Providence Baptist Church of San Jacinto has been a steady gospel presence in the San Jacinto Valley since a small group of believers gathered for their first Sunday service in January 1961. Located at 841 East Evans Street, the church describes itself as a "strategically small" congregation that leans into maturity, stability, and a settled sense of identity to reach its neighbors with the good news of Jesus Christ. Under the long tenure of Senior Pastor Dr. Stacy A. Johnson, who has served since October 1999, the congregation offers an English-language service on Sunday mornings alongside a thriving Spanish ministry that meets twice on Sundays and Wednesdays, plus a slate of ministries for children, youth, adults, and seniors.
Strategically Small on Evans Street
Pastor Stacy frames the church not as a struggling small church but as a strategically small one - a congregation that has "become comfortable being small because it has learned to recognize the unique advantages of its size." As an older, mature body, the church leans on its collective wisdom to take bold gospel risks rather than moving from a sense of deficiency. That posture shapes everything from the pace of growth groups to the willingness to launch ministries like the Spanish-language work that joined the congregation through a merger process in 2018.
The Sunday Rhythm in English
Sunday School and Growth Groups open the English-language morning at 9:00 a.m. The main worship service follows at 10:15 a.m. Children's Church and nursery care run through both hours, with check-in located along the West Hallway. Children begin in the sanctuary with their parents to sing with the congregation, then are dismissed to Children's Church after the offering.
Worship is a blended style that includes traditional psalms and hymns alongside contemporary spiritual songs. The congregation is led by vocalists, piano, and organ. A free coffee bar greets visitors in the lobby with coffee, orange juice, water, and snacks, and greeters are posted at the door to point newcomers toward the sanctuary, restrooms, or coffee station.
What to Expect When You Visit
The church is direct about there being no dress code. Some attenders wear suits and dresses, others wear jeans and shorts; the focus is on worshiping Jesus rather than on attire. Visitors who want to follow up on what they heard can approach the pastor or a greeter after the service, or fill out one of the response cards tucked into the back of the sanctuary chairs and place it in the offering plate. To schedule a meeting during the week, the church office can be reached at (951) 765-7212 or office@fbcsj.com.
The Sunday service is livestreamed on YouTube at 10:15 a.m. for those unable to attend in person. Online giving is available, and donations can also be texted to 84321, placed in the offering plate during Sunday services, or mailed to P.O. Box 790, San Jacinto, CA 92581.
Ministerio Español: A Second Congregation Under One Roof
The Spanish ministry of the church, known as Primera Iglesia Bautista de San Jacinto, keeps its own weekly rhythm. Sunday School (Escuela Dominical) meets at 11:30 a.m., followed by an afternoon service at 12:30 p.m. and an evening service at 6:00 p.m. with prayer (Oración) at 5:00 p.m. before the evening gathering. On Wednesdays the Spanish Bible Study meets at 7:00 p.m. and is followed by choir rehearsal at 8:30 p.m.
The ministry was strengthened through the 2018 merger process that welcomed Spanish-speaking believers into fuller fellowship with the San Jacinto congregation. Pastor Andres Camarena leads the Spanish ministry as associate pastor. A native Spanish speaker trained at the Hispanic Baptist Institute, he previously pastored Iglesia Bautista Rios de Agua Viva in nearby Hemet from 2001 to 2015.
Additional Spanish-language gatherings include a Tuesday men's meeting (Randalla de Varones) at 7:00 p.m. and a Thursday Ladies' Prayer Meeting at 9:00 a.m.
Sixty-Two Years on Evans Street
The history of the church stretches back to Sunday, January 15, 1961, when fifty-three people gathered for the first regular services of a new mission. Three months later, on March 12, 1961, the group organized as Valley Baptist Church with a charter membership of forty-five. In 1962 the congregation voted to rename itself First Baptist Church, though the new name did not immediately stick. Members voted again on May 4, 1966, and the September minutes of that year were the first to use First Baptist Church as the official name.
Twenty-six pastors have led the congregation since 1961. Dr. Stacy A. Johnson, who became senior pastor on October 1, 1999, holds the longest tenure in the church's history. Johnson was born and raised in Mississippi, was called into the gospel ministry in April 1988, and pastored in Mississippi and Louisiana before moving in 1998 to study at The Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, California. He earned a Bachelor of General Studies from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1996, a Master of Divinity from The Master's Seminary in 2006, and a Doctor of Ministry from Gateway Seminary in 2021. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of California Baptist University and as a Communication Assessor and Trainer for NAMB Church Planter Assessments.
The congregation moved from its State Street location to the present building at 841 East Evans Street in 1996. The current branding, "Providence Baptist Church of San Jacinto," appears alongside the legacy "First Baptist Church of San Jacinto" name in older materials.
