Montclair Presbyterian Church stands in the Montclair district of Oakland, in the Oakland hills, at 5701 Thornhill Drive. It is a progressive Presbyterian congregation known for radical hospitality, a traditional Reformed order of worship, a wide-ranging music program and sustained work for peace, justice, reconciliation and care for creation. Its central weekly gathering, Celebration, begins at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary and is also offered by livestream.
The community ranges from young families to active seniors and all generations between. Its mission describes the church as a family of open-hearted, open-minded, joyful, imperfect people who share the radical hospitality of God, affirm God's love for the whole world, and work and pray for peace, justice and reconciliation. That combination of welcome, intellectual openness and action in Oakland and the wider world gives Montclair Presbyterian Church its distinctive identity.
From a Sunday School to a Multigenerational Church
Montclair Presbyterian Church was founded in 1926 as a Sunday school for children living in the area. Its original mission was to educate children and lay a foundation for the next generation, a commitment that still shapes its Legacy Circle. Over time, the Sunday school grew into a church whose members range from young families to active seniors. The church calls that age diversity one of its greatest strengths and works deliberately to create connections among generations. Older members can mentor younger adults, while younger members bring questions, energy and new perspectives. MPC describes the result as a chosen, extended family rather than a collection of separate generations.
A yearlong mission study in 2012 examined the congregation's past, present and future through congregational meetings, interviews, a survey, local assessment, Oakland and Montclair demographic analysis, financial and membership history, committee work and a review of church history since the 1970s. A 2015 addendum updated that study during a pastoral search. The work showed an institution willing to look critically at its structures and changing needs, a theme that continues in the church's willingness to ask hard questions and challenge itself to become a church of infinite possibilities.
Celebration at 10 A.M. on Sunday
Celebration occurs every Sunday at 10 a.m. The service opens with sounding chimes and a musical prelude, allowing people to settle in from wherever they have come that morning. It gathers worshipers through music, spoken word, preaching and prayer, with reflective, humorous, touching and challenging moments. Most services run 60 to 80 minutes. The name carries more than a service label: MPC understands Celebration as a way of being in the world, sharing God's radically inclusive love with one another and beyond the church.
The worship order is traditional and Reformed, and the congregation sings from the Presbyterian hymnal Glory to God. Yet the service is not confined to one musical or cultural style. The MPC Choir, instrumentalists, a handchime ensemble, jazz saxophone trio, rock band and occasional special musicians contribute a sound that is rooted in tradition but alive with multicultural, world and contemporary music. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, and everyone is welcome at the table.
The atmosphere is informal even though worship takes place in pews. The pastor wears formal robes only in certain seasons, and clothing ranges from blue jeans to dress suits, with more jeans than suits. MPC asks people to dress in a way that feels comfortable and allows them to participate fully. There is no need to arrive with church experience; the service welcomes a visitor as readily as a long-time member.
Those joining from elsewhere can watch the 10 a.m. livestream by Zoom. Subscribers to the weekly Contact email receive the joining link, and a recording of each service is available afterward through MPC's Celebration recordings on YouTube. The church's practice of combining sanctuary worship with livestreaming keeps the same Sunday gathering available to people who cannot be present in the room.
Family Hour and the Red-Cup Welcome
Celebration is followed by Family Hour, when coffee, tea and other refreshments are served in the Family Room. Family Hour begins at 11:15 a.m., right after worship, but the gathering serves a purpose beyond refreshments: it gives visitors a low-pressure way to meet people and ask questions. MPC has developed a distinctive color code for paper cups. A red cup signals that you are open to being greeted and welcomed. A white cup lets greeters know that you would rather observe without being drawn into conversation until you are ready.
Members describe the community as unconditional love, comfort, strength, a place to grieve the darkness of the world and make plans for action, and a family that offers support across generations. Their reasons for attending range from sermons and quiet reflection to social justice, shared meals and belonging. The red and white coffee cups bring a similar idea into a practical detail: hospitality is offered without forcing participation.
Driving and Parking on Thornhill Drive
MPC is located at 5701 Thornhill Drive in the Oakland hills and can be reached from the East Bay via Highway 24 or Highway 13. From Moraga Avenue, drivers turn left at Thornhill. From Park Boulevard, the route goes uphill on Mountain Boulevard past the Montclair shopping area and Montclair Park, then right on Thornhill Drive. Highway 13 drivers take either the Moraga Avenue and Thornhill Drive exit or the Piedmont and Thornhill Drive exit, depending on direction.
