The Norfolk-Virginia Beach Railroad contributed $500 to build a “Union Chapel” at the waterfront and 18th Street to be used jointly by denominations. On Sundays, a Catholic Mass was held early, Presbyterians gathered at 9:30, Episcopalians at 11:00, Baptists at 3:30 p.m. and Methodists held evening prayer at 7:30 p.m. When other denominations built their own churches and moved away, Episcopalians purchased the chapel in 1896, and named it “Galilee by the Sea.” In the early years around the turn of the century, Galilee recorded 128 baptized members, eight teachers and 54 “scholars.”

Thirty years later, the growth of both Galilee and Virginia Beach required another move – to our present location. The cornerstone of today’s Galilee was laid at 40th Street and Pacific Avenue on July 8, 1956. A renovation program was completed in 1988, adding a new chapel and a large parish hall. In April of 2002, a new addition to the facility was dedicated, nearly doubling the church’s physical space with a large multi-purpose room, foyer and youth and childcare facilities. God has richly blessed Galilee Church over the more than one hundred years of her history, and today our vision remains strong and heartfelt: to be a Christ-centered community bringing the renewal of Christ to a world in need.