In the winter of 1896, Episcopalians vacationing at Montecito’s Miramar Hotel faced an inconvenience: attending Sunday services required a three-hour horse and buggy ride to Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Santa Barbara.

Trinity responded by offering informal services closer to the resort — a temporary solution that eventually became permanent.

Within four years, a stone chapel rose in Montecito, its 1900 cornerstone still standing. By 1913, the small mission had grown into a self-sustaining parish renamed All Saints-by-the-Sea.

This weekend, All Saints at 83 Eucalyptus Lane will celebrate its 125th anniversary with two days of worship, music, and fellowship, acknowledging its humble beginnings and celebrating its enduring spirit.

Ask Rev. Channing Smith what 125 years means, and he doesn’t emphasize the numbers, but the individuals his parish has touched.

“It’s the quality of changing lives that is really our focus,” he said. “It’s the gentle, powerful way that people grow through difficulties, find direction, and discover themselves.”

Smith attributes the church’s enduring strength to what he calls “a spiritual thirst.” The same longing that drew Montecito’s early parishioners, he said, continues to draw people today.

“We come spiritually thirsty and find both an encounter with God and a warm community,” Smith said. “That’s what first attracted people here, and it’s what sustains them.”

Over the decades, All Saints has grown alongside the community it serves, adding programs that reflect both tradition and progress.

The church recently named Rev. Christina Miller as its new associate rector for Families, Children, and Youth, while adult education and fellowship groups continue to thrive. The church also created a Green Team, which brings an environmental lens to worship, facilities and resources.

The church’s outreach extends well beyond its sanctuary. The Friendship Center, which began on the All Saints campus in 1979, provides day programs for seniors and adults with cognitive or physical challenges, often in joyful collaboration with students from the Parish School.

Parishioners also prepare and serve meals each month at Transition House, supporting local families moving from homelessness to stability.

All Saints recently established a partnership with St. Paul’s Church in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, joining in shared worship and mutual learning.

Throughout its history, the church always served as a sanctuary for the community, and this was perhaps never more apparent than during the the 2018 debris flow, when neighbors arrived in the middle of the night seeking refuge.

That welcoming spirit remains central to All Saints’ legacy. Rev. Smith said the church’s contemplative ministries offer “an antidote to everything else we’re experiencing in life,” creating space for people to feel grounded, safe and connected.

“At its heart, All Saints remains a place to encounter God and to belong,” he said.

This weekend’s celebration will welcome back former clergy, including the Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett, who served for eight years and preceded Rev. Smith, who will mark his second anniversary in January.

The festivities begin Saturday, Nov. 1, with a choir concert at 3 p.m. followed by a champagne reception. Sunday’s service will honor All Saints Day, starting at 9 a.m. and followed by a special anniversary brunch and children’s activities.

All events are open to the community, continuing a 125-year tradition of hospitality and faith that defines All Saints-by-the-Sea.