A small church parking lot sits half a block west of the building on the north side of Thornhill Drive. On Sunday mornings, additional parking is available along Thornhill Drive near Thornhill Elementary School, a few blocks east of the church. Public-transit riders can use the transit directions associated with the church's Google Maps location to generate a route from their starting point.
A Family Space Built Around Children
Young children are not treated as an add-on to worship. The back of the sanctuary has a dedicated kids area for babies and toddlers with age-appropriate toys and room to move around. The rear pews form a Family Space with cushions and rugs, extra space, books, toys and drawing materials. Children may remain with their families throughout Celebration, and coloring pages are always available. A designated space makes movement and drawing possible without requiring a family to leave the service.
Children in kindergarten through elementary school are invited to Godly Play during the service. The class uses sacred story, parable, liturgical action and silence to help children become more aware of God's presence in their own lives and in the community gathered around them. Children begin Celebration with their families, then leave with teachers for Godly Play at about 10:15 a.m. A biblical story leads into questions about what a story means, who the children are in it and how they respond. An active response follows using watercolor, clay, markers or colored pencils. The session closes with prayer, sharing and individual affirmation. On Communion Sundays, children return in time to participate with the adults.
MPC also has a nursery for babies and toddlers, and a Youth Group has collaborated with St. John's Episcopal Church on confirmation and other youth activities. The children and youth program reflects the church's conviction that young people belong at the center of church life rather than in a separate world of their own. For families, this means one Sunday can include worship, teaching, play and time with other generations.
Reformed Roots, Open Minds
Montclair Presbyterian Church calls itself a Presbyterian church in the Reformed Tradition. It is related to the World Communion of Reformed Churches through the San Francisco Presbytery, the synod and the Presbyterian Church (USA). Its Reformed inheritance includes “faith alone, grace alone, scripture alone,” the priesthood of all believers, the sovereignty of God over creation, and the church as a covenant community. The congregation also belongs to a continuing history of reform and self-examination rather than treating tradition as a finished system.
MPC describes itself as progressive, taking the Bible seriously but not literally. It asks hard questions, refuses comfortable answers, and regards doubt as an honest expression of faith. The vision statement says the church works “for justice in the here and now, rather than salvation in the hereafter.” Its task is not limited to worship or belief, but includes welcoming the marginalized, giving voice to the oppressed, honoring all people and helping to transform the world.
That openness has a theological shape. The church does not insist that Jesus is the only way to God. Some members and friends identify as agnostic, spiritual, Jewish, or Christian with Buddhist influences, and MPC welcomes beliefs that do not fit a neat category. It rejects violence done in Jesus' name, seeks to end violence and practices nonviolence as a discipline. Prayer, meditation and self-examination are understood as sources of strength for social action.
Radical Hospitality and LGBTQ+ Affirmation
Two principles define MPC's welcome: spiritual inclusivity and radical hospitality. Everyone is welcome at the communion table. The church explicitly welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, supports their full participation in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and works for full LGBTQ+ inclusion in church leadership and ordination. MPC has been a More Light Presbyterian church since 1987, flies rainbow and transgender Pride flags outside its sanctuary, blesses and affirms LGBTQ+ relationships, and has clergy who officiate weddings for same-sex couples.
This welcome is presented as a long-standing conviction rather than a temporary gesture. MPC has marched in Oakland Pride for decades and has worked with More Light Presbyterians, That All May Freely Serve and the Covenant Network of Presbyterians. The church also welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into roles that include committee chairs, elders and pastors, making inclusion part of leadership and governance as well as worship.
The Faith Trio and Other Faiths
Across Oakland, MPC is part of a “Faith Trio” with Kehilla Synagogue and the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California. That relationship gives interfaith conversation and cooperation a concrete place in the church's life. It also connects MPC to Presbyterians who work ecumenically with other Christian congregations and other faith traditions. The result is a welcome shaped not only by what happens inside the sanctuary, but by the community the church seeks to build with others.
Traditional Hymns, Jazz, Rock and World Music
The music program is overseen by Kim Rankin, a conductor, singer, pianist, organist and multi-instrumentalist who has served as a church music director for 35 years. She studied at Duke University and UC Berkeley and teaches music at an independent school in Berkeley. The MPC Choir is a volunteer ensemble open to church members and community members who love to sing. It rehearses Thursdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. from September through early June and usually sings in worship.
