Pastoral Coaches

Browse our list of coaches and let us know who you’d like to meet.

Dane Aaker

Bio coming soon!

Matt Barnes

I long to help pastors fulfill their calling to the mission of Jesus! I’ve been blessed to have others come alongside me, teaching me how to coach and support Christian leaders.

My StrengthsFinder top five are Futuristic, Ideation, Learner, Input, and Strategic meaning that I’d love to help you see a path forward in situations that seem impossible and difficult, from a ten-thousand-foot level, at a relational level, and/or in real life.

I’m currently the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Alhambra (discoverthejoy.org), with extensive experience in SoCal and Texas as a church staff member, a missionary, and an academic.

I’m privileged to be married to my amazing wife and to parent our three great boys! I look forward to hearing from you!

– Rev Matt Barnes PhD

David Cooke

I have a passion for leadership health. Part of that is personal. I lived and led in an unsustainable way such that I ended up on antidepressants for eleven years. I was living an unsustainable life and it put me in a dark hole. Thankfully, the mercy and grace of God have led me to a healthier place.

This passion for leadership health has led me to seek a clear path that will give leaders the tools to live better and lead better.

David Cooke has been pastor of Cold Springs Church, Placerville, CA for 24 years (coldspringschurch.net/). He also is a Professionally Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation and has been a Leadership Coach for the past 20 years. David trains other coaches around the world through Coach Approach Ministries and previously with Western Seminary. He has had a lifelong passion to discover how God has made us to live a life that is from the overflow of a life deeply connected to Jesus that brings health and blessing to the leader and those the leader influences (John 15).

David combines his studies in theology, neuroscience, leadership, and coaching to bring the Great Commandment to shine a light on the internal life of the leader. This light will help you live better and lead better. In a world that seems to get ever more complex, he is committed to the concept of Keep It Simple Leadership that is understandable, practical, and immediately applicable.

Jack Hamilton

Jack is the former Executive Pastor for 32 years at High Desert Church in Victorville (highdesertchurch.com), California. He’s been on staff for over 37 years, has seen the church grow from under 150 to 8,000 people with four church sites in the High Desert, and currently serves as a Mentor Pastor for Transformations Ministries working with 9 Senior Pastors in the Inland Empire.

He’s served on a number of non-profit boards, including Forest Home Christian Conference Center, Association of Christian Schools International, and American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest. He has also served as a public school board member for Hesperia Unified School District for 19 years in a district of nearly 22,000 students. Jack has also served on the board of directors for the Hesperia Recreation and Park District for 10 years and a church plant, Fellowship Monrovia Church for nine years.

Family Bio:
Jack and his wife, Linda, have been married for 51 years and have 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren. Our oldest son, Ethan, is married and lives in San Diego, and is the Athletic Director at Point Loma Nazarene University. Our other two adult children, Phoebe and Jared, our both public school teachers for the Hesperia Unified School District. Each of the three adult children is married and has two children each.

Top 5 StrengthFinders:

Includer
developer
empathy
arranger
responsible

Visit Jack’s website: jackhamilton.co

 

David Harris

A natural leader who is a compelling communicator, Dr. David Harris has over twenty-five years of ministry experience as a pastor, church planter, evangelist, church consultant, and conference speaker.

He served as the Thrive Director and the Managing Director of Thriving Churches International at Bayside Church in Granite Bay, CA. A native of Chillicothe, OH, he has served as an adjunct college professor and has pastored churches in Charlotte, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Sacramento, and Phoenix.

David loves investing in others, and he has coached pastors, corporate executives, and leaders in preaching and/or public speaking. Additionally, he has coached and developed hundreds of pastors and corporate leaders in leadership, team building, strategic planning, and conflict management. Helping others realize their maximum potential is a passion of his.

David’s wife, Tami, is the Regional Executive Director of Human Resources for a Fortune 500 Corporation out of Philadelphia. A California Labor Law Specialist, Tami has trained and taught hundreds of church leaders about the consequences of their HR Blind-spots, and how they can avoid them. Tami and David currently live in Scottsdale, AZ, with their two disobedient dogs and two cats.

David’s education is extensive and includes a BA in Christian Ministry, a Master of Church Management, and a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching and Communication Dynamics.

