November 2026

WELCOME KATIE SMYLIE!

EFCA West Women in Leadership

Katie would love to meet you! She is developing a roster of women in ministry leadership in the district.

If you would be interested in hearing about networking opportunities, future women’s cohorts and support from the district, please email her at katie.smylie@efca.org.

EFCA West Regional Catalysts

Regional Catalysts are pastors who serve to “localize” EFCA West ministry in their respective regions. They add a layer of local presence to continue our efforts to make sure that no pastors or church leaders are left alone.

Central & Northern Arizona Area

Bob Fox

Email Bob

Southern Arizona Area

Dave Collins

Email Dave

Central Valley Area

Tim Johnson

Email Tim

Northern Central Valley Area

Chris Gillespie

Email Chris

Central Coast Area

Jason Whalen

E mail Jason

Inland Empire Area

Willie Behrends

Email Willie

Los Angeles Area

Dean Mayeda

Email Dean

Northern Los Angeles Area

Steve Jackson

Email Steve

Orange County Area

Mike McKay

Email Mike

San Diego Area

Ryan Rosenbaum

Email Ryan

New Mexico/Texas Area

Bob Osborne

Email Bob

Idaho/Utah Area

Scott McKinney

Email Scott

Regional Gatherings Near You:

Arizona (Central & Northern)

Contact: Bob Fox

Arizona (Southern)
Next Meeting: Nov 12 at 9am

Contact: Dave Collins

Central Coast

Contact: Jason Whalen

Central Valley

Next Meeting: Nov 17 at 11am

Contact: Tim Johnson

East Bay Area (San Leandro)

Contact: Matt Moore

Inland Empire

Next Meeting: Jan 13at 10am

Contact: Willie Behrends

Los Angeles

Next Meeting: Nov 18 at 10am

Contact: Jackie Austel

New Mexico (Albuquerque)

Contact: Bob Osborne

Orange County

Next Meeting: Nov 10 at 11:30AM

Contact: Mike McKay

San Diego

Contact: Ryan Rosenbaum

Santa Clarita (No. Los Angeles)

Next Meeting: Nov 18 at 10AM

Contact: Steve Jackson

Idaho

Contact: Scott McKinney

Utah

Contact: Scott McKinney

Articles:

Post Election Thoughts

This month, Bob Osborne encourages leaders to have thoughtful conversations about unity within and among our churches in light of the divisiveness of the elections across our country. Where do we go from here, and how do we disciple one another in this area?

EFCA West:

Do you have a healthy Church Board? We want to hear from you!

Bob Osborne, EFCA West Director of Church Health, would love to connect with pastors and church leaders whose boards or elder teams work well together and have a healthy leadership culture. He hopes to learn from their experiences and gather insights that can encourage and benefit other churches throughout EFCA West.

If you would be willing to share what’s working in your church through a brief phone or Zoom conversation with Bob, please contact him at bob.osborne@efca.org to arrange a time.

Your experience could be an encouragement and valuable resource to other churches!

God Provided for Our Needs to Plant a Church - EFCA Blog

Victor Corrales, production supervisor and church planter at the Evangelical Free Church of Green Valley (EFCA) in Green Valley, Arizona.

EFCA West Church Planter Training Cohort

Dean Mayeda, EFCA West Director of Church Multiplication is meeting with church planters across our district to evaluate and if necessary "relaunch" church plants.

If you are a church planter and would like to join one of these cohorts, please reach out to Dean at dean.mayeda@efca.org.

TLI - Equipping and Encouraging Hispanic Pastors

We are grateful for the opportunity to gather 21 Hispanic pastors from across the country for three days of meaningful training, fellowship, and encouragement at Redeemer EFC in Bozeman, Montana.

With 12 pastors representing EFCA West, it was especially encouraging to see such strong participation from our district. Thank You Redeemer Church for your generous hospitality and partnership in investing in the development of Hispanic pastoral leaders. We are thankful for this opportunity to strengthen relationships, equip pastors, and encourage one another in ministry.

Credentialing & Theology Conference 2027

Congratulations! Ministry License: Five-Year Non-Renewable

William T. Born

Missions and Family Life Pastor

Trinity Church, Redlands CA

William "Todd" Lunsford

Executive Director of Ministry

Mountain Life Church, Park City UT

Registration is now open for the 2027 EFCA Theology Conference happening at Valley Church in West Des Moines, IA.

Theme: "Gospel Prophet: The Theology of Isaiah for the People of God"

Dates: February 3-5

Cost: $175/person (early-bird rate)

EFCA Theology Conference Newsletter, a quarterly update connecting you to stories, events and resources related to theology and the EFCA. Subscribe today

Upcoming Events:

Building Bridges in English:

Level 1 & Level 2 | Jan 9 - Feb 7

An online training course to equip individuals and teams to teach English in a ministry context.

Learn More.

Mission Leader Network Gathering

Jan 11- Jan 13 | Fullerton CA

Mission pastors and leaders, come connect with your peers and enhance your church's ministry for the cause of the kingdom.

Learn More.

🏃‍♂️ EFCA WEST RAGNAR TEAM 2027! 🏃‍♀️

April 9-10 | San Diego CA to Huntington Beach CA

Are you looking for a challenge, an adventure, and an opportunity to build deeper relationships with others? Join us!

This is more than just a race—it's an opportunity to grow in community, encourage one another, and accomplish something incredible together. Team members will train, prepare, and celebrate the journey as we make our way toward race day. Learn More.

See ALL EFCA Events

EFCA West & EFCA Job Opportunities:

All EFCA Jobs

Director or Care and Groups: Mountain Life EFC, Park City UT

Director or Pastor of Children Ministries: Arise Church, Fremont CA

Executive Director - PT: Bethany Bible Fellowship, Westminster CA

Family Pastor: Madera Church, Green Valley AZ

Finance and Accounting Coordinator - PT: Bethany Bible Fellowship, Westminster CA

Lead Pastor: Trinity Church, Redlands CA

Outreach Director: Bethany Church of Sierra Madre, Sierra Madre CA

Student Ministries Director: Ambassador Church, Anaheim CA

EFCA Pastor Search: Connecting Churches to Pastors

Looking to fill an open pastoral position? Find the right candidate through the EFCA's personalized matching process. Start your search .

Resources:

Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs

The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal grant window is now open. If you are a pastor looking to take a sabbatical in 2028, you can apply for a $60,000 grant to help cover costs. Learn More.

Other sabbatical resources can be found at Sabbatical Missions.

God's Got It, We Trust Him - CIF

At Christian Investors Financial, our primary purpose is to expand God’s Kingdom through financial services to churches. Anyone who wants to succeed at something knows that there’s hard work to be done, and that wins and losses will come. Yet we are very different than most in our field because we share the same goal as the churches we serve – to further the Kingdom of God in their communities. CEO Scott Achterling shares more.

ReachGlobal: Stay up-to-date with missionary stories, resources and missions opportunities around EFCA ReachGlobal. Subscribe today.

Healthcare Coverage & More for EFCA Churches

Discover the right medical coverage for your church staff by exploring health insurance options through GuideStone, a partner of FCMM Benefits & Retirement. Products & Services.

View EFCA Events

EFCA Helps

Thank you for your support

To give by check please make the check payable to:

EFCA West Partnership Fund

901 E. 78th Street

Minneapolis, MN 55420

GIVE to EFCA West

Strengthening Leaders, Planting Churches, Reaching All People

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