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Are you interested in ministry opportunities/challenges in California?

 
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Post Are you interested in ministry opportunities/challenges in California? Dean Steenburgh
Are you interested in doing ministry in California?

For those who would consider a ministry move to California:
DO YOU HAVE,
Any interest in ministry changes?
Any interest in ministry moving to California?
Any interest in ministry relocating from inside Calif?
Any interest in ministry challenges?

Regardless if you're living in Calif or anywhere outside of the Golden State, there are multiple options & opportunities for those who are serious about doing ministry out here in the extreme west.
For those of you who are credentialed with pretty much any pentecostal organization, CoG, PCoG, PH or A/G (to name a few) feel free to contact me if you have any interest in doing ministry inside California.

This isn't a ploy to generate responses to my post. We have multiple real life ministry positions open & if you have a genuine interest in relocating to California then their might be a place for you to serve.

***Please send me an email & I'll give you the info via return email and/or communicate with you by phone.***
SteenburghDean@gmail.com
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Last edited by Dean Steenburgh on 7/31/21 5:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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7/24/21 10:32 pm


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Post I'm concerned Dean Steenburgh
When I was told we were having trouble filling churches I kinda thought it might be just one of those slow times of life but now I'm kinda worried.
I made the OP on 7/24 & as of today there were over 70 views.
Not a single response.
Not a single PM regarding this topic at least.
Not a single email requesting more info.

Maybe if it were in the S/E I might get a better response ...or is it just as bad to fill the pulpits there also?
Is it because it's in California?
We have a lot of churches in our state where the pastor is aging out & there are no younger ministers in place to fill the roles.
Has it become that bad everywhere?

The fact that not one single response has come through is really alarming & the thing is some of these openings are full time salary positions.
California is very diverse in it's geography & a huge portion of this state is Ag/Farmland.
The positions range from farm country, foothill community, beach town, desert, city life, Extreme Nor/Cal, Central Cal & even So/Cal.

Well, if you're looking for a great place to minister as a senior pastor & you're open to relocating somewhere in Calif., please drop me an email & I'll fill you in with some details.
Blessings, Dean
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Church planters are focused on just one thing ...introducing people to Jesus!
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7/31/21 5:16 pm


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Post Cojak
Is this situation is a sign of ministry today? I am surprised no one has stepped up at least to talk about it. Maybe our young ministers are home bodies and can't leave their home areas. As a young man here in small town USA I remember most of us wanting to get into the military to get away from home and see the REAL WORLD.

What surprises me so much is that over the past 10-15 years this has been a very transit society. Our little home town in NC is flooded with men moving to jobs in the Charlotte, NC area from all over the country. I honestly figured the ministry had expanded its views also........... Maybe not?? Crying or Very sad
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8/2/21 3:56 pm


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Post Preacher777
I have been at our church for a long time so I am not in the loop concerning the law of supply an demand regarding lead pastor situations. I really didn't candidate before pastoring here but assumed there are many candidates with few positions. Are other areas like California or are there many more pastoral candidates than positions? Friendly Face
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8/4/21 6:58 am


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Post Quiet Wyatt
Seems to me you’d be likely to get more responses on the Excellent Ministry of the Church of God Facebook page. Actscelerate doesn’t appear to have much traffic at all these days. As a pastor in another western state, I have seen several guys come out here from the southeast who only lasted a few months before they headed back home. Basically all the CoGs (in our state at least) require bivocational pastors, so that is likely a factor. As far as culture goes, it doesn’t get more different and liberal than California, which I’m sure has a lot to do with why not many southeastern guys want to move out there. When we had West Coast Bible College out there, no doubt that helped develop younger leaders from the region. I wish there were easy answers for this problem. I’ve often wondered whether pastors who build large churches in the southeast could do the same in the west. It would be great to see it done if they would be willing to try. [Insert Acts Pun Here]
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8/4/21 11:19 am


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Post Cojak
Quiet Wyatt wrote:
Seems to me you’d be likely to get more responses on the Excellent Ministry of the Church of God Facebook page. Actscelerate doesn’t appear to have much traffic at all these days. As a pastor in another western state, I have seen several guys come out here from the southeast who only lasted a few months before they headed back home. Basically all the CoGs (in our state at least) require bivocational pastors, so that is likely a factor. As far as culture goes, it doesn’t get more different and liberal than California, which I’m sure has a lot to do with why not many southeastern guys want to move out there. When we had West Coast Bible College out there, no doubt that helped develop younger leaders from the region. I wish there were easy answers for this problem. I’ve often wondered whether pastors who build large churches in the southeast could do the same in the west. It would be great to see it done if they would be willing to try.

