Hi, I'm Kevin and my role as Senior Pastor is to be the spiritual leader of PathwayCF, the primary Teaching Pastor, and the communicator of PathwayCF’s mission, vision, and values. We are dedicated to letting people know they matter to God and discovering how to live life to the fullest.
Jolene and I have pastored together for twenty-five years. In 1994 we moved with our three daughters to Northridge to take the senior position at PathwayCF.
BASIC STUFF: My journey to pastoring this church was non-linear. It took me from farming, to ranching, to truck driving, to logging and then to stick framing. I became a student, assisting in different churches, and a licensed family therapist. I became, and am, a seminary professor and finally, a senior pastor. I have a passion for this city and a desire to connect the unconnected to Christ, by helping people discover the path God has for them.
BIRTHDAY: September 9, 1957
EDUCATION: B.S. in Sociology from Vanguard University; M. Div. with a focus in Family Therapy, Th. M., and a D. Min. with an emphasis in spirituality from Fuller Theological Seminary. I am also a Ph.D. candidate (“ABD”) from Fuller Theological Seminary.
INTERESTS AND FAVORITES
PLACES: Outside of eastern Washington, I love camping at the beach, hiking in the mountains, and driving through the high desert (with lots of air conditioning).
iPOD: Country Swing, Jazz, Blue Grass Gospel and certain Gospel Choir cuts.
BOOKS: Anything on Practical Theology and leadership (especially Anderson, Drucker and C. S. Lewis), Philosophical Theology (especially Bonhoeffer, Grenz and McGrath). I love novels by Stephen King, and Taylor Caldwell. I am also developing a taste for not-so-good-for-you mysteries (especially Patterson, Connelly and Woods).
TIVO: I don’t. I wish I did. I can learn!
SPORTS TEAMS: Angels (since 1966), Chargers (since the Rams left), and (here I go again) Rodeo.
MOVIES: Any western or outer space movies (think Space Cowboys with Clint Eastwood). Anything with Gary Cooper, “The Duke,” Jimmy Stewart, Robert Duvall, Anthony Hopkins or Tom Hanks. However, the movies I watch again and again are Shawshank Redemption, The Apostle, A Leap of Faith and Elmer Gantry.
HOBBIES: Golf, camping, travel, water sports, training for Iron Man, four wheeling or horseback riding, and hanging with my honey.
DISLIKES: Unsupervised shopping carts in the neighborhood, red lights and speed limit signs when I am in a hurry (but I obey them anyway), the phrase “honestly’ (as opposed to the rest of the time), the current caricature of the Christian Church in America, people who do not take time for people.
ODD FACTS: At one time or another in my life I have: ridden steers while training to be a bull rider, bottle-fed buffaloes, played cards professionally, driven cattle, played golf on the Golden State Tour, tried cliff diving and scuba diving, and have lived to tell about it. The oddest fact about my life, however, is that God uses me every Sunday morning to preach His Word to His people.
LIFE SCRIPTURE: "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." (I John 4:17).
Jolene's Stuff
Hi, I’m Jolene and I serve as Co-Senior Pastor at PathwayCF. My primary responsibilities are Administration, Leadership, and Catalyst Groups. I give specific attention to Women’s Ministry and Children’s Ministry.
BASIC STUFF: I grew up in the Nazarene Denomination and I have always valued my holiness training. In my twenties I met and married my husband, Kevin, and began the road of ministry at The Eagle’s Nest in Irvine. Since that time we have pastored in the heart of Los Angeles at Angelus Temple and in the high desert towns of Quartz Hill and Mojave. Following our “desert experience” -- which we loved -- we came to the San Fernando Valley. At PathwayCF since 1994, my life has been filled with the ministry to this church and family “ministry” to my three daughters and husband. It all starts at home. We have since gained a wonderful son-in-law and a (if not THE most) beautiful granddaughter.
INTERESTS AND FAVORITES
PLACES: The Garden Tomb in Israel, the beach, Big Bear lake, the ranch in Washington, Alaska, Knott’s Berry Farm, on the road to somewhere, Reagan Library, and my parent’s back yard (it’s peaceful).
iPOD: Christian, Country (I like Reba, Alison Krauss, Carrie Underwood, Wynonna and Alan Jackson), Oldies, Pop (Kelly Clarkson is still my favorite American Idol).
BOOKS: Ron Mehl (I loved the heart of this man), Max Lucado, C.S. Lewis, The Bible and all related books such as Manners and Customs, Commentaries, etc.
TIVO: Never done it. I am still trying to figure out “the clicker.”
SPORTS TEAMS: The Rams until they left (but I still pull for them), the San Diego Chargers, Kurt Warner, he is his own team! I love to watch Track & Field.
MOVIES: Apollo 13, October Sky, Rudy, Sea Biscuit, You’ve Got Mail, Second Hand Lions, Plains, Trains, Automobiles (TV Version), Shadowlands, Hope Floats and a good number of other “chick flicks.”
HOBBIES: Riding four wheelers, I can manage them better than a horse. Road trips, writing, laughing and pranks, time with family and friends and lately, Rock Bank -- I play bass.
DISLIKES: Gossip (it hurts), lies (they destroy so much), disregard of others (God values everyone), most meats, most seafood, pretension, loud people in quiet places, the grieving process (though it is necessary), losing track of friends (which includes the whole maiden name thing), buttered popcorn that misses your mouth and sits on your clothes turning them yellow while you watch the movie, a “potty mouth” and me in a swim suit.
LIFE SCRIPTURE: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38, 39).
That pretty much covers it. There is nothing you have done nor anything in your past, present or future that can separate you from God’s love. What a hope! What a God!
