About Us
SYVPC has been a vibrant part of the Santa Ynez Valley community since 1885. By God's own grace and power, we seek to follow Jesus in love, service and in the advancement of God's kingdom through passionate worship, rich discipleship, sacrificial service, authentic fellowship, and respectful evangelism.
Our story is God's story.
The Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church (the Presbyterian or the Pres, for short) has been following Jesus and making him known in the Valley since 1885, when a small group of worshipers met for the first time in a saloon. From there, the congregation moved to the "little red school house" and then to the "little white church" in 1888, both in Ballard. This remained the center of church life until 1966 when the congregation moved into a new sanctuary, part of a much larger complex on 5 acres (that remains the hub of our current site).
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One exciting memory from that era for our church was when President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan made a surprise visit on Easter Sunday, April 3, 1983. The visit was unannounced and caught the congregation by surprise as the Reagans joined the Easter service, reflecting their personal faith and connection to the local community near their ranch.
In 2004, to accommodate our growing community, plans were started for a new sanctuary, and in 2008, that sanctuary was dedicated to serve the spiritual needs of the church and community.
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SYVPC joined ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians in 2014 after a prayerful two-year discernment process. ECO is a rapidly growing Presbyterian denomination committed to building flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ in today’s world. SYVPC’s move to ECO reflects its desire to align with other churches intent on developing strong discipleship, collaborative leadership, and gospel-centered ministry.​​
What we believe.
The Trinity
God in three Persons
With Christians everywhere, we worship the only true God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit –who is both one essence and three persons. God is infinite, eternal, immutable, and perfectly holy, the sovereign Creator and sustainer of all things. God alone is worthy of all worship, and in His triune nature He reveals the fullness of divine love and glory (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
The Bible
Authoritative and infallible
We receive and trust the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the infallible Word of God and our supreme guide for faith and life. Jesus Christ is the incarnate Word of God. God’s Word stands as His authoritative, saving self-revelation through the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:1, 14; 2 Tim. 3:16–17; 2 Pet. 1:20–21).
Humanity
The story of sin and salvation
We affirm that all people are created in God’s image and called to reflect His glory, yet all have fallen into sin and are wholly unable to save themselves. Our only hope is in God’s sovereign grace, fulfilled in Christ alone. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who, by His atoning work, reconciles us to the Father, justifies us, adopts us as God’s children, and makes us new creations (Eph. 2:1–9; Titus 3:5; John 14:6; Rom. 5:1–2; 2 Cor. 5:17–21; Gal. 4:4–7).
The Church
The body of Christ
We commit ourselves to covenant life in the Church, the body of Christ, as a community gathered around the faithful preaching of the Word and the right administration of the Sacraments—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper—which are means of grace and signs of God’s covenant love. Within this community, we mutually encourage, disciple, and hold one another accountable in love (Acts 2:42–47; 1 Cor. 12:12–27; Eph. 4:1–16).
Mission & Evangelism
Make disciples of all nations
We rejoice that God, in sovereign grace, chose us in Christ not only for salvation but for service in the world. By the Holy Spirit, we are called and equipped to bear witness to Christ by proclaiming the gospel to all peoples and serving the world in word and deed (Eph. 1:4–5; John 15:16; Matt. 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; Mic. 6:8).
Life & Marriage
Living into God's design
We believe that God created humanity male and female and established marriage as a holy covenant between one man and one woman. We are called to chastity and fidelity within marriage or to celibacy in singleness, bringing all desires and relationships under Christ’s lordship. We uphold the sanctity of every human life, recognizing and honoring God’s image in every person from conception to natural death, and commit to protect and defend the vulnerable (Gen. 1:27; Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4–6; 1 Thess. 4:3–5; Heb. 13:4; Ps. 139:13–16; Rom. 12:1–2; 1 Pet. 1:14–16; Gal. 5:22–25; Ex. 20:13; Jer. 1:5).
Christian Living
Sanctification and stewardship
We seek, by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, to grow in holiness and Christlikeness, living as faithful stewards of all God has entrusted to us. We strive to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves, to pursue justice, show mercy, and use our gifts to extend Christ’s lordship in every sphere of life (Matt. 22:37–40; Gen. 1:26–28; Mic. 6:8; Rom. 12:1–2).
Our Blessed Hope
The end of the story
In all things, we exist to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, rejoicing in the sure and certain hope of Christ’s return. We believe Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead, welcoming the redeemed into eternal joy and condemning the unrepentant to eternal judgment. Until then, we live in joyful obedience and anticipation, longing to see Christ face to face and dwell with Him eternally (Ps. 86:9–12; 1 Cor. 10:31; Rev. 21:1–5; 1 John 3:2; Matt. 25:31–46; John 5:28–29).
This Statement of Faith is a summary of our denomination's doctrinal statement called the ECO Essential Tenets. We gladly receive the Tenets as a faithful exposition of Scripture for life and doctrine.