Good points QW
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8/5/21 8:10 pm


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Post FLRon
I wonder, does the lack of response to these opportunities reinforce the belief the the COG is primarily a Southern/Southeastern denomination in the U.S., or is California just one of those states that for a variety of reasons is not on a COG minister’s radar?
Many years ago it seemed as though a pastor would go just about anywhere an opportunity presented itself. Apparently those days are long gone?
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8/6/21 7:34 pm


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Post skinnybishop
I don't think we have a lot of people who want to pastor, period... be in California or North Georgia.

I don't remember the last CAMS student we had, who expressed a desire to be a senior pastor.
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8/11/21 10:15 am


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Post Dean Steenburgh
FLRon wrote:
I wonder, does the lack of response to these opportunities reinforce the belief the the COG is primarily a Southern/Southeastern denomination in the U.S., or is California just one of those states that for a variety of reasons is not on a COG minister’s radar?
Many years ago it seemed as though a pastor would go just about anywhere an opportunity presented itself. Apparently those days are long gone?


A few years ago I might have blamed it on a S/E bias philosophy but there aren't any guys right here in Calif who are stepping up either.
Ironically one of the open positions has a tremendous benefit to it besides the salary.
The Lord knows how to fill in the gaps lol.
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Church planters are focused on just one thing ...introducing people to Jesus!
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8/14/21 5:04 pm


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Post Dean Steenburgh
skinnybishop wrote:
I don't think we have a lot of people who want to pastor, period... be in California or North Georgia.

I don't remember the last CAMS student we had, who expressed a desire to be a senior pastor.


Same here - we have a handful of grads each year & the biggest majority of those are from SoCal.

.
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"Empty nest syndrome is for the birds!"

Email me at: SteenburghDean@gmail.com

Church planters are focused on just one thing ...introducing people to Jesus!
What are you focused on?
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8/14/21 5:06 pm


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Post Dean, CA calls, but time is not on my side ... Mat
Dean,

The shortage of those who are called to pastor and willing to start small is becoming a national issue across denominational lines. When I was a young man, my wife and I moved to CA and served at two COGOP local churches - first in Paramount (LA area) and then in the Central Valley at Visalia. Both were wonderful churches, however, due to our age at the time we loved the LA area. We were in our 20s, the church was exciting, as was the Christian community in Southern Cal.

My sister has lived in Riverside, CA, for all her married life, almost 48 years, and we have always enjoyed visiting them. But all through CA our (COGOP) Anglo local churches are struggling to find pastors, and our senior ministers and members are having to retire out of state due to cost of living. While I don't want to return to the Central Valley, I sometimes dream of being a pastor along the coast.

Seal Beach on our days off, Canter's Deli late at night with our friends, and San Diego for vacation, not to mention San Francisco for our anniversary, the Redwoods up in Kings Canyon and along the northern coast, and so much more. Young people who stay in the south don't know what they have missed, how their ministry is so much the same as so many others who never can bring themselves to cross the Mason Dixon or the Mississippi River.

If I were young again, I would take you up on your offer (well not the Central Valley).

Mat

PS Between our years in Southern Cal, and 10 years in AZ, I have spent about half my ministry in the West. Oh to see the Red Rock Country again and the Grand Canyon at sunset.
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8/14/21 8:48 pm


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Post Re: Dean, CA calls, but time is not on my side ... Dean Steenburgh
Mat wrote:
Dean,

The shortage of those who are called to pastor and willing to start small is becoming a national issue across denominational lines. When I was a young man, my wife and I moved to CA and served at two COGOP local churches - first in Paramount (LA area) and then in the Central Valley at Visalia. Both were wonderful churches, however, due to our age at the time we loved the LA area. We were in our 20s, the church was exciting, as was the Christian community in Southern Cal.

My sister has lived in Riverside, CA, for all her married life, almost 48 years, and we have always enjoyed visiting them. But all through CA our (COGOP) Anglo local churches are struggling to find pastors, and our senior ministers and members are having to retire out of state due to cost of living. While I don't want to return to the Central Valley, I sometimes dream of being a pastor along the coast.

