Very welcoming, especially for people who want to explore Christianity and learn moreread more

I feel a strong urge, perhaps nudged by the Spirit, to share my experience with Reality SF,…read moreespecially in light of recent events where Christian pastors in DC were arrested for advocating for Palestine, after being gaslit by Reality SF and its leaders that I was the only person in their entire three thousand people congregation that supported the humanity and dignity of Palestinians. My story with Reality SF is a long one, spanning over 12 years of attendance, from their early days in the Swedish American Music Hall, transitioning to Everett Middle School, and finally to their current residence in a lavish $15 million building. My relationship with the church has been complex, characterized by its lack of welcomeness, but the strong and insightful teachings, attracted me to stay and call it home. Despite never voicing my concerns publicly--unlike the 200 congregants who once left in protest against the leadership--I remained silent and mostly defended the church, until the church's (lack of) response to the Gaza genocide pushed me to the brink, when they have commented on Ukraine and social issues in the past. Reality SF's portrayal of the genocide as a mere 'war' and their silence on the human rights abuses inflicted upon Palestinians led me to question the church as an institution, my faith, and to question God's character and even existence. My efforts to discuss these issues, including some encouragement for my faith, were initially met with a wall of silence. Persistently, I sought to make my voice heard, only to be confronted with defensiveness and outright dismissal. The most disheartening part of my quest for dialogue was trying to engage with Dave Lomas, the head pastor, who, as I learned, 'doesn't do emails' and proved to as difficult to meet with as the Pope. This barrier to communication only compounded my frustrations, leading me to take a hiatus from the church. Yet, in a twist that felt laden with divine intervention, after weeks of abstaining from church services, a sequence of undeniable signs led me back to Reality SF one Sunday morning. Carrying a glimmer of hope that the day's sermon might finally address the suffering in Palestine, I was met with disappointment as a guest speaker took the podium, leaving my expectations unmet. In an extraordinary turn of events, as I was about to leave, disheartened, I spotted Dave Lomas by the exit. In over 600 Sundays, I had never seen him greeting congregants. Unlike the kissing babies and shaking hands type of pastor, I've always respected him in his introversion, which I thought fueled his insightful sermons and considered him a guiding figure in my spiritual journey. This encounter, whether by divine arrangement or sheer coincidence, gave me the courage to approach him and share my concerns directly. While I prefer not to divulge the specifics of our 1:1 conversation, it was dishearteningly marked by significant ignorance and a lack of the compassion and justice Jesus preached. This interaction left me more lost than ever, questioning the foundations of my faith and the leaders who are supposed to embody Christ's teachings. In my quest for clarity, I turned to what my generation does for anything--social media. It was there, that I found the accounts that Dave follows on Instagram--conservative influencers, luxury golf resorts, and luxury watchmakers (think Richard Mille, not even Rolex). This revelation served as a poignant lesson: God often uses the imperfect among us to serve His purpose. I was wrong for putting Dave on a pedestal for his teachings. This reflection brought me to a deeper inquiry: Why had God, through a series of undeniable signs, guided me back to Reality SF that particular Sunday, to a moment of face-to-face encounter with Dave? Initially, it seemed Dave, as the pastor, might have thought he had a divine message for me--"you don't have to agree with everything your church believes" and he encourage me to stay, or, he pointed to the door (it literally was as we were right by the exit). However, upon reflection, perhaps the message was to Dave - to have a more compassionate heart, one that embraces all of God's creation, including Arabs (Muslims and Christians). I hope this somehow gets to him (he's a foodie so I have a better shot of getting to him than by email) and my worldly message is: read works by Ilan Pappe or Richard Becker.

If you want to see Jesus in action, come visit Brave San Francisco. The people are real and…read moreleadership is solid and approachable. We merged with Brave in Dublin and San Ramon last year after we tragically lost our pastor. Brave has revitalized our congregation and we are excited to see what Jesus has planned for us. The teaching is amazing and praise and worship is always great. Come and visit. You won't be disappointed!

