The Rock Church, along with a group of investors, has acquired The Body Shop strip club at 3776 Riley St. in Point Loma.
Church officials, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Councilmember Lorie Zapf, San Diego Police and business dignitaries will hold a joint press conference at the property 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 2 to discuss the site’s purchase and future use.
“The purchase of this establishment is in alignment with our efforts to positively impact the City of San Diego,” said Miles McPherson, Rock Church senior pastor.”The Body Shop had been in continual operation in San Diego for 50 years before it closed in December to go on the market.”
McPherson noted the former adult establishment is “located in one of the busiest intersections in Point Loma, forcing parents to explain to their young children why there is a huge sign reading ‘Nude Girls.’” Added McPherson, “When it became available, and we learned that other adult entertainment operators where trying to buy it to reopen it as a strip club, we thought we should get involved and provide something more beneficial to the residents of Point Loma.”
The Rock Church currently has 101 outreach ministries and 38 community partners committed to serving the needs of San Diego.
Since the inception of Rock Church in 2000, the church leadership has seen targeting the sex industry as one of the church’s highest priorities. The church offers separate male and female groups helping people overcome porn and sex addiction, while partnering with groups helping women leave the sex industry.
Of the repurposing of the former strip club, McPherson, said: “We seek strategic ways to provide numerous positive resources to people who call San Diego home. We are not sure what we will do with the old Body Shop building, but you can rest assured it will never be a sex shop again. We invite anyone who is struggling with sex addiction in their life to take advantage of the resources offered through the Rock Church to find health and healing.”
Founded by former San Diego Chargers player, McPherson, the Rock Church has grown to become one of the nation’s largest and most diverse congregations. Today, Rock Church draws 20,000 attendees to its weekly services, through five campuses,18 microsites and multiple online services broadcasts.
The Point Loma campus of Rock Church is in a 244,000-square-foot building in Liberty Station, which includes office space and a 3,500-seat worship center.
Adjacent to the church is the Rock Academy, a private Christian school serving preschool through 12th grade with more than 400 students.
