Welcome!
¡Bienvenidos!
Who We Are
Our five-window art glass installation in the chancel is designed by the world-renowned glass artist Gordon Huether of Napa, California.
We are a Congregational Church which means we are our own independent, self-governing body with an active lay leadership team and high volunteerism among our members. Our vision is:
To be a strong voice for Progressive Christianity on the San Francisco Peninsula and beyond, to build a beloved community and to lead in championing social justice for all.
We are part of the United Church of Christ (UCC) and support its “God is Still Speaking” Campaign. Since 2002, we have been an Open and Affirming (ONA) congregation. This is a UCC designation which means that we affirm the full inclusion of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions into CCSM’s life and ministry.
CCSM's Guiding Principles
We are a Spiritual Community
We welcome the full participation of believers, agnostics, and skeptics from all faith traditions. We are all at different places on our spiritual journeys, and we come together to support each other as we seek connection with God through ritual, artistic expression, nature, study, and fellowship.
We are Christian
We follow Jesus’s example as a way of life and a way of love. Following Jesus is rooted in our identity as Christians, and we cherish our tradition’s sacred book, the Bible, for its spiritual wisdom contained in symbol, metaphor, and history. We also explore other faith traditions and learn from other sacred texts as we seek to answer Jesus’ call to love.
We are God’s Hands, Feet and Face
We work together to feed the hungry, care for the sick, house the homeless, and advocate for a more just society. We do this knowing that God has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet and no face but our face.
We are Inclusive
We celebrate Jesus’ teachings of radical equality and the differences among us including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, language, age, and mental and physical disabilities. No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.
We are Open Minded
We recognize the inherent worth of each of us, and we listen to different points of view in order to learn and grow. We strive to practice empathy and compassion, and we seek to understand one another.
We are Evolving
We experience faith as a quest, not a set of absolute truths. We welcome change, seek transformation, and explore new ways of being faithful because we know that God is still speaking.
Staff & Leadership
Rev. Jessica Vacketta, Senior Minister
She enjoys being "Aunt Jess" to Lily, Penny, and Theo who live in Livermore, and she looks forward to many adventures in the Bay Area with her California family (which also includes her sister, Leslie, and brother-in-law Greg).
Jessica loves deviled eggs, holiday cups, and discovering new restaurants. If she's not at the church, you can probably find her at a local coffee shop or walking around downtown San Mateo listening to a podcast.
Rev. Álvaro Durán,
Minister of Community Life & Ministerio Latino
The Congregational Church of San Mateo has maintained a sustained commitment to the Latino community since 2009, when an initiative to share solidarity support and expand its relationships with Spanish-speaking Latinos in the North Central San Mateo neighborhood emerged from the dream of its members.
In 2017, the Spanish-speaking "Wednesday gathering" faith community was organized, a group of Latinos with many things in common with the church's English-speaking community: A commitment to social justice and willing hearts to live a lively, progressive, and inclusive spirituality. That same year, the congregation adopted "Sanctuary Congregation" status, offering physical refuge to people facing deportation orders. It became one of the first churches on the peninsula to offer physical shelter on religious property. Between 2020 and 2022, the church provided pastoral accompaniment and, in alliance with other partner organizations, distributed food and supported all Latino persons who requested it to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the Latino Ministry is strengthening and preparing for a new time of growth to extend an extravagant welcome to all Spanish-speaking Latinos seeking a progressive, Christian faith community committed to justice where all people are welcome without exception.
Chase Montara
Director of Operations
Cheryle Matteo
Bookkeeper
Zoe Mullery
Administrative Assistant
& Graphic Design
John McCann
Webmaster & Technical Support
Oscar Rosa
Custodian
Chuck Rosenthal
Video Ministry
Lay Leadership
Board of Directors and Members-at-Large
Don Ruthroff
Moderator
Frank Garritano
Vice Moderator
Valerie Leung
Secretary
Martha Bronitsky
Treasurer
Kay Harris
Council of Ministries Lead
Rebecca Ruedy-Whelan
At-Large
Mike Hill
At-Large
Robert Leung
At-Large
Kerianne Steele
At-Large
Committee Chairs
Frank Garritano
Governance
Martha Bronitsky
Finance
Jim Lindsay
Endowment
Michelle Oberes-Padre
Personnel
Phil Lind
Personnel & Historian
Chris Wuthmann
Pastoral Relations
Jim Schwandt
Buildings & Grounds
Council of Ministries
Pam Ridlehuber
Liturgical Arts
Dave Olson
Spiritual Life
Siew Kang
Spiritual Life
Melodie Lew
Congregational Care
Genel Morgan
Service & Justice
Sharon Tobin
Service & Justice
Alison Schwandt
Engagement
Katie Bylander
Music
Gary White
Environmental Justice
Troy Grabow & Kim Rey
Children, Youth, and Families
Katherine Vega-Stultz,
Kerianne Steele,
Lauren Mathews,
& Alicia Santamaria
Latino Ministry
Rev. Dr. Penny Nixon, Minister Emerita, Retired
Currently, Penny works as a consultant at the intersection of affordable housing and faith communities.