St. Columba’s Closes with Grace and Gratitude

The faithful people of St. Columba’s, Santee, gathered together on May 4, 2025, for one last Holy Eucharist. They were joined by familiar faces – members, friends, clergy, and visitors from neighboring congregations.

The Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch, Canon to the Ordinary, preached and presided over the service. Throughout worship, there were tears and sniffles–balanced by smiles, shared memories, and bursts of laughter. The sanctuary, though preparing to close, was alive with love.

Months earlier, the leadership of St. Columba’s had approached Bishop Susan Brown Snook with a prayerful and difficult realization: they no longer had the energy or numbers to sustain the active ministry required to keep the church vibrant. The decision did not come easily. It came through discernment—a holy, honest process of looking deeply at what was possible, and what was no longer sustainable.

The Rev. Anne Cox Bailey, who over the last three years had been serving once a month as a supply priest, said, “They were honest with themselves. What a brave witness.”

Rev. Anne offered a reminder that endings are part of the Christian story. “Everything in the Bible starts with something ending,” she said, “Even Genesis doesn’t start from nothing—it begins with chaos. And out of that ending, creation begins.”

A sense of holy transition–of ending as beginning–echoed throughout the final service. The congregation was joined by guests from across the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, including members from St. Dunstan’s in San Diego, Grace in San Marcos, St. Peter’s in Del Mar, Resurrection in Ocean Beach, St. Mark’s in City Heights, and Good Shepherd in Bonita. Their presence reminded the gathered that the church is not a building, but a community, and that no parishioner or congregation walks alone in this diocese.

St. Columba’s began in 1988, planted by the Rev. Boone Sadler, under the direction of Bishop Brinkley Morton. They met first at the neighboring Carlton Hills Lutheran Church until they moved into the building on Cuyamaca Street in 1997. For over three decades, the congregation offered worship, fellowship, and service to the Santee community. Like many churches, it saw seasons of growth and change, joys and struggles. But through it all, the people of St. Columba’s remained faithful to their calling: to love God and serve their neighbors.

It’s important to note that churches don’t close on their own. Canonically, a congregation must consult with the bishop to discern such a significant step. The leadership of St. Columba’s did just that. They did not walk away—they walked forward. With humility and faith, they asked for guidance. And in response, Bishop Susan and the diocesan staff accompanied them every step of the way.

Evangelism, as we know, takes energy. It takes commitment, time, creativity, and spiritual resilience. It asks us to show up over and over again. The congregation at St. Columba’s recognized that they had given all they could give. Rather than trying to carry a burden that had become too heavy, they chose to bless the past and open the door to whatever God might be preparing next.

Rev. Anne reminded me after the service, “Because we’re resurrection people, we start anew.” Those words captured the heart of that moment. The service was not a funeral. It was a resurrection—an honoring of the ministry that had been and a faithful release into whatever comes next.

The closing of a church is never easy. It stirs grief, nostalgia, and questions. But it can also be an act of courageous love. The people of St. Columba’s modeled that love in their decision, their worship, and their witness.

And now, we pause to give thanks. For the baptisms that took place here. For the marriages blessed. For the children raised, the vestries who led, and the potlucks that nourished more than just bodies. We give thanks for the faithful ministry of lay leaders, clergy, and every person who ever walked through the doors of St. Columba’s.