Mission City opens new campus in former dance hall

After five years in a temporary facility, Mission City Church in San Antonio opened its Northwest campus with over 1,000 in attendance on Aug. 15. Pastor Matt Surber began a new series from Acts on that day and many have responded to the gospel and have engaged in ministry at both the Central and Northwest campuses.

“What is so exciting to me, is that 95 percent of the Northwest campus is new growth, with no connection to the Central campus in Castle Hills. Our philosophy of campuses is like a new church plant, only there is a connection to the greater church. Our prayer is for four or five ‘Mission City Churches’ in communities all around San Antonio,” said Surber. 

Early in his tenure as pastor of Mission City, Surber was praying about additional San Antonio locations. One day, while washing his truck, he spotted the Leon Springs dance hall, a historic spot in the fast-growing northwest corridor of San Antonio. He asked if they would be open to a church meeting there and the owners agreed. 

During the construction of the new Northwest campus, COVID hit, and the church went to online worship for a time. Surber felt like the pandemic was an opportunity, not just a negative. Donnie Anthony, who has served for 20 years at the church and is currently mission pastor, shared, “We more than doubled our weekly food ministry and expanded our community outreach.  We saw over 80 trust Jesus as Savior in our drive-through distribution of food during COVID.”

That year of ministry laid the groundwork for a successful start to the church’s new campus. 

—Mission City Church