Twice each year, the choir performs major choral works with instrumental ensembles. Its repertoire has included Bach's Cantata No. 140, “Wachet auf,” Paul Winter's Missa Gaia, Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Joseph Martin's Rhapsody in Bluegrass. Congregational instrumentalists add handchimes, saxophone, rock and other sounds in the acoustically beautiful sanctuary. The result is a traditional service enriched by jazz, world music and contemporary pieces.
An Hour of Taizé Prayer and Silence
Taizé Prayer is a newer expression of prayer at MPC, held in a candlelit service on the third Wednesday of every other month at 7 p.m. The hour combines simple music, Scripture reading and silence. Drawing on the Taizé community founded in France after World War II, the service offers a quiet setting for people seeking spiritual refreshment amid busy lives. Its songs allow prayer across national and language lines, while silence creates room to encounter the Holy. Child care is available by advance request.
Justice in the Here and Now
Justice is not a separate program at Montclair Presbyterian Church; it runs through the congregation's identity. The Social Justice Committee and the Peace and Justice Steering Committee connect biblical commitments to peace, nonviolence, environmental protection, human rights and economic well-being. MPC calls members to “think globally, act locally,” and it is a Matthew 25 Church that participates in San Francisco Presbytery programs aimed at dismantling structural racism and white supremacy.
Anti-racism work includes learning about racism, white privilege and unjust systems; relationship-building for racial equity; and a monthly Black Lives Matter vigil on the first Monday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Another Black Lives Matter vigil follows Celebration on the second Sunday from 11 to 11:45 a.m. An Indigenous Study and Action Group meets on the second Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m., examining the harms committed by Christian institutions and looking for tangible paths toward healing. MPC also belongs to the Interfaith Coalition for Justice in Our Jails, which works to reduce incarceration and harmful conditions in Alameda County jails.
Local action has included distributing food through the Fruitvale Food Pantry, bagging food at the Food Bank, building with Habitat for Humanity, participating in Friday Night Walks to reduce violence in Oakland, and serving hot meals through Food of God. Members have distributed winter coats and socks and summer health and hygiene bags to people experiencing homelessness. They have worked with Phat Beets to support a community garden at Castlemont High School, marched in Oakland Pride, and developed a long-range plan to daylight Temescal Creek and naturalize the church campus with California native plants. The Food and Shelter Committee works to feed people in Oakland and support the development of housing for all.
A congregational declaration on authoritarianism adds a prophetic dimension to this work. Its enduring commitments include standing with immigrants, helping dismantle structural racism, weaving LGBTQ+ people into the fabric of society, preserving the Earth, and rejecting policies that violate basic human rights. The church draws on the Bible's call to care for creation, love the stranger, pursue peace and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Earth Care as Church Practice
Earth Care is an active expression of MPC's faith. The congregation endorsed a Climate Call to Action and adopted climate-conscious food recommendations that apply to church-organized events. The recommendations favor choices with lower emissions, less food waste and more plant-based meals. Members are encouraged to reduce fossil-fuel use, choose renewable electricity, install solar panels where feasible, electrify homes, fly less, move toward electric transportation, divest from fossil-fuel-backed institutions and bank with fossil-free financial institutions.
The church also links climate action to creation care, democracy and human needs. It supports food recovery, composting and safer food storage, and it has prepared a cookbook centered on climate-conscious food choices. A youth group, alumni and the Earth Care Committee produced short educational videos about the climate crisis and possible responses. The practical message is that personal habits matter but must be joined by collective policy action, especially for climate justice, voting rights and bold climate policies.
Bible Study, Adult Education and Small Groups
Learning happens in several regular settings. Wednesday Bible Study runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. and is open for drop-ins. Pastor Ben Daniel's Tuesday Bible Study also meets from noon to 1:30 p.m. Adult education classes are offered in spring and fall, with course subjects that have included practical faith, Native Peoples, the development of Christmas, political ballots and a question-and-answer session with Ben Daniel. Small groups give members a way to meet one another, while the Faith Trio convenes Christians, Jews and Muslims for conversation.
