Not God working on us from a distance, but God with us, which changes how we relate to God, to ourselves, and to each other.
Jesus revealed what that looked like, calling his disciples friends. Friendship looks like sharing meals, being patient with one another, forgiving each other, and spending time together with no agenda.
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The restoration of all things
Restoration is a yearning for community wholeness as we live into the prayer that Jesus taught us, "on earth as it is in heaven."
It is spiritual, physical, emotional and very tangible. We do not treat this as a separate department called outreach. Restoration is God's work and it is already underway in this town. We would rather join it than run our own.
Where we actually are
An honest word about who is here
We say we want a church of unlikely friends. In practice, many people who find us are people worn out by American evangelicalism, and the neighbors we most want to know are immigrants and working families in San Marcos. Those two groups do not become one congregation by accident, and they do not become one by being talked about.
We are not going to pretend that gap is closed. We would rather name it and keep showing up in the places where it might close: shared meals, shared work, Spanish mixed into the English, and a willingness to be changed by people we did not grow up with. It is slow, and the company is good.
How we are joined to this place →Who serves here
Clergy and staff
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Rev. Matthew Veling
Co-Rector
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Rev. Alex Aguas
Co-Rector
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Rev. Vania Gomez
Deacon
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Kelly Perez
Pastor of Early Formation
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Rev. Matt Calio
Music Director
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Emily Van Meter
Artist in Residence
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Rev. Tony Baron
Pastor Emeritus
Vestry
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Kristy Howden
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Joni Hall
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Lillian Arjona Garzon
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Colin Van Meter
Common questions
Common questions
- What denomination is Restoration Abbey?
- Restoration Abbey is an Anglican church in the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO), part of the Anglican Church in North America. Worship follows the Anglican liturgical tradition: scripture, prayer, and communion every Sunday.
- Is Restoration Abbey a conservative or a progressive church?
- Neither label fits cleanly. Restoration Abbey holds historic Christian teaching and the creeds. The congregation includes people who vote differently from one another, interpret scripture differently, and who are committed to staying at the same table anyway.
- Do women serve in leadership at Restoration Abbey?
- Yes. Restoration Abbey is committed to women in ordained leadership. Women serve among the clergy here and on the lay vestry, alongside the two co-rectors.
- What does the name Restoration Abbey mean?
- An abbey was historically a community on the edge of a town that kept a rhythm of prayer and offered sanctuary to travelers and the weary. Restoration refers to the prayer that God is making all things new, on earth as it is in heaven, including the material conditions of a neighborhood.
The rest of it is easier to see in person
Sundays at 10am, 800 W Mission Road, San Marcos.
Plan a visit