StrengthsFinders: Maximizer, Futuristic, Strategic, Activator, Learner

Corrie Myers

First and foremost, I love Jesus. I truly have a heart to see the church thriving in all aspects of ministry; from pastoral care, to meaningful community, to team building, to administration. I love to encourage and equip leaders and help pray for God’s direction in their lives and ministries. I’ve had over a decade worth of ministry experience:  Starting in youth ministry, lay ministry roles with young adults, children’s ministry, and eventually pastor of a healthy and growing Young Adult community at Purpose Church over the last few years. Beyond ministry, I worked in corporate marketing and advertising for 10 years. My experience as a creative writer and project manager has given me unique perspectives that God has gifted me for use in ministry, planning and organizing. I love to use creativity and outside-the-box thinking to reach the lost and build cohesive and thriving teams. I’m a redeemed Enneagram 8, with a strong wing 7. If you’re not sure what this means, here’s a brief overview from the Enneagram Institute: “Generally, Eights are strong, assertive, resourceful, independent, determined, action-oriented, pragmatic, competitive, straight-talking, shrewd, and insistent.” Yep, that about sums it up!

I’ve been happily married for 20 years to my best friend, Tim (who I met in Jr. High youth group). We are the proud parents of two beautiful girls, Marley (15) and Samaya (8) and our quirky, snuggly cat, Ziggy. I look forward to partnering with you and praying together as we seek God’s best for your ministry, personal life and being effective for His kingdom.

Bill Staffieri

Bill has spent the past 30 years in pastoral ministry at Beachpoint Church (beachpoint.com) serving Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, CA. Over the past 13 years, he has led the church as it’s senior pastor. Prior to that, he spent 17 years developing student and family ministries. He has also spent the past 22 years as an adjunct faculty member at Biola University and Talbot Seminary teaching Christian leadership and pastoral ministry.

His top five StrengthFinders are Belief, Strategic, Maximizer, Relator, and Significance.

Through God’s unique design and years of experience, Bill has found a passion to come alongside pastors to discover God’s vision, define reality, and discern a strategic way forward to make disciples.

Bill and Kimberly have been married for 31 years and they have three kids.

Gregg Svalstad

Gregg Svalstad currently serves as Executive Pastor at Purpose Church in Pomona (purposechurch.com ). He has also served in the roles of Senior, Associate, Discipleship & Groups, and Youth Pastor during his 40 years in ministry. He served in three different sized churches – small (150-250), medium (300-500), and large (3500), in very different geographical and demographic areas – Pomona (mid-urban Inland Empire), Sacramento, and Huntington Beach/Fountain Valley (Coastal Orange County).

Gregg’s Top 5 StrengthsFinders are Developer, Arranger, Strategic, Adaptability, and Maximizer.

He has a sports background and feels like he was always a better coach than a player or performer. He has been serving as a mentor and coach throughout his ministry career and loves to coach pastors to be able to apply the perspective he has gained from all of his various roles to the role and context a pastor is currently serving.

Gregg and his wife Laurie will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2023 and have two young adult children: Caleb (28) and Emma (23).

Reynel Tapia

Bio coming soon!

Esther Tress

Since 2011, I have considered myself an advocate and thought partner for those with whom I coach. My credentials pertinent to coaching pastor leaders are an undergraduate double major in Psychology and Philosophy/Religion; a Master of Arts in Leadership; and Certification as a Christian Leadership Coach (since 2012).

I am the Executive/Spiritual Formation Pastor at Cold Springs Church (coldspringschurch.net) in Placerville, California (since 2007). These and other ministry associations afford me the opportunity of coaching and equipping a variety of leaders.

My top 5 StrengthsFinders are: Learner, Ideation, Strategic, Connectedness and Futuristic.

I wish to coach pastors because coaching is non-hierarchical in style and I consider the peer-to-peer approach effective in bringing out one’s best. The goal of the coaching relationship is to help the person being coached to move forward. Thus, whether to get unstuck or discover the next steps, the point is to help the person thrive. This fits well with my passion to journey with others as they increasingly become who God has created them to be.

I am originally from Southern California. I was raised in a ministry family, a typical “pastor’s kid” so to speak. In 2006, my husband (of 34 years) and I moved to Northern California, about 40 miles east of Sacramento. I still travel often for ministry and family visits, both to Los Angeles and Orange County.

Jim Walden

I’ve been in full-time ministry since 1985. Born in 1960 outside of Boston, MA. In my growing up years, while my dad pastored, we lived in Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, and New York State. I attended high school in East Lansing, MI, and Binghamton, NY. I then graduated from Judson University and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (both in the Chicago area.)

My first full-time assignment was at First Baptist Church of Pontiac, IL as a youth and music pastor. In the last year of my time at Pontiac, I was the interim senior pastor until 1989.

