Pastor Steve was first ordained in 1998 and served in Huntington Beach and Santa Barbara before landing in the Conejo Valley. His experience in ministry includes youth and young adult ministry, visitation ministry, mission and service work, Biblical study, worship design and leadership, and evangelistic outreach.

 

Pastor Steve earned his BA in English at California State University, Humboldt, Class of 1992. He earned his Masters of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary, Class of 1998. Both degrees are cum laude. He comes to us by way of Thousand Oaks UMC, where he was Senior Pastor from 2006 - 2016 before he was appointed at Valencia UMC, where he was Senior Pastor from July 2016 - March 2018.

 

Pastor Steve is known for good pastoral care skills, creative worship, powerful preaching, and an ability to minister across generational gaps. He is a part of the emergent conversation, yet is quick to honor and remember the traditions of Methodism. He is equally comfortable singing modern worship songs or the traditional hymns. He believes that ministry is a work of the entire church body: all Christians are called to ministry.