I didn't feel welcome here as someone who is new to the church. It was quite awkward actually. Not…read moretoo many smiles. Not open and not friendly. I brought my son with me and the lady downstairs said to just drop him off upstairs and when I did the ladies upstairs said they're not open until 5 more mins... either way I wait. The service was okay. It was recorded on a screen from the other location. Which was a bummer because I thought it would be more personable in person service. Overall it was just okay.

The people at Experience are great! From day one, I felt genuine kindness and potential for great…read morecommunity. After almost 2 years, that's continued to prove true. I've been able to create great relationships with so many people, and I know that I can count on many for just about anything! The people at Experience have also contributed to helping me maximize my potential in creativity, leadership, and most importantly spiritual/faith growth, which have all brought me closer to Christ. I never thought I'd be able to sing worship on stage at a church on in San Francisco, but I've been given that opportunity here! The people here will make space for you and truly want to get to know you and see you grow! The entire pastoral team is fabulous. Including each characteristic above, each pastor is truly anointed; by this I mean each one, I believe, has genuinely been chosen to be on mission for Christ's purpose and has each been given wisdom and revelation that speaks encouragement, truth, and potential into the church body. The desire of their hearts is to serve the city of San Francisco and bring about a faith-in-Christ movement, a revival of hope in Christ; and in just under 2 years, I've been witnessing these fruits in development. They are open to feedback and constantly trying to improve to be excellent. I'm blessed to be a part of what they've fostered so far in this season of my life... ... and I am blessed by being a member of this church family!

THIS IS HOME. A spirit lead church that's so intentional…read moreabout creating community and inviting God's presence. I truly have family in this church, people I can't see myself doing life without. You're looking for a place to belong? You already belong boo Want community? We got it You want to grow in your faith? We got opportunities for ya! You just curious about church and faith? We invite you to come!!! Whoever you are, wherever you are in you journey, this is a house welcoming to all!!

Loved this church! Was plugged in from the beginning and was able to join two groups! They even…read moresuggested to serve on the worship team! Love this church, definitely will recommend

Very welcoming environment with classes for kids of all ages, amazing coffee, powerful worship,…read morediversity in age and race which I love to see and dynamic speakers. There is so much going on not just inside the church building but outside as well, city life partners with the city and supports the community which is a beautiful reflection of what the church should be.

I had a deeply disturbing experience with this church, and I feel a responsibility to share it so…read moreothers can make an informed decision. During my time there, I trusted members with personal information. Over time, I came to believe that this information was discussed behind my back in ways that felt disrespectful and damaging. Instead of direct communication, there seemed to be judgment and private conversations about me, including my financial situation, which felt intrusive and shaming rather than supportive. What concerned me most, however, were statements and situations that felt threatening and deeply unsettling. There were comments about taking control over people's lives and even statements that came across as threats involving my family. At one point, I experienced a situation where a vehicle came near my home and I genuinely feared for my grandfather's safety based on what had been said to me. Whether others interpret that differently or not, it created a real sense of fear and crossed a line that no church should ever approach. This environment felt driven by fear, control, and intimidation rather than care, humility, and truth. I'm sharing this not out of spite, but out of concern for others. A healthy church should build people up, respect boundaries, and communicate directly--not operate in ways that make people feel unsafe or targeted. Please use discernment if you are considering getting involved here.

Cornerstone has a talented creative and communications team that makes the Word easily accessible…read more The services are upbeat and inspiring. This is a great church if you have a family, make it your only social circle and are completely aligned with their beliefs - which are quite conservative for SF. However, as others mentioned, it is very cliquey and not progressive around the queer community, race and gender. It is their right to define their community pillars as they wish though it is a missed opportunity to not fully love and embrace others as Jesus did through his radical love. It is also challenging to get involved if you are single and newer, as most people have attended for decades and know each other. Even after a few years, you may still be kept at a distance. To each their own!