AWANA, CRAVE, and the Children
Children's ministry is one of the church's strongest outreaches. AWANA runs on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. for children ages three through sixth grade, with separate groups for Cubbies, Sparks, and Truth & Training (T&T). The program runs from mid-September through late May, with each child receiving a workbook, vest or shirt, and bag.
CRAVE Youth Ministry draws middle school and high school students into fellowship and Bible study on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Marcos Padilla serves as Youth Director. The Sunday morning children's program offers four age groups: Infant nursery (birth to age 2), Preschool (ages 3-4), Pre-K through 2nd grade, and Grades 3-5. Security measures for the nursery include a unique tag for each child and a matching tag for parents, with text-message notifications sent to a parent's mobile phone if needed during the service.
Vacation Bible School runs for one week each summer and is free for children entering kindergarten through 5th grade. The church also sends young people to summer camps at Victory Ranch, Calicinto Ranch, Big Bear Lake Christian Conference Center, and Camp Maranatha in Idyllwild.
Growth Groups: Three Sessions a Year
Discipleship for adults happens in Growth Groups, the church's small-group Bible study ministry. Each group is facilitated by a trained leader and includes Bible discussion, prayer, fellowship, and a missions component. Groups range in size from eight to fifteen people, meet once a week for one to one-and-a-half hours, and run in three annual sessions: winter (January through March), spring (April through June), and fall (September through November), each lasting ten to fifteen weeks.
Growth Group Coordinator Jan Anderson helps newcomers find a group. Visitors are encouraged to try several before settling on one. A separate Ladies' Bible Study meets on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m.
A Blended Sound of Hymns and Psalms
Music is led by Minister of Music David Regier, who has helped lead worship for nearly forty years. Regier grew up in a Christian home in Denver, Colorado, and has been active as a musician since age five. For the past five years he has been setting the psalms to familiar hymn tunes so the congregation can incorporate them into worship. Choir practice for the English congregation meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 p.m., while the Spanish ministry choir rehearses on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m.
CARE Ministry at Bradley Gardens
One of the church's most distinctive outreach efforts is the CARE Ministry, which brings worship and fellowship to seniors and others who cannot easily attend a Sunday service. Every Thursday at 10:00 a.m., volunteers visit Bradley Gardens, a residential community in San Jacinto, leading a brief chapel service for the residents. The time commitment is about forty-five minutes per week. The ministry is grounded in James 1:27, which calls believers to visit "orphans and widows in their affliction." Volunteers can contact Jim Dunlap to participate.
Each October the congregation also takes part in Operation Christmas Child, packing shoebox gifts for children in need around the world. Members who prefer can simply designate funds and the church will fill boxes on their behalf.
The Providence Collective and the Residency Program
Providence Baptist Church functions as a church planting hub in partnership with the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the SEND Network, the California Southern Baptist Convention, and the Inland Empire Southern Baptist Association. The Providence Collective, a network led by Pastor Stacy Johnson, is a ministry committed to developing leaders in normative-size churches and planting new congregations.
The church offers a Residency Program for aspiring church planters, with personal training from Pastor Stacy Johnson and his staff. The program reflects the church's conviction that mature, smaller congregations can be strategic for the kingdom by training and sending leaders into new settings.
Beliefs Rooted in the Baptist Faith and Message
The church's teaching ministry centers on a robust exposition of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The congregation holds that the Bible is the one true inerrant word of God, perfect and complete, and that salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not by works. The church teaches that all humans are born with a sinful nature that separates them from a holy God, that the punishment for sin is death and eternal separation from God, and that God the Son took on human flesh, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Those who repent of their sin and trust in the substitutionary death of Jesus are adopted into the family of God as heirs with Christ, while those who reject the gospel face eternal separation from God.
Members affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as the doctrinal standard of the church. Membership requires a profession of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, believer's baptism, and agreement with the doctrinal statement. The church is autonomous, congregational, and led by a Church Council elected annually by the membership.
Leadership and Staying Connected
Providence Baptist Church is led by Senior Pastor Dr. Stacy A. Johnson and Pastor of Spanish Ministry Andres Camarena, with David Regier as Minister of Music, Mark Landry as Pastor of Chaplaincy, and Marcos Padilla as Youth Director. Pastor Stacy publishes a regular e-newsletter called "Traces of His Grace." The church is active on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), and Sunday sermons are archived on its YouTube channel after the 10:15 a.m. livestream.
The mailing address for contributions and formal correspondence is P.O. Box 790, San Jacinto, CA 92581. The physical address, where Sunday services, AWANA, CRAVE, growth groups, and most other ministries meet, is 841 East Evans Street, San Jacinto, CA 92583.