The Chapel is maintained for the use and enjoyment of the public by the non-profit Sea Ranch Chapel Foundation. Funding for Chapel operations depends on donations and special events fees, as well as income produced by the original endowment.

The Chapel was the gift of Sea Ranch residents Robert and Betty Buffum, who envisioned a place for meditation and spiritual renewal at the Sea Ranch. Their interest and generosity spanned every aspect of realizing this vision: purchasing the site, engaging the architect, financing the construction, and endowing a foundation for the maintenance of the Chapel.

The Buffums were familiar with the work of internationally renowned San Diego artist and architect James T. Hubbell, and engaged him to design the Chapel. Hubbell has received numerous awards for his work in design, sculpture, wood, glass, stone, and metal. Among them, a 1985 "Special Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship" from the California Council of the American Institute of Architects particularly recognized his work on The Sea Ranch Chapel. To experience the Sea Ranch Chapel from the architect's point of view, and see other examples of his work, visit the Hubbell&Hubbell Web Site.

Hubbell assembled a team of local professionals to realize his design. Construction Coordinator Thamby Kumaran, a local contractor specializing in hand-crafted structures, led a construction team of local artists and craftsmen which included sculptor/carpenter Bruce Johnson, and carpenter Tim Carpenter. The Coordinating Architect was Don Jacobs, and the Landscape Architect was George Wickstead. The team strove to create a structure that evoked a sense of harmony with its surroundings by echoing elements of the forest, meadow, and sky. The uniqueness and beauty of the Sea Ranch Chapel continue to inspire visitors 20 years after its completion.

A bequest in memory of John King financed restoration and improvement of the Chapel grounds and garden in 2004.

The Chapel is dedicated to the memory of Kirk Ditzler, a young artist, aviator, and zoologist who believed that art is the intermediary between the physical and the spiritual. Ditzler's drawings influenced the design, and the soaring lines of the structure are reminiscent of some of his art.