Email: office@sanrafaelumc.org, pastor @sanrafaelumc.org
San Rafael First has followed the scriptural command to
"do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God" (Micah 6:8) from its
earliest history. As the oldest Protestant church in Marin
County, San Rafael First has been
the parish for prisoners at San Quentin as well as persons who are diverse in
their socio-economic status, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. We are seeking,
learning, and actively living our faith. For decades San
Rafael first has shown leadership in accepting each
person as a beloved child of God, accepting diversity not only in our worship,
but in our membership and in our leadership. Here you will find a community of
people of deep faith with open minds and open hearts who take seriously in
their lives the good news of Jesus Christ: that God seeks us and guides us in
ways that lead to healing and social justice for all.
Pastor Liza has been in ministry for 9 years and is in her third year as pastor at San Rafael First United Methodist Church. She and her husband Chris have 3 children, 3 grandchildren, and 1 dog. After earning her Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology (specializing in religion and culture and personality), she taught for 14 years. Influenced by a family history that includes alcoholism and homelessness, she left teaching and answered a call to serve homeless children by starting and directing a day-time drop-in center for homeless parents and their children. She worked at Homeplace Family Center until entering the Pacific School of Religion in 1996. A member of the Religious Society of Friends for many years, in her ministry Pastor Liza is a practical theologian and a progressive Christian. In her preaching and in spiritual leadership she connects the Bible and the life of Jesus Christ to personal transformation, spiritual healing, and issues of contemporary life. She feels blessed to be the pastor in an active and creative community and to provide leadership to both the historic English-speaking congregation and the newer Fijian ministry at San Rafael First.
Ellen Randall-Church administrator – Ellen handles the daily business of the church. Call her in the office at 415-453-8716 for information about events, to schedule building use or to report problems.
Sterling Rainey – Sterling Rainey has been organist-choir director at First UMC for over 50 years. He is an active member of the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts (FUMMWA) and has served on several national committees for that organization. He is co-convener of the Annual Conference Chapter of the Fellowship.
Lay Leader Carol Robb – Carol is a professor of Christian Ethics at the San Francisco Theological Seminary and a long time member of San Rafael First United Methodist Church. She is an advocate of small church and is a leader in congregational formation and social justice concerns.
Meg Linden, church historian, shares a brief history of the church.
The first provable preaching in Marin County was in 1851. Services were held in the County Court House, an old adobe building owned by Timateo Murphy which was used for all sorts of public gatherings, secular and sacred, as well as the seat of such government as existed at the time.
A Methodist class was organized permanently in 1859, and this date is used as the founding of our church. A minister was assigned to Marin Circuit and he preached at San Rafael as well as many other points in Marin County, including San Quentin prison and village. In 1867 a parsonage was built, and then sold a few years later to raise money to build a church.
From 101 Northbound: Take the Central San Rafael exit to Third Street and turn left towards San Anselmo. Stay on Third Street through San Rafael to the west side of town where it joins Fourth Street. Shortly after McDonald’s on the right the roadway narrows and you will see the Café Gratitude on your right. At the next signal make a left turn onto Ross Valley Drive; the church is on the corner of Ross Valley Drive and Fourth Street. The parking lot is accessed by driving one block on Ross Valley, turning left at the stop sign, and taking the first driveway on the left.
From 101 Southbound: Take the Central San Rafael exit to Third Street and turn right towards San Anselmo. Then follow the above directions.
