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Reformed / CREC

Christ Church Santa Cruz

3313 Paul Sweet Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95065
Recommended — Aligned on Core Priorities
Quick Facts
Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Rev. Ben Merkle
Founded 2009
Denomination Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches
Service Times Sunday 10:30 AM
Men's Ministry Yes
Kids Ministry Yes
Website christchurchsantacruz.org
Pastor Credentials Ph.D., University of Oxford
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
Nicene.
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
Inerrancy.
Strong
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
Men's studies.
Strong
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Reformed.
Strong
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Patriarchal; male officers.
Strong
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Male elders.
Strong
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Expository; covenantal.
Strong
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Kingdom / disciple the nations.
Strong
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Counter-cultural in Santa Cruz.
Strong
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
CREC Presbytery.
Strong
Assessment
Christ Church Santa Cruz is a CREC congregation in one of the most progressive cities in California. Rev. Ben Merkle (Oxford-trained, President of New St. Andrews College) anchors the church in classical Reformed confession with patriarchal household vision, male-only offices, and liturgical worship. Counter-cultural island of confessional Christianity on the California coast.
Visit Their Website ← Back to Church Directory
Sources & Evidence
Enrichment Notes

ECONNREFUSED on multiple attempts to christchurchsantacruz.org and /about. CREC affiliation and Ben Merkle pastorate widely documented externally (CREC directory, Canon Press authorship). Leaving green rating on external reputation of CREC confessional status; site unreachable at audit time.

No URL sources recorded for this church. Rating based on denominational defaults and/or directory-level metadata.

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 — Annual review recommended
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