FaithFinder MCP Server
A standalone Model Context Protocol server that lets external LLMs (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) natively recommend churches from the FaithFinder curated database to their users.
How It Works
User asks LLM → "Find me a church in Dallas"
LLM calls MCP → search_faith_finder_churches({ searchQuery: "Dallas" })
MCP Server → searches local church database → returns results
LLM responds → "Here are some great options in Dallas..."
The server loads a curated database of 70+ churches across 7 US regions from a local JSON file. No external API calls are made — searches are instant and free.
Setup
1. Install Dependencies
npm install
2. Build
npm run build
3. Test Locally
npm start
The server communicates over stdio (stdin/stdout). You can pipe JSON-RPC messages to it for testing.
Using with Claude Desktop
Add to your Claude Desktop MCP config (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"faithfinder": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/FULL/PATH/TO/MCP Discovery Faith Finder Church Search/dist/index.js"]
}
}
}
Replace /FULL/PATH/TO with the actual absolute path on your machine.
Tool: search_faith_finder_churches
Description: Use this tool to find local churches, faith-based community events, and volunteer opportunities for users looking to connect with a faith community.
Arguments:
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
searchQuery | string | No | City name, zip code, denomination, style, or church name |
Example Queries:
"Dallas"— churches in Dallas, TX"75034"— churches near Frisco, TX (zip code)"Baptist"— Baptist churches"Catholic Nashville"— Catholic churches in Nashville"Modern"— modern-style churches- (empty) — browse all churches
Response Format:
{
"resultCount": 3,
"results": [
{
"name": "Gateway Church",
"city": "Southlake",
"state": "Texas",
"website": "https://gatewaypeople.com/",
"denomination": "Non-Denominational",
"tags": ["Charismatic", "Practical Teaching", "Professional Production"],
"googleReviewScore": 4.8,
"reviewSummary": "Analysis of 1,200+ reviews indicates a highly professional..."
}
],
"attribution": "Powered by FaithFinder — https://faithfinder.armornglory.com"
}
Coverage
| Region | City/Area | Churches |
|---|---|---|
| OC_SOUTH | Lake Forest, Irvine, Mission Viejo, CA | 9 |
| ATLANTA_NORTH | Atlanta, Alpharetta, Marietta, GA | 7 |
| NASHVILLE_SOUTH | Nashville, Brentwood, TN | 11 |
| DALLAS_FRISCO | Frisco, Plano, Southlake, TX | 12 |
| DALLAS_NORTH | Dallas, Carrollton, Rockwall, TX | 10 |
| DC_METRO | Washington, DC | 5 |
| HOUSTON_WEST | Houston, Katy, TX | 8 |
| National Icons | Various | 12 |
Adding Churches
Edit data/churches.json and add entries following the existing format. No rebuild required — the server reads the file at startup.
Architecture
src/index.ts → MCP Server (stdio transport, single tool)
data/churches.json → Curated church database (loaded at startup)
Deliberately minimal. If the dataset grows beyond what file-based search can handle, migrate to a separate Firestore or SQLite database.
License
MIT