Seal Beach on our days off, Canter's Deli late at night with our friends, and San Diego for vacation, not to mention San Francisco for our anniversary, the Redwoods up in Kings Canyon and along the northern coast, and so much more. Young people who stay in the south don't know what they have missed, how their ministry is so much the same as so many others who never can bring themselves to cross the Mason Dixon or the Mississippi River.

If I were young again, I would take you up on your offer (well not the Central Valley).

Mat

PS Between our years in Southern Cal, and 10 years in AZ, I have spent about half my ministry in the West. Oh to see the Red Rock Country again and the Grand Canyon at sunset.


Hey Bro, your post kinda got me excited for a minute there.
Recently the church at Seal Beach was filled & what a beauty it is.
Small group but the facility is like new & just a few blocks from the Pacific.
Only draw back the parsonage is right next door to the church lol.
Good news is another beach church is open & it has a separate property where the pastor could live & additionally it has a small apartment behind the church. If it were me I would be tempted to live in the apartment & rent out the house because it would rent for $2,500 to $3,000 a month.
For those who like dry, hot weather a former great church is open & it's right in the middle of the high dessert & they have a couple of nice surprises.
The one for you though is right outside of the Sequoia National Forrest & it's a beauty. There again you could go in the opposite direction & there is an opening that is about 40 mins from SF.

No takers of any kind so far Sad


.
_________________
"Empty nest syndrome is for the birds!"

Email me at: SteenburghDean@gmail.com

Church planters are focused on just one thing ...introducing people to Jesus!
What are you focused on?
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8/17/21 11:45 pm


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Post Re: Dean, CA calls, but time is not on my side ... Mat
Dean Steenburgh wrote:
Mat wrote:
Dean,

The shortage of those who are called to pastor and willing to start small is becoming a national issue across denominational lines. When I was a young man, my wife and I moved to CA and served at two COGOP local churches - first in Paramount (LA area) and then in the Central Valley at Visalia. Both were wonderful churches, however, due to our age at the time we loved the LA area. We were in our 20s, the church was exciting, as was the Christian community in Southern Cal.

My sister has lived in Riverside, CA, for all her married life, almost 48 years, and we have always enjoyed visiting them. But all through CA our (COGOP) Anglo local churches are struggling to find pastors, and our senior ministers and members are having to retire out of state due to cost of living. While I don't want to return to the Central Valley, I sometimes dream of being a pastor along the coast.

Seal Beach on our days off, Canter's Deli late at night with our friends, and San Diego for vacation, not to mention San Francisco for our anniversary, the Redwoods up in Kings Canyon and along the northern coast, and so much more. Young people who stay in the south don't know what they have missed, how their ministry is so much the same as so many others who never can bring themselves to cross the Mason Dixon or the Mississippi River.

If I were young again, I would take you up on your offer (well not the Central Valley).

Mat

PS Between our years in Southern Cal, and 10 years in AZ, I have spent about half my ministry in the West. Oh to see the Red Rock Country again and the Grand Canyon at sunset.


Hey Bro, your post kinda got me excited for a minute there.
Recently the church at Seal Beach was filled & what a beauty it is.
Small group but the facility is like new & just a few blocks from the Pacific.
Only draw back the parsonage is right next door to the church lol.
Good news is another beach church is open & it has a separate property where the pastor could live & additionally it has a small apartment behind the church. If it were me I would be tempted to live in the apartment & rent out the house because it would rent for $2,500 to $3,000 a month.
For those who like dry, hot weather a former great church is open & it's right in the middle of the high dessert & they have a couple of nice surprises.
The one for you though is right outside of the Sequoia National Forrest & it's a beauty. There again you could go in the opposite direction & there is an opening that is about 40 mins from SF.

No takers of any kind so far Sad


.


Two things, oh how I want my youth back, and I can't believe I missed the Seal Beach church (you're killing me, and wait until I tell my wife).

You may have read I'm an advocate of a reconciliation process between COG and COGOP to mark the 100th anniversary of the split (1923 - 2023). While I think there needs to be some scholarly research, repentance and restitution on both sides, your beach churches make me want to speed the process and pastor a COG. I'm sorry I'm already 66 years old, but Seal Beach! My wife is going to cry when she hears this.

Mat

PS I can't believe some of those young COG pastors from the south don't what more in live than TN, GA, NC, SC, KY, AL and MS. Sad.
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8/18/21 2:22 pm


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