In 1989, I moved to Kansas City, MO, and planted Rolling Hills Community Church and was so blessed to pastor that new congregation for 19 years. Then I moved to Big Bear Lake, CA in 2008 and was the lead pastor at First Baptist of Big Bear (Now Bear Valley Community Church) for 4 years. Then our family moved down the mountain and was the lead pastor at First Baptist Church of Temple City, CA, (now onehopetemplecity.org) for 9.5 years. Currently, in my semi-retirement years, I am the Connections Pastor at Grace Point Church in Topeka, KS (gracepointtopeka.org).

My top 5  StrengthFinders:

Achiever
Communication
Learner
Positivity
Woo

I simply want to coach pastors in order to come alongside and richly encourage them as I know ministry can be challenging, lonely, and draining, as well as at the same time rewarding, and invigorating. I believe there is no call like a lead pastor. Yet, pastors need others who understand what it is like to be a pastor – for no one can truly understand until they have been in such a called position.

I come from a line of pastors. My grandfather, dad, two uncles, and brother have all served as pastors. I believe I have a rich heritage and am still only here because I stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before me.

My wife, Diona, and I have been married 28 years and our son, Gabriel (age 26) and his wife, Tanya abide in Syracuse NY. They have a boy, John who is seven months old! We now reside in Topeka, KS near Diona’s mom and sister. I currently have a YouTube podcast called “Mathaino” and am teaching through the book of Exodus!

Church Planting Coaches

Weston Brown

My name is Weston Brown, and I have served for nearly twenty years as a pastor, non-profit director, and church planter in contexts large and small. Currently, I am the founding pastor of Covenant Shreveport in Shreveport, LA, (covenantshreveport.org) and Executive Director of Continuum Network, a coaching and consulting ministry (continuumnetwork.org).

I love coaching pastors and ministry leaders, and I am a certified coach through CMM (Church Multiplication Ministries), a member of the International Coaching Federation, and a licensed trainer of the COACH Model for Christian Leaders. I studied literature at Louisiana Tech University and theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently, I am completing a DMin in Biblical Counseling at Southern Seminary in Louisville.

I have been married to Lindsay for nearly fifteen years, and together we homeschool our five daughters who range in age from 12 to 1.

Brian Burman

Brian serves as the Executive Director of Strategic Leaders Group (strategicleadersgroup.com). His coaching experience includes leadership teams, governance boards, corporate high-level leaders and pastors. He is the Coaching Coordinator for the Excel Leadership Network and formerly served as the Senior Associate Pastor at Gate Way Church (gatewayvisalia.com) in Visalia, CA. Brian earned a B.S. in Electronic Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and attended Western Seminary.

 

Matt & Carrie Dilley

Matt and Carrie Dilley live in Plainfield, Indiana, with their two children, Jackson (15) and Bailey (13). They enjoy playing board games, watching movies, and going to Disneyland.

They planted Tribe Church in September of 2018 in Plainfield Indiana just outside of Indianapolis (tribechurch.org) . They started coaching in January of 2022 and they love to work together as a couple to come alongside others that co-lead.

Matt’s StrengthFinder top 5 are Activator / Strategic / Ideation / Learner / Connectedness.

Carrie’s Strength Finder top 5 are Includer / Woo / Communication / Positivity / Ideation.

Both Carrie and Matt are passionate about church planting! They want to help planters succeed for the long haul. But, while they want the best for your church more than anything, they want the best for your family.

Andy Elliott

Born, raised, and married in Portland, OR. I moved to Austin as a parachute church planter in 2019 with my courageous wife of 26 years. We have 4 bio kids and 1 adopted. My “hobby time” is spent watching my son’s sports, helping my daughters with their entrepreneurial plans, keeping up with a toddler who thinks I live to make her life complete, and enjoying time with my amazing wife.

Outside of that, I love partnering with God to build His church and helping new planters get after it and do the same! I have had the privilege of planting two churches in the last 10 years. The first is in Bend, OR as the associate pastor, and the second is in the Austin, TX (thebeatchurch.com/) area as the lead planting pastor. Prior to planting churches, I spent 20 years as an entrepreneur starting and developing delis, coffee shops, children’s toy stores, and furniture stores.

My coaching experience includes 10+ years of coaching entrepreneurs, business owners, non-profit ministries, and church planters.

My top five strengths are Achiever, Learner, Individualization, Strategic, and Arranger.

I have always had a passion for helping people develop their God-given destinies. My deepest passion is for church planters because their success creates room for many others to find Jesus and thrive in their own ministry giftings.

