Jim McGuire, Executive Pastor

Born:	1957, Portland, Oregon
Spouse's Name:	Susan
Married Since:	1984
Number of Children:	3
Education:	B.S. in Psychology, Masters level studies in Theology and Counseling
On Staff Since:	1979
Interests:	Family, Fishing, Sports, Handyman Stuff
Life Verse:	Joshua 24:15 - "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Testimony:	I grew up in a religious home, attending religious school. We attended church each week, sometimes multiple times in a week. When I was seventeen, I was trying to find my place in life. A friend challenged me with the question, "If you were to die tonight, where would you go?" My answer was based on my denomination, not on scripture! In fact, when I was asked, "Where would you find that answer in the Bible?" I realized after 12 years of formal religious education and church, I had never opened a Bible on my own. It had always been interpreted for me. I was directed to John 3:16. That night, in June of 1974, I gave my life to Christ.

Dean Christensen, Pastor of Worship & The Arts

Born:	1960, Portland, Oregon
Spouse's Name:	Becki
Married Since:	1982
Number of Children:	3
Education:	Masters in Church Music, Western Seminary
On Staff Since:	1987
Interests:	Family, Music, Fly-fishing
Testimony:	I was born in 1960 into a Christian home in the Portland area. I have a sister who is three years younger than I. My parents were both very involved in the church and so much of our lives centered around activities at the church. My grandmother began teaching me to play the piano "by ear" when I was four and my love for music never waned. When I was 9, a traveling evangelist and his wife came to our church. The man's wife did a chalk drawing while he talked about Jesus, our sin, and our need for a savior. His wife was drawing a beautiful hillside and I was captivated by her artistic ability. At the moment that he presented the Gospel, she turned on a black light and a cross appeared on the hillside. It sounds kind of cheesy, but God used the artistry of that moment with the truth of the Gospel to get me to see my sin and my need for a savior. I prayed later that night with my dad to trust Jesus as my savior. Some of my significant musical influences through high school and college were Billy Joel, Elton John, James Taylor, Jackson Brown and Michael McDonald. While I love playing music, I knew that I never wanted to go into music ministry. After college, I began working with a band that was doing a lot of music for youth camps. It was during this time that I began to discover worship. We were writing some new worship songs and found that the students responded really well to them. I began to understand that people were created to worship and that even if they didn't know God, there was a hunger or longing in them to worship Him. I found that if the music was done in a way that was culturally relevant to them, they would respond, often surrendering their lives to God. It was here that God planted in me a passion to point people to Him. I found that nothing gave me greater joy than leading people into God's presence to respond to Him and be changed by Him.

John Jordan, World Missions Pastor

Born:	1955, Upland, California
Spouse's Name:	Ruth
Married Since:	1984
Number of Children:	2
Education:	BA in Missions; Masters in Christian Education
On Staff Since:	1993
Interests:	Family, Aviation, Home Improvement
Life Verse:	II Timothy 2:15 - "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."
Testimony:	I grew up in a Christian home. My father was a pastor who planted churches in rural, southern California. My parents also volunteered on the weekends at the Door of Hope Mission in downtown Los Angeles, where I was dedicated as a baby. I prayed to receive Christ as my savior when I was ten years old. Having earned my pilots license while in high school, I chose to attend Christian Heritage College to major in aviation. However, it was while I was flying missionaries around that God convinced me he had other plans for my life. I switched my major to missions, earned a Masters in Christian Education and worked as a youth pastor for ten years. It was through experiences on short-term missions trips with college students that I saw the need for mobilizing churches for outreach and missions. Throughout the next ten years, God developed in me a growing sense of urgency to involve churches in reaching people around the world who have never heard the Gospel. As a pastor of Adult Education, and as an Executive Pastor, I spent an increasing amount of time focusing on involving people in missions until I finally made the jump to a full-time missions pastor's position at Village. Through the ministry at Village, we have been able to reach thousands of people with the message of Jesus Christ and have involved hundreds of Villagers in first hand missions experience.

