Our History
Santa Clara Church of the Nazarene was planted in 1966 and initially met downtown before moving into our existing space in 1976. Since our inception, we have been a community that works to help people know the love and grace of Jesus.
Over the last years, our congregation has grown smaller and we are now in a season of praying and seeking God’s direction. Like many smaller churches in the Bay Area, we want to find ways to be faithful to our history and faith, while also becoming a church that can thrive in our modern world. Rather than selling our space or closing, we believe that God has more for us.
Our Pastor
Pastor Danny Atkins is a Seattle-area native who, with his wife Taylor and daughter Iona, is hopeful and expectant for what God can do through the future of Santa Clara Church of the Nazarene.
After sensing a call to ministry in High School, Danny studied Christian Ministry at Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho and worked for Younglife. After graduating, Taylor and Danny moved to the Rhine-Main region of Germany and led a German-speaking church and helped to start a community of Farsi-speaking followers of Jesus. During their time in Germany, they completed Masters in Theology at Nazarene Theological College in the UK.
Near the end of 2021, they handed off their ministry to their leadership team and moved home. Taylor worked at Northwest Nazarene University and Danny worked as a Executive Pastor at Nampa College Church, while also working on his PhD (New Testament) and teaching as an Adjunct in the religion department.
After three years, Danny and Taylor sensed God leading them to live out their missionary calling in the Bay Area and they moved to Santa Clara in the summer of 2024.
Our Beliefs
The Church of the Nazarene traces its name back to Jesus of Nazareth, a humble town known in biblical times as a place of outcasts and the less fortunate. In the Gospel of John, Nathanael famously asked, “Can anything from Nazareth be good?” (John 1:45-46 CEB). Jesus, however, turned this perception on its head by proclaiming an "upside-down" kingdom where the last shall be first, and leaders serve others. Our church embodies this spirit, embracing those who society often overlooks.
Founded in inner-city Los Angeles in 1908, the Church of the Nazarene has always been committed to serving the poor, the marginalized, and the outcasts, following Jesus' teachings in Matthew 25:34-40: “I was hungry and you gave me food... I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” This mission remains central to who we are, as we strive to share Christ’s transformative love with all people, believing that God’s grace is for everyone, no exceptions.
If you would like more information about the Church of the Nazarene and our core beliefs, click here.