Amanda Geller

I have been married for 20 years to the love of my life Simon Geller. We have 6 amazing children. Four boys and two girls. Ranging from age 9-23. Two of my children are very athletic so I have become the cheerleader while my husband has often taken the role of coach. My husband Simon and I lived in Battle Ground, WA for 13 years where my husband was a police officer and I worked for American Airlines.

We felt the Lord leading us to plant a church. In the summer of 2015, we moved to Livingston, Texas to start Life Vine Church (lvctx.com) . We had never been on staff in ministry in any capacity, but we knew we had heard from the Lord. What a journey it has been. God has been beyond faithful.

Life coaching is something I have always done, just not in a professional way. In 2020, I began to feel the Lord moving me from my current job of 25 years with American Airlines to helping others achieve their goals. I began to take classes to become a certified life coach. I recently retired from my long-time career to fulfill what God is calling me to now which is to coach church planters. Having had firsthand experience at church planting, I find myself passionate and experienced with the process. I feel very led to help those on the path to leading in ministry while following the leading of the Lord with their personal goals.

My top five strengths are harmony, relator, connectedness, restorative, and communication.

Being a church planter myself I have a big heart for church planters. Especially those who have had no prior experience just following the leading of the Lord. It takes courage and boldness to step out in blind faith and go where God called you to build something from the ground up. It is an incredible honor to coach someone through the process of building God’s kingdom. As a mom who worked full-time while planting a church, I have had to learn to wear many hats while simultaneously keeping my eyes on Jesus. I am incredibly zealous to copartner with women in ministry to help coach them toward their goals.

Simon Geller

My name is Simon Geller and I have been married for over twenty years to Amanda Geller. We have six children together ranging from 23 to 9. I live in Livingston, Texas where we planted Life Vine Church (lvctx.com/) seven years ago in a rural community.

Church planting has been the most rewarding and hardest thing I have ever done and because of that, I am committed to helping people plant churches. I have helped plant multiple churches over the last five years and am excited to continue to watch new churches get planted and grow those that are planted.

I have been a sports coach for multiple sports and continue coaching today while also working with pastors one-on-one to encourage them and help them accomplish their goals. It is my heart to see every church planter succeed in the vision God has given them and I believe one of the absolute ways to do this is through having a coach. I personally have a coach and have been blessed by the help it has been to me and the church.

My top five strength finders are Woo, Positivity, Includer, Communication, and Developer.

This means I am “super excited” about you and will be “excited about your dreams”. I am “there for you” and will “communicate clearly” and celebrate with you on “your growth.”  So, in short, I am a super excited cheerleader that believes in you and wants to see you succeed in all things God has called you to do!

Chris Hall

Chris and his wife Sierra have two young adult children and currently live in Ventura, CA. Chris Hall is the Planter and Lead Pastor of Catalyst Church in Santa Paula, CA – a “church for people who don’t like church” that he and his wife started in Ventura, CA in 2007 (thisiscatalyst.com/).

Throughout his 25 years of full-time ministry, Chris has experienced virtually every aspect of what it means to be a pastor and planter. Chris brings to the table his personal experiences in church planting, multi-site ministry, churches planting churches, church mergers, churches starting preschools and after-school programs, personal burnout, strategic planning, leading a large staff, and doing it all by himself.

My top 5 strengths are WOO, Communication, Input, Activator, and Arranger.

Chris’s combination of love for planters, heart for effective leadership, and ministry experience help bring the best out of others.

Jim Kennon

Jim Kennon is the lead pastor and co-planter of Inspire Church in Sun City West, AZ. (inspirechurchaz.com). Jim is a certified church planting coach with Transformation Ministries and Excel Leadership Network.

With over 40 years of experience as a lead pastor, Jim has served four churches across the US. In addition to leading Inspire Church, Jim serves as Hub Director and Pastor Mentor Leader for the Arizona TM churches.

Jim says, “I love seeing leaders reach their greater potential. Coaching is all about asking questions that lead people to better understand themselves, clarify their purpose in life and ministry, and help them see the strategies that help them move forward. In a healthy coaching relationship, everyone wins and God’s Kingdom advances.”

His top strengths are Positivity, Maximizer, Communication, Strategic, and Responsibility.

Chan Kwak

Chan is a big Dodgers fan and lives in Compton, CA with an amazing godly wife, three energetic sons, and a beautiful daughter.

He has planted two churches. The first one was in Los Angeles, CA as he served there for eight years until he was sent off to plant a second church in Compton, CA (laonechurch.com/). The church has been focused on Spirit-filled worship of God, biblical teaching of Christ, and evangelizing to the community for the past four years.