My husband and I have visited Anchor Church twice now and have had great experiences both times…read more They are located in the Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation Center, usually in the Main Hall, once in the Senior Room. (Evidently, when the Main Hall occasionally gets booked out by other parties -- like a line dancing event! -- they'll always try to find an alternate meeting location still onsite and mark the path there with signage.) They meet on Sundays at 10am. When you arrive, they have basic refreshments available -- water, coffee, tea (I think), sometimes cookies. The church is small in numbers, so you will be noticed if you're new (and it's great to be seen, known, and loved into community)! The people we met were cheerful, warm, and hospitable; members made sure we knew where refreshments were and even grabbed sermon note printouts and pens for us. As the service starts, Pastor Rachele and her guitarist (I didn't catch his name ) led humble, authentic worship. Pastor Noah delivered a funny, story-filled, relatable sermon with easy points to remember and practically apply. They always serve soup after service, which is a great way to get nums in your tums while meeting people. The last time we visited, the focus was "Back to School," so we all prayed over the students and teachers returning to school that week and, through the church's nonprofit, Urban Exchange, packed 50 backpacks to bless kids at a nearby Mercy Housing location. That's the definition of love in action!

My mom and I came to Anchor about two years ago. The church we had been going to was impersonal and…read morewe never felt we belonged. My best friend invited us, everyone was friendly and welcoming, so we kept coming back. Later I asked the pastor's wife, Rachelle, if I could join the worship team once in a while, she said that would be great! I didn't have much experience, but she still let me try. I love this church it's one big family!

I grew up in this church when I was a little kid through my high school so this is where my…read morespiritual formation took place and I'm so grateful for the heavy biblical teaching I received as a child because it shaped my world view and helped me grow my faith at an important formative time. Visiting it after decades, I was surprised at how small the congregation was. So much seating for not that many people, but they've been around for almost two hundred years, so they own the land so they probably don't need much in the way of offering to take care of the upkeep of the property. For years I'd been with another church in LA and we've never owned a property, so we are constantly looking for new locations. I mention this because I remember my Pastor saying they'd looked at so many churches and they didn't like them because they felt the congregations were dying in these locations, as if they were struggling so hard to keep the building that they didn't worry too much about losing the people. This reminded me of that. I know how hard it is to attract people to church in a godless town like San Francisco, but it's still rough to see so many empty seats. At least there's all the history. They still have the pipe organ that they probably never use because they have a worship band. It was nice to see a couple of old timers I grew up with, knowing I'm now the age they probably were when I grew up with them. Ran into one of my best friends in San Francisco who I hadn't seen in so long that I didn't recognize them. My bad! The pastor's teaching was okay. Loved that they're trying to do fun events like a Sister Act 2: Sing Along at the Firehouse property (the building next door that is a former firehouse but has belonged to the church as long as I've been alive). That would be super popular up where I live in Washington State, so I hope this brings new people to this church because this place really needs it.

My evaluation of First Baptist Church is that it's been deeply affected being located in liberal…read moreSan Francisco. A few years ago this church wasn't filling up even half their seating yet were encouraging discrimination resisting 55+ Caucasian women from attending. Their welcome desk gave me gift trinket promos while a young 20's man told me this may not be the right church for me because they have "the most diverse church in San Francisco" that was clearly untrue. Early on during the church sermon they placed members who asked if they could sit next to and speak with me where I sat. One of their member agents visited with me, took my phone number, then cyberstalked on the Internet instead of meeting for a cup of coffee she had suggested. This religious institution requires class attendance programs to become a member where such graduates are applauded by the church that creates delusional hierarchies. If you don't become a member they'll only tolerate for donations but rudeness is the norm. I was granted permission to park my bike in the back area and a woman came out after service to suggest that spot belonged to her. After being resisted and oddly questioned by the music director in my face for wanting to try out for the holiday choir as a 56 year old, I realized they don't want older Caucasian women which explained to me why they had so many empty chairs in their two tier historic building.

I love the fellowship from beginning to end, there's peace & calm no pressure to do anything but,…read morerelax, know where you've been, now where you're headed! I recently discovered this is the place I am called to be. I look forward to a most rewarding friendship, fellowship & family'ship most positively purpose in service. Amen.

Amazing congregation and members. ...and the music,…read moreclasses...THE FOOD, can't be beaten.