Little Church on the Island

In 2008, I visited Catalina Island for the first time.  I wrote an article about a friend of mine who was fixing up a church that he was a pastor of.

Pastor Dominguez

On August 18, 2008, I got a chance to visit the resort island of Catalina off the coast of southern California. While on that island, in the town of Avalon, I visited with Enrique Dominguez, one of the pastors of the Catalina Bible Church, the other being Pastor Luise Sanchez. He is a long time resident of the island who has just returned to pastoring this church after being a pastor at my regular church in the San Diego area, Bonita Valley Community Church, an Assembly of God Church. His wife, Santa, was also a pastor there.

Pastor Dominguez was in the process of remodeling the church as well as the living quarters upstairs that will be used by his family when I visited. The church is actually located in a house called "Singing Waters" which was previously owned by the author Gene Stratton Porter before one of the former pastors bought it in 1967.

The church is a small, modest one that has waxed and waned in membership since its start in 1963. Right now, it seems to be growing, but has room for more. They are currently turning the kitchen into a professional style kitchen to serve meals. Also, rooms are being expanded to hold more people and activities.

Pastors Sanchez and Dominguez hold services in English and Spanish. English services are on Sundays at 11AM and Spanish services are at 6PM on the same day. There is also Sunday school after worship services and bible studies during the week.

This church services people who live in Avalon, but visitors are always welcomed and there is a family sort of atmosphere.

I would encourage people who are planning to visit the island to visit this Bible based Christian church. They are located at and their mailing address is:

346 Catalina Ave/PO Box 1544
Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, CA
90704

They are actually very close to the harbor, about a mile or less and it's an easy walk.

Their phone number, for any questions, is: (310)510-0073

Their e-mail address is: catalinabiblechurch@gmail.com

For more information, visit:
http://catalinabiblechurch.info/index.html

I have more photos of the island that I took:

Avalon Bay

Trying to get the golf cart going

Most people drove around in golf carts in town

A few residents had cars

Catalina had a Mediterranean feel to it.

Other side of the bay

One of the interior roads

Golf course