MCC San Jose is now meeting at S Tenth & E San Fernando!

MCC San Jose meets at:
Grace Baptist Church
484 East San Fernando Street

Sunday Evening Service at 6:00pm

(408) 279-2711

Need directions? Please click the following link for information about how to get to our new location.

What’s next for Rev. Mike?

Here’s a short piece that Rev. Mike wrote with answers to some of the common questions that he’s received about the transition:

A lot of my friends have been wondering what’s next for me after I leave MCC San Jose.

In terms of work, I’m thinking that I would like to go back into software design and implementation for a while. That was a fun career, and it exercised a part of my brain that I haven’t gotten to use a lot while working as a senior pastor. I will probably take a month or two before I begin my job search in earnest. I’ve been out of circulation for a while, and I would like to take a little time to play with some of the new development tools before I really start looking.

In terms of church, I’m planning to be a church tourist for a while before I settle at another faith community. As a pastor, one doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to visit other houses of worship to see what they do, and I’m looking forward to a period of exploring before I settle down again. I will be maintaining my MCC affiliation, and I also look forward to spending some time with other faith communities both inside and outside of Christianity. I don’t plan to take another senior pastor position for a while, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself back in a full-time ministry role at some point in the future.

In terms of MCC San Jose, our denomination’s guidance is very clear. Once a senior pastor leaves a church, he or she is not supposed to return for at least a year. While I will be sad to leave the wonderful community that is MCC San Jose, I recognize the wisdom of our denomination’s policies and I will abide by them.

In terms of the council of churches, I will be continuing to serve as the president of the Council of Churches of Santa Clara County until my term of office expires in June.

In terms of geographic location, I am planning to remain in San Jose.

Overall, I don’t have a lot of specific answers about what’s next, but I have a very strong sense that I am on the right path, and I’m doing what God is calling me to do.

Twenty-one Ideas for Lent…

Lent is a period of forty days leading up to Easter, starting on Ash Wednesday. It commemorates the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert fasting and praying in order to prepare for his public ministry. For modern Christians, it can also be a time of preparation, when we seek to ready ourselves for living in a world of resurrection, rebirth, and new life. In keeping with this idea, many people will adopt a special spiritual practice for Lent.

In 2010, Lent begins on Wednesday, February 17. Here are some spiritual practices that you might wish to consider for Lent this year: Read more »

I had a Crisis of Faith… and I worked through it

Please click below to see Drew House’s sermon from MCC San Jose’s 2010 Transgender Sermon Series. Drew talks about how his connection with God has helped him reconcile his experiences as a transgender man and a Mormon.

If you’d like to rate this video or make comments on it, here’s a direct link to Drew’s video on YouTube.

Remarks from our former Senior Pastor

For those of you who were not able to be with us on February 7, 2010, here is a video of Rev. Michael Patrick Ellard, explaining why he decided to step down as our senior pastor.

A Message from our Senior Pastor

May the peace of God be with you!

One of my courses in seminary was taught by a minister who was also the pastor of a large, successful church. One day I and my classmates were shocked to learn that our teacher had just announced his resignation from his pastorate. I will never forget what he told us in class that day:

“I love the church, and I enjoy my work as a pastor. Nevertheless, it has become clear to me that I have finished the work that God brought me here to do. I am proud of what the church has been able to accomplish during my time here, and now it is time for me to step aside so that someone new can come in to take the church to the next level.”

Read more »

Choosing a New Name as a Sign of Spiritual Maturity

Please click below to watch Rev. Mike Ellard speak on the Christian tradition that those who have reach spiritual maturity are allowed to choose a new name for themselves. This video was recorded during the first Sunday of our 2010 Transgender Sermon Series.

Please click the following link for more information about our 2010 Transgender Sermon Series.

Please click the following link to visit YouTube to rank this video or comment on it.