Saddleback opens place of worship in Costa Mesa

Pastor Moses Camacho pauses at Saddleback Church's new location in Costa Mesa. The church, which recently moved from its earlier location at Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, now has twice as much space at 400 seats.

By Bradley Zint

Feb. 6, 2015 3:59 PM PT

It took pastor Moses Camacho over a year to find it, but when he did, he knew it was the right place.

With its Spanish mission-style architecture, it was clear that Saddleback Church had found a home for its newest campus at 1901 Newport Plaza, in downtown Costa Mesa.

“There’s water fountains everywhere, and there’s greenery everywhere,” Camacho said. “It gives you a calming, soothing feeling as you walk onto the property. It helps give your heart and your mind ready for what a church has to offer.”

The Costa Mesa campus, which opened on Super Bowl Sunday and attracted an estimated 1,200 people, is Saddleback’s seventh in Orange County. The congregation had been meeting Sundays at Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach.

Under the arrangement, the church had limited offerings because it was able to use the site only one day a week. Now in Costa Mesa, members of the congregation have 20,000 square feet to themselves, and the Saddleback branch will operate daily.

“Having a permanent home makes life so much easier,” Camacho said.

The main room seats about 400. Its stage has the church’s motto emblazoned on both sides in large font: “Love beach cities.”

The campus has spaces for students and children and will also host men’s and women’s gatherings, as well as recovery classes.

Saddleback founder Rick Warren, who preaches at Saddleback’s original church in Lake Forest, will be in attendance Sunday to pray for the new campus.

Camacho, 38, is a third-generation pastor who grew up in Corona.

“I grew up in a faith-based family, from the very beginning,” he said.

He met his wife at Cal State Fullerton. They have three boys, twin 6-year-olds and a 4-year-old, and have lived in Newport Beach for six years.

Before dedicating himself full time to the church, Camacho taught physical education and health at a middle school in Corona for seven years. He has worked for Saddleback for the last four.

Camacho said Saddleback, a Southern Baptist church, aims to make a difference in the lives of local families in a variety of ways: physical health, finances, parenting, marriages and spiritually.

“Those are our pillars of what we want to do as a church,” Camacho said.