About Us
St. Stephen’s Church of God in Christ was organized in September of 1962 by Senior Pastor Bishop George Dallas McKinney and his dear wife, Sister Jean Carleen Brown McKinney.
During the early 1960’s racial tension was high, and this community was in the throes of much social upheaval. We believe that God planted St. Stephen’s to bring a message of hope, forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing to a troubled community.
With a loan of $75 from Beneficial Finance, the basement of a pizza parlor was rented as the first official meeting place for the newly organized church. Approximately six families were a part of its beginning: The McKinneys, Hackleys, McAfees, Meeks, and Williams’ and Sister Jean McKinney’s sister, Arnell Brown. Some of the other families who joined during the first year of operation were the Woods, Moores, Reynolds, and Ellis families.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral’s membership grew substantially from its very meager beginnings. It established many outreach ministries to serve the people of God, including a feeding program for the homeless, a food share program, a counseling center, hospital and home visitation, on-jail-honor-camp ministry, Juvenile Hall, half-way house, street (Blockbusters) ministries that previously existed, the Big Yellow House for those suffering from the AIDS crisis and retirement housing centers for seniors and so much more. In these years, St. Stephen’s Cathedral has been a viable training center for hundreds of ministers and missionaries, and from this fertile soil, over 50 churches worldwide have been established, with many still flourishing.
In 1978, with God’s help, St. Stephen’s church launched the St. Stephen’s Christian school, commencing with Kindergarten through 6th grade, later expanding to the 12th grade. In September of 1984, the two-story educational building that would house the school was completed. With this effort, hundreds of youths in Southeastern San Diego were afforded a quality Christian education. It was only a few days after the completion of the new school facility that St. Stephen’s met with tragedy. The sanctuary was burned at the hands of an arsonist.
After about a year of worshiping in the basement of the pizza parlor, a house (a small, wooden frame, white church building with a steeple) was donated to St. Stephen’s by a church in Pacific Beach. Within six months, St. Stephen’s raised enough money to move the facility to its new place where the people would be worshipping, renovated it, and brought it up to standard for operation, and, in 1970, the new church facility was dedicated to the glory and honor of God. God truly showed favor, going from renting the basement of a pizza parlor to owning the whole complex where the parlor once operated and where the ministry is still thriving today.
Bishop and Sister McKinney shared their concern about the lack of an educational program in the southeast community of San Diego that would meet the needs of minority and disadvantaged children who were not benefiting from the public educational system. Their passion for educating youth propelled them to found St. Stephen’s Nursery School in 1963. With education in mind, Sister Jean continued her educational journey, graduating from San Diego State University, receiving her Master’s Degree in childhood education in 1974, and in 1999 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Human Letters from Imani Kuumba College in San Diego. Bishop George D. McKinney received his MA at Oberlin College School of Theology in Ohio and earned his Ph.D. from the California Graduate School of Theology in Glendale, California.
For eighteen months, the congregation worshipped in a large tent in the lot where the George D. and Jean C. McKinney Retirement Centers now sit. The experience of a tent as a meeting place for worship gave the congregation a sense of humility, oneness, and inspiration to see the church restored. The church reopened in 1986. During this time of turmoil, God saw fit to elevate Pastor George D. McKinney, Ph.D, to the office of Bishop, serving the Southern California Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ as its Prelate. Later, St. Stephen’s Church added the word “Cathedral” to its title, thus becoming “St. Stephen’s Cathedral Church of God in Christ.
After forty-two years of faithful service to St. Stephen’s Cathedral Church of God in Christ, God called home to glory the Co-Pastor, Dr. Jean Carleen Brown McKinney, on June 2nd, 2004. This time of transition was extremely challenging for the Ministry. However, Executive Pastor George A. McKinney and his wife, Evangelist Wendy, efforts and assistance were a tremendous force in ministering to the people during their grieving process and shepherding a significant part of the responsibility of the ministry. This allowed Bishop McKinney the time needed to process his great loss. In August 2008, he married Attorney Barbara J. Warren, and they remained together until his passing.
On March 20th, 2021, God called Bishop George D. McKinney from labor to reward. His life was exemplary of service to the Kingdom by giving succor to those who were disadvantaged and being a voice for the underprivileged. At his homegoing service, the Presiding Bishop of The Church of God in Christ, Inc., J. Drew Sheard, appointed Bishop McKinney’s youngest son,
Elder Glenn Arthur McKinney, Sr., as the successor (Pastor) of St. Stephen’s Cathedral Church of God in Christ, San Diego, CA.
Today, as a thriving, vibrant, Pentecostal, evangelistic body of Christ, ministering to the whole person, Stephen’s Cathedral Church of God in Christ stands strong on one of its foundational scriptures, “… I will build my church…” Matthew 16:18. Pastor Glenn Arthur McKinney, Sr., continues the legacy as he ministers the message of hope, forgiveness (Mark 11:22-26), reconciliation, and healing to a troubled community.