I’m Jason and I’m the Young Adults Pastor as well as the Assistant Pastor to Pastor Kevin. My role at PathwayCF is to do a little bit of everything—leading the Young Adults, singing on the Worship Team, working with the Men’s Ministry, preaching on occasion, among other things. I hope is to be a senior pastor someday, so every little bit of experience helps!
BASIC STUFF: I grew up in a small town in Iowa, with my parents and brother. I moved out to California to attend seminary and, while a student, began attending PathwayCF. My mission as a Christian and as a pastor is to see others understand the love of God. I believe his love is best seen in Jesus Christ, and it’s my passion to help others see Christ for who he really is.
BIRTHDAY: May 31, 1981
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts in History from Northwestern College (Iowa), Master of Divinity from The King’s College and Seminary (Los Angeles).
INTERESTS AND FAVORITES
PLACES: My prayer bridge back home in Iowa, Kinnick Stadium, sitting next to running water, standing at the pulpit ready to preach, wherever a beautiful sunset is occurring.
iPOD: Coldplay, Keane, Radiohead, Misty Edwards, Brian Johnson, Ludovico Einaudi, Meet the Press podcast, Mars Hill Bible Church podcast.
BOOKS: Anything by Rob Bell and Eugene Peterson, The Soul of Ministry, Ray Anderson; The Shack, Wm. Paul Young; The Gospel according to Mark, William Lane.
TIVO:24, The Office, AC 360, SportsCenter
SPORTS TEAMS: Iowa Hawkeyes, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls.
MOVIES:Good Will Hunting, The Apostle, Back to the Future I, II, III; The Shawshank Redemption.
HOBBIES: Reading, working out, watching sports, my BlackBerry, my laptop.
DISLIKES: Water running down my sleeves after washing my hands, littering, when the Hawkeyes get a touchdown called back because of a stupid penalty.
ODD FACTS: I can spin a basketball on my finger for up to 20 minutes at a time!
LIFE SCRIPTURES: Galatians 2:20, Mark 2:13-17, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, John 1:14, Acts 26
Hey there! My name is Gretchen, and I’ve been the youth leader at Pathway since February 2010. When I’m not hanging out with the youth, you’ll also see me singing and playing piano for the worship team. Youth and worship are my main passions in life, but I love all aspects of ministry and life in general!
BASIC STUFF: My family and I have been attending Pathway since 1989; at the time, I was only seven years old! I worked here from 1999-2004 with the children, youth, worship, and in the office. In 2004 I donned my fur coat and traveled to Norway as a Foursquare Missionary and ministered there until November 2009. When I came home, I knew I was supposed to be back at Pathway. So now I’m back and feel so privileged to be a part of the Pathway ministry team again!
BIRTHDAY: October 1, 1981
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Theology Degree (Concentration - Christian Education) from The King’s College and Seminary
INTERESTS AND FAVORITES
PLACES: Sunny and warm places, the mountains (especially in the forest), Camp, the West coast along the 101 and PCH, Greece, and when it’s summer in Norway.
iPOD: A little bit of EVERYTHING. Seriously, I have it all from classical to electronica.
But some favorites I always go back to: Deliriou5?, Hillsong, Andy Hunter, Coldplay, Tobymac (“Diverse City” – GREAT album for the car), and some favorite Norwegians: Impuls, Rudi Myntevik, Maria Solheim, and Ole Børud
BOOKS: Anything by Jane Austen, but Pride and Predjudice and Mansfield Park have to be my faves Pursuing the Will of God by Jack Hayford And yes, I’m almost done with the Baxter Family Drama series by Karen Kingsbury :) Man those books are good!
TIVO: If I watched more TV than just “24” on Mondays, then Tivo may just be a wise investment for me… lol
SPORTS TEAMS: I never was much into sports growing up, but being in Norway changed that – any US sports coverage on Norwegian TV was like seeing a little piece of home.
With that said, being an LA girl, it has to be the Lakers and Dodgers – even on their bad days. Football is always open to suggestions – give me a team to cheer for, and I’ll go to my deathbed cheering for them (that’s how competitive I can be! Watch out!)
MOVIES: I love musicals, sci fi, chick flicks, spy movies, silly movies, and quotable movies, so it’s super difficult to narrow it down, but these are the ones I always tend to talk about: Pride and Predjudice, Casino Royale, The Gods Must Be Crazy, Star Wars, Star Trek, Night at the Museum, Nacho Libre, Anne of Green Gables, Elf, The Interpreter, and so many more I KNOW I’ve forgotten!
HOBBIES: Music, singing, playing piano, driving to random places “just because,” running, cooking, oh, and I almost forgot… my Mac ;)
DISLIKES: Food stuck in-between my molars (ouch!), even when I brush and floss religiously I still have to get fillings and root canals, rainy days (you’d understand if you’d lived six winters in Scandinavia!), the fact that I can’t improvise while baking, and when there are too many tasks and not enough time for people.
ODD FACTS: I am super-competitive, so much so, that I did manage to win the odd competitions in high school, like the belching contest in youth group, the “how high can you stack the science lab stools and still climb up to the top?” competition, and $1 for drinking mustard at Denny’s :S When it comes down to it, I have a bit of a crazy side that comes out when I’m competitively egged on. Let’s hope I’ve settled down a bit since I’m supposed to be an example for the youth now! lol
LIFE SCRIPTURES:
Philippians 3:7-14 – Pressing on toward the goal for the prize in Christ!
Isaiah 30:21 - Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Proverbs 16:9 - In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 28:26 - The one that trusts in his own heart is a fool. But everyone that wanders in wisdom will be delivered.
