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). 

​

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.

​

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.​​