About Pastor Brian

Fun stuff:
Favorite Bands: Pearl Jam, The Beatles, The Who, Skillet, , FamilyForceFive (Never heard of them?  You are missing out! Check out one of their videos here), Toby Mac, Kutless, Sanctus Real, David Crowder Band…most anything that qualifies as rock music, and especially rock music that lifts up Jesus.
Favorite Ski Resorts: Whistler/Blackcomb; Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, Alta, Snowbird, The Canyons, Mt. Baker.
Favorite Coffee Drink: Carmel or Java Chip Frappuccinos (Someone once told me that they thought only teenage girls ordered those drinks, but I don’t care: I still prefer my coffee blended, sweet, and cold…and with whip cream on top.)
Favorite Bible verses: Romans 8:1-2: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death.” Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before all people, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

The other stuff:
Growing up in Western Washington, Brian never dreamed he would be a pastor. Although he grew up in a Christian home, his faith had limited influence on him. Brian had other interests. For example, when it came to schooling, his interests were more in business (actually, the true interest was NCAA Football), and he has a B.A. in Business Marketing from the Harvard of the West – the University of Washington. When it came to his passions, however, Brian was most interested in skiing, mountain biking, basketball, snorkeling for golf balls, and other athletic/adventurous endeavors, followed closely by a passion for music – especially the kind with heavy guitars, thundering bass, and pounding drums. In fact, after graduating from the UW, Brian moved to Sun Valley, Idaho to teach skiing, having taught throughout college as well. It was there, in the middle of nowhere (sorry, Idaho, but it’s true) that God gave Brian a vision for having a greater purpose in life than either skiing by day and socializing by night or simply making money by marketing the latest “gotta-have-it” product. And thus, the birth of a new plan for him unfolded as God drew Brian into the ministry in a volunteer capacity, and ultimately on to Seminary and pastoral leadership of the Church.

It was also in Sun Valley that Brian met the woman who would later say, “I do.” For sure, God used Gwen in Brian’s faith development, and God has joined them together to form a determined ministry team. Gwen is also an ordained Presbyterian minister. They’ve created reasonable facsimiles of themselves three times – Blakely, Hailey, and Brooke – and have adopted a fourth child, Elliott, from Ethiopia. They spend much of their time praying that God would send an “owner’s manual for kids” soon. As a family, they share a passion for Jesus – followed by skiing, water-skiing, music, reading, and more.

Brian still has a passion for loud rock music, the Huskies, and so forth…but his first passion now is pursuing Jesus and helping others to do the same. Brian loves seeing people find joy in being used by God for His glory, and is passionate about Kingdom growth. He has been pastor at WPC since the start of 2007. As pastor, Brian preaches most Sundays, and occasionally plays drums with the worship band. He also provides pastoral care along with the people of the church, teaches classes, and generally leads the church to be a vibrant outpost of God’s grace in Chehalis and the surrounding communities. Prior to coming here, he served Mt. Olympus Presbyterian in Salt Lake City as Associate Pastor for four years. He has also served on staff at churches in: Bellevue, WA (Director of Recreational Outreach Ministries); Malad City, ID; and Diamond Bar, CA. He received his MDiv. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA in 2000.