A proposal to combine Water’s Edge Church in Ocean Beach with its parent in Mission Valley, and sell the church property for affordable housing development, has raised concerns throughout the community.

The prospect of the end of the more than 90-year-old congregation at 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. has been distressing to many in OB, especially several organizations that have been meeting there for years. Water’s Edge, formerly Point Loma United Methodist, has regularly hosted meetings of OB Historical Society, the Pioneer School for developmentally disabled children, Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, and several AA and NA groups.

“It’s not a done deal,” said the Rev. Trudy Robinson, lead pastor of UMC in Mission Valley, about the proposal still being considered to combine the two Methodist congregations into one. She added the present situation was brought to a head by the pandemic, which she said has “changed everything accelerating the changes our church was already experiencing.”

Pointing out their church administration has been through a year-long process of trying to figure out how to cope with changing and fiscally challenging times, Robinson added: “We knew we had to stop doing some things and try some very different things. For the last three years, we have been researching the idea of using the OB property as an affordable housing opportunity.”

Robinson noted their church leadership’s reassessment of their overall financial situation has led them to decide to reduce their clergy staff from five down to three by next year. “Making a decision to have Water’s Edge come back to Mission Valley’s campus, that’s a hard thing,” she admitted adding, “We’re going to be good neighbors and good landlords. Nothing will be done for at least a year while we figure out the direction we’re going in. Right now, we’re creating a task force committed to answering all the questions surrounding the property.”

Residents and groups in OB have been reacting to news of the possibility of Water’s Edge church going away and being replaced by housing.

“The church has been a cornerstone there since 1929,” noted longtime Water’s Edge parishioner Bill Joyce adding, “Mission Valley needs the money and what they’ve got is the asset in Ocean Beach, which is free and clear with no debt. But there hasn’t been any form of notice given (about a proposed sale). There needs to be an awareness that this is a 90-year-old ministry in OB, and that there are several groups that meet there that are going to be impacted.”

One of the groups using Water’s Edge, Pioneer Programs, a school for developmentally disabled kids that offers 36 students with moderate-to-severe special needs community-based instruction, said finding a new home for the special school would be a hardship.

“The church has been good to us in the 10 years we’ve been at this location and they have recently opened up communication with my school to purchase the property,” said Pioneer’s CEO AJ Genovese. “I believe the way our school serves the community has a greater impact and further reach than what affordable housing units will have. Unless there’s something in a developer’s proposal I’m not aware of, more lives will be impacted in a negative way (by redevelopment). In general, the community is not happy about the idea of a historic landmark of OB being torn down.”

A spokesperson for another Water’s Edge user group, Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, agreed that finding a new locale to provide their humanitarian service would be challenging. “We’ve been around since 1978 and we partner with Feeding San Diego and the food bank, as well as a number of local grocery stores, to distribute food to 200 or more people once a week on Mondays,” said the food pantry board member Eric DuVall. “I would like to try to save Water’s Edge, if not as a church, then as a community center.”

DuVall pointed out Water’s edge is located along a long stretch of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard historically referred to as “church row.” He added, “It was actually planned to be a walkable community. So, putting big apartment buildings there would be out of character for the community.”

Pat James, an OB Historical Society board member speaking on his own behalf, pointed out their group has an extensive archives room upstairs in the Water’s Edge building that would be difficult to move. He added he and others are taking a wait-and-see attitude where the future of the church is concerned.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” James said adding, “We’re trying to stay real positive about the whole thing and work with the church. As a citizen, I’m definitely concerned about their proposal to sell to a developer, tear down the church, and build affordable housing. That’s distressing because the church is part of our cultural and historical landscape. It’s right where we have a historic library, a school, a post office, a rec center, and other churches. We want to retain our small-town feel and historical preservation. For those of us in OB who want to retain our sense of place, this is kind of a downer.”