 Bob Walker, Pastor to Senior Adults and Pastoral Care

Born:	1949, Victoria B.C., Canada
Spouse's Name:	Memry
Married Since:	1977
Number of Children:	2
Education:	B.A. from Linfield College. Additional courses from Western Seminary
On staff since:	1982
Interests:	Golf (both playing and collecting memorabilia), exercise, friends
Life Verse:	Philippians 2:15 (from The Message) - "Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the Living God. Carry the light-giving message into the night."
Testimony:	After attending church regularly for 12 years, I came to the point of realizing that a Christian was not someone who simply went to church. After hearing the pastor explain what a Christian was, and how to become one, I realized that this was a decision I had to make. The summer of my senior year of high school, I made the decision to put my trust in Christ for my salvation while attending Village. By my junior year of college, I was seriously evaluating what the direction of my life would be following graduation. My decision was made based on two questions a friend of mine asked me: "What is the greatest thing that has ever happened to you?" and "What is the greatest thing you could ever do for another?" When I concluded that the greatest thing that had ever happened to me was becoming a Christian and that the greatest thing I could ever do for another was to help them do the same, I joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. After 10 years of service with Crusade, we returned to Portland in 1983 to become a part of the Village staff. It has been my joy to be a part of our Village family for over 50 years.

Mike Reid, Pastor of Adult Ministries

Born:	1955, Medford, Oregon
Spouse's Name:	Jan
Married Since:	1983
Number of Children:	2
Education:	B.A., Biola University; M. Div., Western Seminary
On Staff Since:	2003
Interests:	Endurance Running, Gardening and Landscaping
Life Verse:	Psalm 63:1 - "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my flesh faints for you; as in a dry and weary land where there is no water."
Testimony:	I grew up in a non-religious home. As a teenager, I got into a lot of trouble with drugs and such. I pretty much knew my life was pointless, but I felt helpless to change it. A friend invited me to Village Church and I occasionally came with her. At one point, my problems became so difficult that I asked the youth pastor for advice. He shared with me the good news of salvation through Jesus. A few weeks later I gave my life to Christ. It was tremendous - my life took a 180 degree turn. Other people at Village stepped forward to show me how to live the Christian life. Over the 30 years since that time, Christ has completely changed my life, and the Village family has become "home" for me.

Randy Archer, Pastor of Community Connection & Men's Ministries

Born:	1969, Downey, CA
Spouse's Name:	Alisha
Married Since:	1993
Number of Children:	3 (Cody, Ethan, Julia)
Education:	BA in Religion, Biblical Studies, Azusa Pacific University
On Staff Since:	2007
Interests:	Hanging with my family, surfing, triathlon, good coffee
Life Verse:	Isaiah 43:18-21- "Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say 'Thank You!' - the coyotes and the buzzards - Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sun-baked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me." (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language)
Testimony:	My journey with Christ started before I was born. My dad was (and is still) a pastor and my mom was the worship leader - so if the church doors were open, we were there. If something was happening related to church, my sister and I were there - camps, practices, trips, etc... I have never been one for maintaining the status quo and I began pushing the limits at home. In sixth grade I started a seven year trip away from God and I couldn't stand the church. Following Christ had never been mine, it was always my parents thing. During this time, my brother and sister were born and I took the responsibility of being a positive influence in their life seriously and began to slowly look back towards God. When I was 19, in a small chapel listening to a man share about the love of God and the extra baggage we carry in our lives, I committed my life to following Christ - this time it was mine, not my parents. I started volunteering with junior high and high school students, loved it and decided to be a Youth Pastor. I graduated from Azusa Pacific University in 1992, and Alisha and I were married the following year. Alisha's social work and my recruiting students to the University were soon being overshadowed by our desire to be in ministry. We moved to Oregon to work with youth and thirteen years, one dog and three children later, God has brought us to Village. The Journey continues in amazing, new and emerging ways. What a ride!