Recurring gatherings also include the Queer Choir, an Art of Living group, a knitting class, a writing group, Farsi School and recovery meetings for Al-Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous and C-DA. Many Faces of God, a book group held on the first Saturday, explores the congregation's own faith and other religions. The Storytellers committee meets monthly and welcomes people of any age to bring original writing to the Monday Writers Group, read at open microphones or perform in dramatic presentations. Other creative groups include the Art Gang, Spiritual Activists, Contract Study Groups, Poets and Storytellers. Cub Scouts also use the church for troop meetings.
Twelve Elected Elders and Shared Leadership
Presbyterian democracy shapes MPC's governance. The Session, the church's ruling body, consists of 12 ordained elders nominated and elected by congregants to three-year terms. Elders deliberate and vote by conscience as they believe the Holy Spirit leads them, rather than simply following the preference of the membership. The “priesthood of all believers” means ministry and responsibility belong to the whole community, not only the pastor. Lay leaders chair and serve committees for worship, children and youth, adult education, family life, food and shelter, buildings and grounds, membership and outreach, peace and justice, Earth Care, fundraising and other areas of congregational life.
Senior Pastor and Head of Staff Ben Daniel has led MPC since March 2014. Born in Palo Alto and raised in Mendocino, he previously spent sixteen years as pastor and head of staff at Foothill Presbyterian Church in San Jose and four years as pastor of Community Presbyterian Church in Gonzales. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies at Westmont College and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, was ordained in 1993, and brought to MPC a blend of church leadership, social activism, interfaith dialogue and public writing. His activism has included war protests, immigration reform marches, opposition to torture, work for marriage equality and conversations among Jewish and Christian leaders about Presbyterian divestment from companies profiting from violence in the Holy Land.
Daniel has written for The Huffington Post, UPI's Religion and Spirituality Forum and KQED FM's Perspectives. A 2009 sermon won the World Alliance of Reformed Churches' international sermon-writing contest, and his book “Neighbor: Christian Encounters with ‘Illegal Immigration’” received a Gold Medal for Religion in Foreword Review's Book of the Year Awards. His second book, “The Search for Truth About Islam: A Christian Pastor Separates Fact from Fiction,” was named by Library Journal among essential books on Islam for libraries. He says sharing a meal and visiting gardens are among the best ways to get to know people.
Daniel often prays for the church to be rescued from pretentiousness and pomposity and from taking some things more seriously than is healthy. That preference for humor and self-examination fits MPC's stated conviction that God has a sense of humor and that doubt can be honest faith.
Caring for the Building and the Long Future
A capital campaign paid most of the cost of an earthquake retrofit for the sanctuary and funded general improvements, leaving a small mortgage that gifts can help retire. Stewardship at MPC treats giving as the use of time, money, skills and energy in ways that reflect shared values. Members can give weekly or monthly, make an annual gift, donate marketable securities, use automatic debit or include a charitable bequest in an estate plan. The Legacy Circle brings together people who have left or intend to leave a legacy gift, preserving the work of the church for future generations.
Giving is available through MPC's secure Realm community portal. Give to MPC. The church also encourages members to give of themselves and resources to organizations they value, with food and shelter work, Earth Care and social justice commitments shaping its vision of stewardship.
MPC at Tahoe
MPC at Tahoe is an annual family tradition held at Camp Richardson on the shore of South Lake Tahoe. It brings together families, singles and couples for several days of community, rest and shared programming. Participants may camp or stay in a cabin, RV or hotel, with the different options close enough to preserve a common sense of being together. Adult programming has explored the journey of joy through stories, music, community rituals and individual practices, while children and youth have a parallel program of creative activities. The gathering has been part of MPC's communal life since the middle of the 1970s.
Pastoral Care as a Shared Ministry
Pastoral care at MPC is understood as a shared ministry of emotional, spiritual and social support, provided by pastoral staff in partnership with the congregation. Staff conversations are confidential under the Presbyterian Book of Order. The church keeps clear professional boundaries: pastoral care is not therapy or social work, and staff may encourage people to seek appropriately trained providers when a need falls outside pastoral ministry. This approach combines the availability of trained ministers with the practical care that members offer one another.
At its heart, Montclair Presbyterian Church is a place where traditional worship and progressive conviction meet: a sanctuary for music and prayer, a family across generations, a voice for justice, and a community that tries to practice the radically inclusive love it names. Sunday Celebration at 10 a.m., in the sanctuary or by livestream, is the center of that shared life.