Churches and Congregations in Boulder Creek, Plus the Buildings That Came First

Local Guides

May 14

Boulder Creek keeps three active congregations, one Catholic, one United Methodist, and one Baptist, and all three sit within a few blocks of downtown. That's the practical half of this page: who meets where, and when. The other half is history, because two of the town's church buildings are on file with the county as historic resources, and one of them is the oldest church building still standing in Boulder Creek. It just isn't a church anymore.

One ground rule before the list: this page describes, it doesn't endorse. Inclusion isn't a recommendation of any congregation or tradition, and the service times below shift more often than business hours do. Confirm before visiting, especially around holidays.

St. Michael's Catholic Church

Address: 13005 Pine Street, Boulder Creek
Phone: 831-338-6112
Website: stmichaelschurchbc.org
Mass: Sunday 10 a.m.; Wednesday 9:30 a.m.; call to confirm

The town's Catholic parish sits on Pine Street a couple of blocks off the main drag, part of the Diocese of Monterey. As of this writing the parish publishes a Sunday 10 a.m. Mass and a Wednesday morning Mass at 9:30, with Holy Day schedules announced separately; the site currently notes no Saturday vigil, though older listings around the web still show one, which is exactly why you call first. The parish office keeps short hours, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 9 to 11. Catholic roots in town run deep: a first Catholic church went up around 1900 and was replaced mid-century by a larger building.

Boulder Creek United Methodist Church

Address: 12855 Boulder Street, Boulder Creek
Phone: 831-338-6232
Website: bcumc.com
Worship: Sunday 10 a.m., in person and on Zoom; confirm before visiting

The Methodist congregation worships in the 1908 landmark at Boulder and Mountain Streets (more on the building below) and belongs to the El Camino Real District of the United Methodist Church's California-Nevada Conference. The church publishes a Sunday 10 a.m. service, offered both in the sanctuary and over Zoom, plus a Thursday morning Bible study online. It also functions as one of the town's quiet community buildings: it hosts Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, Alcoholics Anonymous groups, and rehearsal and performance space for the Concerto Strings orchestra.

Boulder Creek Community Church

Address: 12465 Highway 9, Boulder Creek
Phone: 831-338-3700
Website: bccchurch.org
Services: Sunday 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.; confirm before visiting

At the south end of town on Highway 9, Boulder Creek Community Church is a Southern Baptist congregation that runs two Sunday services, at 9 and 10:45 a.m., and livestreams on YouTube for anyone up a long driveway on a stormy morning. The church runs a youth ministry and keeps a prayer text line at 831-338-PRAY.

The two historic church buildings

Boulder Creek's church history is longer and rougher than its current roster suggests, and the county's historic-resource files tell most of the story.

The oldest church building still standing in town is the little Gothic Revival chapel at 12547 Highway 9, built in 1906 as Grace Episcopal Church. A lay reader named Arthur Darwall and his son built it from local redwood, pointed-arch windows and all, in what was then the separate town of Lorenzo. The Episcopal congregation consolidated with Ben Lomond's around 1915, the Christian Science Society bought the building in 1923, and in 1995 it passed to the Boulder Creek Historical Society. Today it houses the San Lorenzo Valley Museum, so you can walk through it on an ordinary afternoon, original redwood walls, scissor trusses, and one surviving pew included.

The Methodist building at 12855 Boulder Street is the survivor of a harder run. Methodist class meetings in the valley date to about 1865, and the congregation's first church went up in Lorenzo in the mid-1870s, built by J.W. Peery. It burned in 1885, was rebuilt the same year, and burned again in 1907, a fire rumored at the time (never proven) to be arson by the saloon element the congregation kept preaching against. The present Carpenter Gothic building, with its square tower and four shingled corner turrets, went up in 1908, built again by Peery with $500 from the Methodist Home Mission Board and local donations. It has stood on the same corner ever since, with a school wing added in 1949. The whole saga, fires included, fits the pattern in our town history timeline.

What this page doesn't cover

Mountain Sangha, despite the name, isn't a congregation; it's a yoga and movement studio on Highway 9, covered in its own article. And some traditions that once had a house of worship in town no longer do: there's been no Episcopal congregation here since the 1915 consolidation, and the Presbyterian church lost to fire in 1908 was never replaced in town. For denominations without a Boulder Creek presence, the nearest options are down the valley in Ben Lomond, Felton, and Scotts Valley. Separately, Valley Churches United Missions in Ben Lomond, a valley charity with church roots, runs the area's food pantry and appears in our directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many churches does Boulder Creek have?

Three active congregations: St. Michael's Catholic Church on Pine Street, Boulder Creek United Methodist Church on Boulder Street, and Boulder Creek Community Church (Baptist) on Highway 9.

What's the oldest church building in Boulder Creek?

The 1906 Grace Episcopal Church building at 12547 Highway 9, per its county historic-resource file. It's no longer a church; it houses the San Lorenzo Valley Museum, and it's open to visitors.

Is there a Catholic Mass in Boulder Creek?

Yes. St. Michael's publishes a Sunday 10 a.m. Mass and a Wednesday 9:30 a.m. Mass. Schedules shift, so call 831-338-6112 before you go.

Which churches offer online services?

Boulder Creek United Methodist publishes a Zoom option for its Sunday service, and Boulder Creek Community Church livestreams on YouTube. Confirm links on each church's own site.

Is this page recommending a church?

No. It lists what exists, even-handedly, and takes no position on any congregation or tradition. Visit, ask questions, and decide for yourself.