Born:	1967 in Seoul, Korea
Spouse's Name:	Heng Ja
Married Since:	1995
Number of Children:	4, Joyce, Daniel, Samuel, Deborah
Education:	Soongsil University in Seoul, Korea (1990); Master of Divinity - Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Seoul, Korea (1995)
On Staff Since:	2007
Life Verse:	Psalm 1 - "1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. 3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Testimony:	Pastor Joe Kim grew up in a Christian home and his father was an ordained Pastor. Growing up, his dream was to be a Pastor, and it was a dream that never faded. He pursued ministry immediately following high school, and as a college student he served as a Bible Study leader and church lay staff member. Pastor Joe met his wife in 1990 and they were wed by 1995. After finishing college, he continued to pursue ministry - his experiences included Worship Director (1993), Children's Ministry Director (1994), Seniors Ministry Director (1995), and the Administrative Director (1996). During these years, he attended seminary to complete his M.Div, and in 1997 he was ordained as a Pastor by Eung-Am Presbyterian Church in Seoul. The Lord directed him to Vancouver B.C. to minister to Korean international students in that vicinity, so he moved with his family to Canada in 1998. After 10 years of serving in Canada, God started a new chapter in Pastor Joe's life and his ministry at Village began.

Matt Matias, Pastor of Students & Their Families

Born:	1982, Orange, California
Spouse's Name:	Heather
Married Since:	2006
Number of Children:	0
Education:	BA Christian Education
On Staff Since:	2007
Interests:	Off-roading, skateboarding, mountain biking, hanging out with my wife!
Life Verse:	1 Timothy 6:11-14, "11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Testimony:	When I was in high school, I had a small group leader who explained Christianity to me on an intellectual basis. I had never been told why we could trust what the Bible was saying was true. I had primarily grown up in the church and knew all the church answers but prior to this point had never made a decision to make this faith called Christianity my own. It was that night, after connecting some dots, that I decided to follow Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Around that same time, my church had built a skate park for all of the kids in our community who enjoyed skateboarding. There was junior high night and high school nights to skateboard, but I chose to go to all of them. It was there, on a junior high night, that I met the person who introduced me to ministry, Kent Anderson. Kent showed me what it was like to love the unlovely. He showed me what it was like to serve God and have an enternal impact in this world. He showed me love when I didn't deserve it. After a few months Kent helped change my life and I thought that if I could just show Christ to other hurting kids the way that Kent showed Christ to me, then that is what I wanted the rest of my life to look like.

Renjy Abraham, Pastor to an Emerging Culture

Born:	1981, Portland, Oregon
Spouse's Name:	Katy
Married Since:	2006
Number of Children:	1
Education:	Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Oregon State University, currently working on Masters of Arts in Exegetical Theology from Western Seminary
On Staff Since:	2004
Interests:	My wife, my friends, sports, the Portland Trailblazers, hanging out
Life Verse:	Romans 11:33-36 - Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Testimony:	My parents are amazing followers of Christ and were always involved in many different ministries expanding the church both locally and globally. As a result, I do not remember a time where I did not know about Jesus. In junior high and high school, it became apparent to me that the way of the world and the way of Christ were very different. One was about self, favoritism, even displaying cruelty to others, while the other was about love and showing grace and compassion to all. I wanted to be about the things of Christ and I knew that it could only happen by his grace. It was at this point when my journey as a follower of Christ became intentional. During my time at Oregon State, I was highly involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and discovered that I loved deep conversations about life and theology, leading worship, and teaching the Bible. However, I wrestled with God on what this would translate to after graduation. After years of conversations with friends and family, I felt compelled by God to dedicate my life to teaching the Scriptures, enabling worshipers of Christ, and demonstrating God's love. Through my ministry I hope to serve others as Christ did, showing all people what it means to be a follower of Christ, both locally and globally.

