Did you know that Rock Church and Academy started in 2000? It began as a single service held at San Diego State University. Pastor Miles McPherson a former NFL player had a vision. He wanted to create a church that reached out to the community. That vision grew into the Rock Church and Academy we see today. Rock Church is now a megachurch with multiple campuses. It’s one of the largest in San Diego. It offers more than 150 ministries. These ministries serve people in prisons homeless shelters and even strip clubs. The church also runs a thrift store in Point Loma.
Rock Academy opened its doors two years after the church. Initially it was housed in a rented space. It’s now a thriving private Christian school. Rock Academy serves students from preschool through 12th grade. It’s located right next to the main Rock Church campus at Liberty Station. The building has an interesting history. It was originally built in 1969 for the Navy. It served as a technical training building. The building underwent extensive renovations to become Rock Academy and Rock Church.
The Rock Church Point Loma campus is enormous. It’s a 244000 square foot building. People have compared it to Noah’s Ark. It boasts state-of-the-art facilities. It even has a 3500 seat worship center. Because of its size the sanctuary hosts many high profile events. For example it’s often used for funerals of police officers killed in the line of duty. The campus also served as a shelter during the devastating San Diego wildfires of 2007.
Rock Church and Academy haven’t always had smooth sailing. Their prominent location in Point Loma has caused some conflicts with the neighborhood. There have been problems with traffic and parking. This even led to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit. In 2012 a Grand Jury report raised concerns about the church’s location. The jury thought it was inappropriate for an area designated for education use. The city considered suspending the church’s permit. However Mayor Jerry Sanders ultimately refused. He said suspending the permit was unreasonable.
Despite the challenges Rock Church and Academy continue to serve the San Diego community. The church actively encourages volunteer work. In 2015 they donated over 220000 hours of service. This was valued at around $4 million. Rock Church and Academy remain important parts of the San Diego landscape. They reflect a unique blend of faith community service and even a bit of controversy. Their story is one of growth service and enduring community impact.