He has been counseling, teaching, and coaching since the age of thirteen, subjects ranging from academics, sports, finance, career, jobs, marriage, Bible, and life. Currently, he coaches an associate pastor whom he meets weekly to pray and minister. He is also a financial coach, helping 3 adults to get back on their life track.

His Top 5 strengths are Futuristic, Achiever, Learner, Intellection, and Responsibility. “My strength is compassion. I have a heart for the lost and those who have passion for the lost.”

“Being a planter is not for everyone. I definitely know this truth firsthand. Yet, for those who are walking this path, God has placed you there for a reason. I would like to be an encouragement and a cheerleader for you to be the best that God desires you to be.”

Daniel Nunez

Daniel Nunez was born and raised in Tijuana, México, and came to Christ when I was 20 years old. I was called into leadership soon after I became a believer, and have served in my local church for almost 20 years. I was sent to the community of El Niño in Tijuana to take over a new church that was planted out of our local church. From there God called me to plant 50 churches! So far, we have planted 46. I identify, train, send and support pastors, meaning that I stay with them through coaching and pastoring them, meeting with them every month.

My top 5 strengths are:

1. Achiever

2. Arranger

3. Positivity

4. Communication

5. Futuristic.

I want to coach pastors because we never stop learning and because they should feel like orphans. I’ve been married for almost 38 years to my lovely wife Yoli. We have two children, Tury and Abbi. Our son Tury now pastors the El Niño church, called “Comunidad Conexion”. He is married to Nallely and they have two boys, Leo and Max. Our daughter, Abbi is leading worship along with her husband, Eliut, for a new TM Church in San Diego called Real Life Church, with pastor Raymond Rojas. Abbi and Eliut have two daughters, Camila and Sofia.

David Ordaz

David has been happily married to Cristina for 18 years, together they have 3 kids, Uziel (17), Eli (16), and Adrielle (12).

Pastor David and Cristina have received the mission to help people experience a personal relationship with God that will lead them to be one with Him, bringing breakthroughs in their lives and a visible transformation. They have also been entrusted to tear down all barriers that are causing divisiveness in the communities they have influence over. They have no doubt that the love of Jesus Christ can bring healing to San Diego and the entire country.

In 2019, with the help of TM and Excel, Pastor David planted ONE Church (onechurchsd.com). Not only did the church make it through the pandemic years, today the church has around 170 members and is growing. Pastor David is proud to be part of this amazing organization and is looking forward to coaching and mentoring the next generation of church planters.

David’s top 5 strengths are Achiever, Discipline, Maximizer, Communication, and Strategic.

“I believe in the Biblical vision behind church planting and know firsthand the impact that the “right people” have on church planters. I want to help.”

Lori Pearring

Hello there! I am Lori Pearring. I have 1 husband, 4 married children, and 13 grandchildren. I have had the privilege of homeschooling some of my kids and grandkids. It is a busy world, but my heart is full! We have started 3 churches, one in Colorado and two in northern CA. I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have been doing professional counseling and coaching since 2009. I work with men, women, and couples. I love it when I get to use my clinical training, experience, and spiritual passion together! I also work with pastors and couples during the Discovery Center as well as in my private practice.

My strength themes are developer, activator, includer, strategic, and woo.

My Foundational voice is Creative Connector (in Giant TV’s 5 Voices). Having been married for over 4 decades, I am grateful to be married to my best friend! But it has not always been like this! I know what it is like to be so depleted, trying to please everyone and having no time or energy for myself. I was overwhelmed with caring for my marriage, family, and the church and although I love ministry, it was getting harder to hide my exhaustion. I believe I can help you identify and leverage your priorities to align your actions with your values. Your life will be richer and more peaceful as you intentionally connect with God, yourself, and others.

I would consider it a privilege to walk alongside you, Lori

Ken Primeau

Ken and his wife Carolyn lead Mercy Road Church Northeast (mercyroadne.com) located in the suburbs of Indianapolis, Indiana. Having spent most of their lives in California, they moved with four young children to the Midwest in February of 2020 to be a part of a church planting movement in Indiana and planted Mercy Road Northeast in September 2020. The church has experienced tremendous growth and has been reaching people far from God and discipling them into a passionate relationship with Jesus. This is the second church plant that the Primeau’s have done, and they have learned a lot of valuable lessons from both experiences that they are happy to pass on to other planters.

Ken wants to coach planters because he has a unique ability to encourage leaders while also speaking the hard truths into their lives.

Ken’s top 5 strengths finders are Achiever, Learner, Input, Intellection, and Individualization.