ink drawing of the alpine community church sanctuary
alpine community church united church of christ

Who We Are

Reverend Kyle E. Brooks, PhD

My commitment to you is simple: "Whoever you are, and wherever you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."

Kyle E. Brooks was raised in Detroit, MI. He grew up to become a poet and a scholar, a science teacher, and a musician. He holds several degrees from Yale University including a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Biology, a Master of Arts in Urban Education Studies, and a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School, Institute of Sacred Music. After that, he earned a PhD in Religion at Vanderbilt University.

 

Before coming to San Diego, Kyle was an Assistant Professor at the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio where he did a postdoctoral fellowship as MTSO’s visiting assistant professor of homiletics and black church and African diaspora studies. Kyle plays piano and string bass, and members of our choir say he has a wonderful, strong bass singing voice.

 

Rev. Brooks grew up in the Church of God in Christ and with several generations of preachers on both sides of his family, he was destined to follow them. Dr. Brooks says he preached his first sermon when he was 6-years old. Now, Kyle is Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego.

 

The Alpine Community Church is indeed blessed to start another chapter in our history with the Reverend Doctor Kyle Brooks in the pulpit.

 

Office Staff

denise horan

Denise Horan, Office Manager

"I have a desire to serve others to the best of my ability."

william young

William Young, Music Director

"I love music and enjoy spreading God's word through it."

Church Officers

tom myers

Tom Myers, Moderator

"We are small enough for everyone to know each other, and big enough to make a difference in our community."

ray sopfe

Ray Sopfe, Chair of Trustees

"Since 1894, worshippers have found their faith at ACC and supported the community through love, faith and hope.  Come join us to make a difference in Alpine."

sandy lusink

Sandy Lusink, Chair of Deacons

"Our Deacons share God's love by offering assistance to members and friends who are homebound, hospitalized, residing in assisted living, or just in need of a helping hand."

debbie gibson

Debbie Gibson, Chair of Board of Education

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' The Christian education of our children is the future of the church.  We support that goal as a loving team of educators, teaching a comprehensive, fun curriculum and variety of other supportive seasonal activities.​​​​​​​"

donna boyer

Donna Boyer, President of Woman's Guild

"I enjoy leading the Woman's Guild as we have a three-fold purpose that is spiritual, social, and supportive of  mission projects."

Our Facilities

Our campus is fully accessible and includes four buildings: our Sanctuary, the church office, Fuller Hall (which is a large meeting room with restrooms, and a professional-sized kitchen), an education building, and we also have a large patio/deck for summer gatherings. 

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Our History — since 1877

In 1877 the first settlers in Alpine began to worship together in each other's parlors. The Foss family constructed a lean-to addition to their modest home and invited other early settlers to join them for Sunday worship and Sunday school. By 1888 more than 37 men, women and children were gathering to worship in Alpine. In 1894 this small group was accepted as a Home Mission Project of the Congregational Church. Now, many years later, people from Alpine and neighboring communities are still gathering in our sanctuary to worship God and serve as disciples of Jesus Christ with the gift of the Holy Spirit. We continue today to be that place where all are invited to grow in faith and answer God’s call on our lives.

 

We here at the Alpine Community Church are in covenant with the United Church of Christ, which was formed through the merger of four denominations throughout the twentieth century. One of the founding denominations, the Congregational Church, had a long history of social justice and education, tracing its roots all the way back to the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. 

 

In 1931 the Congregational Church merged with the Christian Church, a denomination located mostly in southern states that was well known for integrating African Americans in worship long before the Civil War, and became known as the Congregational Christian Church.

 

The two other denominations had German roots, and were known as the German Evangelical Church and the German Reformed Church. During World War II, these denominations merged and dropped the German from their name. They were then known as the Evangelical and Reformed Church or the E&R Church, well known for building hospitals and orphanages.

 

In 1957 the United Church of Christ was formed through the merger of the Congregational Christian Church and the E&R Church.

 

The United Church of Christ has a vision of a just world, where all are welcomed, everyone is loved and justice is inherent. Our three great loves — Love of Neighbor, Love of Children, and Love of Creation — work together to address the inequities in our current world.

What We Believe

We believe in the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

We believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we may have everlasting life through him. 

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