Donna Thomas, Director of Children and Their Families

Born:	1946, Portland, Oregon
Spouse's Name:	Wayne
Married Since:	1965
Number of Children:	2
Education:	Majored in Elementary Education at Portland State, Classes at Western Seminary
On Staff Since:	1993
Interests:	Sewing, Reading, Handwork (embroidery, etc.), Playing with my grandchildren
Life Verse:	Philippians 4:13 - "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Testimony:	I began going to church with a neighbor when I was four years old. When I was 12, I asked my mother if she thought I would go to heaven when I died. She asked me what I thought. I knew I was a sinner and needed to ask Jesus for forgiveness and to be my savior. Later, in high school, I told the Lord that I wanted to surrender everything to Him and serve Him in whatever capacity He desired for me. I have worked with and taught children since I was a young teen. When my own children were in late grade school and junior high, I was given the opportunity to teach preschool and later direct the school. After doing this for 12 years, I was asked to consider coming on staff as the Director of Children's Ministries. I prayed for two months desiring God's direction, and He answered very clearly. Village has been "home" to our family for 19 years. It is a joy and privilege to work with His children.

Judy Post, Director of Women's Ministries

Born:	1944, Salem, Oregon
Spouse's Name:	Bob
Married Since:	1966
Number of Children:	3
Education:	Nursing Diploma for RN
Interests:	Reading, Golfing, Sports, Friends
On Staff Since:	1995
Life Verse:	Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own   understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Testimony:	I was born into a Christian home, and I was four years old when I prayed to receive Christ into my heart. My mother shared with me how much God loved me and that He had made it possible for me to become a part of his family through his son Jesus.  She explained that all of us have done things that are wrong, but that Jesus, God's perfect Son , had died on the cross for my sins and that if I believed that and asked Him to come into my heart and forgive my sins then I could become a part of God's family.  I prayed that day for Jesus to come into my life, and HE did! The joy and peace that I experienced that day was so real, and it remains real in my life today. I have always been active in church, Bible studies, and volunteer ministries, however it wasn't until I was 50 years old that I told the Lord that I was willing to do whatever He wanted me to do.  For six months I prayed and told the Lord that I wanted to learn to love and trust Him more and to be totally submitted to His will for my life. I had been a nurse for 30 years and I thought maybe He was leading me into hospice nursing with more opportunities for sharing God's love with others.  But that proved to be wrong. God had other plans for me. He provided a totally new avenue of ministry for me.  I was asked to come on staff here at Village as Director of Women's Ministries.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought of that position, but God had.  After much prayer and counsel from family and trusted friends, I said yes.  The peace and joy that accompanied that decision was similar to when I received Christ into my life so many years ago. The need to totally rely on the Lord moment by moment has been very real and constant. God's faithfulness in my life has been so evident. What a privilege and honor it is to serve the Lord.  Our God is an awesome God.

Gary Ewer, Director of Membership & Ministry Connections

Born:	1952, Okanogan, Washington
Spouse's Name:	Robin
Married Since:	1973
Number of Children:	3
Education:	M.S. in Education, Portland State University
On Staff Since:	2000
Interests:	Astronomy, Gardening, Fishing, Hiking
Life Verse:	Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Testimony:	I was baptized as an infant in the Lutheran Church.  I primarily attended services on Easter and Christmas.   Growing up in the church, I  heard about God's love and Christ's sacrifice on the cross.  However, God seemed very distant, impersonal, and unapproachable to me.  In fact, I often felt overwhelmed by guilt because of my life style and actions.  I had no peace with God and could not see anyway to possibly please Him.  My only hope was that someday my good works would eventually out weigh my bad ones. While serving in the US Navy in 1972 a fellow crew member presented the Gospel to me and told me that I could have peace with God through Christ.  He also said that I could have a personal relationship with God.  As we read the Bible together that day my heart was struck with God's love and grace towards me as an individual.  I prayed and gladly trusted Christ as my savior.   My relationship with God continues to grow today.  God has greatly blessed my life since I put my trust in Him. I served as an Assistant Pastor and K-12 Christian School supervisor at Temple Baptist Academy in Olympia, WA, during the early 1980's. In December of 2000 I accepted a part-time role as Gifts Ministry Director at Village. I enjoy working with our people and helping them discover and use their spiritual gifts.