Career
In May of 2015 I began ministry as Senior Pastor / CEO of the First Congregational Church of Redlands California (FCC). We are a community of faith in the greater Los Angeles area. Our church is a follower of the Congregational Way, with roots that date back to New World travelers on the Mayflower and a tradition that has flourished throughout the United States. Our church was founded in Redlands in 1880 and the congregation began building our present structures on the corner of Cajon and Olive Streets in 1889. We belong to The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, formed in 1955 to give congregational churches a national fellowship. The association establishes colleges and gathers churches, as well as sends Christian servants abroad. FCC of Redlands offers numerous programs, with special emphasis on children, youth, music and community service. We have an active membership, with diverse life experiences, who share their time, talents, and treasures to the glory of God through the mission of the church.
Prior to this ministry I served in transition leadership in several ministries. I offered pastoral and organizational guidance at the Community Church of East Williston on Long Island, just outside New York City. I served Palisades Presbyterian Church in San Diego, as a First Response Interim Minister following the death of the pastor of 33 years and continued as Interim Pastor. Prior to this, I was Vice President of Development at Edify, an organization working to support education in poor communities in the developing world.
For nine years before I went to Edify, I served as Sr. Pastor and Head of Staff at Manasquan First Presbyterian Church on the Jersey Shore. This is a very active congregation with a day school, a music school for all ages, a talented staff and large volunteer base that actively supports meaningful services for the needs of the community. We ran the Manasquan Food Program for those living with food insecurity; offered Pastoral Care to the sick, homebound and dying through a skilled team of trained caregivers; founded the a Community Mental Health Center, and provided collaborative leadership among the public sector for dealing with community trauma. We had an excellent music program with regular concerts - and we went to hear our choir sing a couple times in 
Carnagie Hall. We celebrated the arts, provided many classes for the community, supported the homeless population and travelled the world with many service projects and relief efforts. Prior to my service in Manasquan New Jersey I served churches in Menlo Park and Thousand Oaks, California; and Seattle and Centralia, Washington.
I have an earned doctorate from San Francisco Theological Seminary, a Master of Science from Columbia University in the City of New York and a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. I did my undergraduate work at Seattle Pacific University in psychology and religion. I have certification in Executive and Organizational Coaching at New York University.
I have been on a variety of private and public boards and committees, including service as founding president of the Oaks School Board in Thousand Oaks, California, co-founder of the Samaritan Center of the Jersey Shore, commissioner to the Pensions Board of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), member of New Jersey State Board of Mental Health serving as a commissioner for Monmouth County, NJ, member of the Committee on Ministry in Monmouth Presbytery and chairman of the Committee on Preparation for Ministry in the Santa Barbara Presbytery. Throughout my career I have offered leadership to several major facility expansions and capital campaigns. I love to support people as they seek to make a difference in the world for good and for God.
Background
Much of who I am has its foundation in my childhood. I learned during my youth to readily adapt to new environments as my family traveled extensively with my father’s career in the United States military. My mother was a professional musician and gave to my four sisters and me a love for music. I developed leadership experience in my school days through student government and many youth counseling experiences. I developed a commitment to living a balanced life of service and leadership as an Eagle Scout. The principles of scouting still guide and inform me. I gained a great appreciation for the integration of faith and learning through attending a fine Christian school, Hawaii Baptist Academy. That is where I met Cindy. The picture above is with Cindy on her back porch in Hawaii, after we started dating. We both went to Seattle Pacific University. Our wonderful educational experiences were an inspiration behind our work in founding the non-profit that did initial work on the Oaks School.
My Family and Leisure
My wife Cindy worked many years in education, with a specialty in language acquisition development and curriculum design. She then developed expertise in organizational and personal life coaching. She is an ordained elder and is a certified Spiritual Director with the Benedictines. She has served as a speaker for retreats and conferences and offered direction for Spiritual Formation of young people. Most recently she served as Director of Children's Ministry at Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church. God has blessed us with four wonderful boys: Grant (who is married to Julia), Blake, Lane and Scott. I’ve enjoyed years of coaching baseball and soccer. I enjoy swimming, biking, hiking and travel.
