I entered into pastoral ministry because I have been saved and shaped by the grace of Jesus Christ and I desire to see others be transformed by the same grace found in the Gospel of Christ. Jesus is our only hope! My passion as a pastor is to preach the Gospel, help others know Jesus, and share the Gospel of Christ to as many as possible.

 

My wife and I both love the Vancouver area. It is a beautiful city that has a great need for the Gospel and a place where we both have grown stronger in our faith. Laurelwood is a church that knows and loves God’s Word and loves one another with the love and support of Christ. We want to be in our local community extending the love of Christ here in Vancouver.

 

With God’s help, I see Laurelwood Church impacting the community of Vancouver by being both a faithful witness to the Gospel of Christ in Vancouver and a place that reaches out to our community to share Christ through both our words and our deeds. We want to see individuals and families healthier and stronger through the ministry of the Gospel here at Laurelwood.

 

Education: I graduated with my BA in Philosophy from San Francisco State University in 2015. I received my MDiv from Western Seminary in 2021.

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Family: Married to my wife Francesca in 2017. We have a daughter named Elsie who was born in 2021 and a second named Ruth, born in 2024.

Favorite Scripture Verse: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” -John 15:5

Favorite Biblical Character: Moses

Favorite Hobby: Golfing, watching sports, and hanging out with my family.

Favorite Food/Drink: My favorite food is chicken wings and my favorite drink is a quality dark-roast coffee.

Allison grew up on a dairy farm in nearby Ridgefield, WA and only remembers attending church on special occasions or for programs like Vacation Bible School. At the age of 16, a few years after moving to Vancouver, she had close friends that invited her to Laurelwood which is where she accepted Christ. Since that time, she has had the opportunity to be mentored by several faithful women in the church.  

 

After graduating from High School, she intended to work in medical research and even had the opportunity to work in a Cytogenetics Lab at OHSU for a few years, and then taught 8th grade science for a number of years after completing her BA at Washington State University. Since coming to Christ in 1996, Allison has served in various ministries including Youth and Children, but ultimately the Lord led her to serve in Women’s Ministry, first as the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Coordinator and eventually in 2017 as the Women’s Ministry Director. She counts it a joy and privilege to serve the Women of Laurelwood.   

 

Away from church, you can find Allison on a soccer field with her husband Scott cheering on their two kids, Liam and Ava; hiking in the beautiful PNW forest, or at a local coffee shop enjoying an Extra Hot Vanilla Latte.

My whole family became Christians when I was a child because of a persistent six-year-old boy who invited us to church. I grew up at that same church, and while in high school on a mission’s trip I felt God’s call to full time ministry. I received my BS in Biblical Studies and Educational Ministries from Multnomah Bible College. The year after college, I worked in a small preschool and served as a co-leader for summer missions. It was during that time that I felt led toward elementary education. After completing my master’s in teaching at Concordia University and working as a paraeducator for four years in Evergreen Public Schools, I was certain I was supposed to teach in public school. However, the Lord very specifically led me to Christian school where I taught second grade for seven years. I loved being able to teach Bible to students every day in the classroom. During that time, I continued to serve in various ministry roles and even served for a year as an Interim Youth and Children’s Director in the church I grew up in.

 

In 2012, I went with a housemate to Laurelwood’s Young Adult Ministry meeting. Despite my initial reluctance to attend the group, I am sure glad I did! That night I met my husband David and we now have three wonderful kids. After our first son was born, I chose to leave the classroom to stay home with our children. Over time I have felt a calling to serve again vocationally in children’s ministry, and I’m grateful to be serving the kids and families at Laurelwood. As I have experienced in my own testimony, never underestimate the faith of a child and the power of God working in and through them.

 

When I’m not hanging with the kids and families at Laurelwood, you’ll likely find me enjoying a chai tea latte, cheering at my kid’s baseball games, hosting a party, knitting, and enjoying my garden.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” This verse could not be more true of my life. My life has the finger prints of God’s sovereignty all over it. I grew up here at Laurelwood Baptist Church and have attended all my life. As I began to consider what my future would be, I was sure that I would move away to make a big name for myself, whether playing basketball, performing music, or as a WWE wrestler. God had other purposes for my life. In high school, I began serving as a student leader at youth group. After graduating high school, I knew to make my life’s dream a reality that I needed to make money. I decided that I would go into the construction field to save up money and begin my training as a wrestler. All the while I continued serving as a volunteer in youth ministry. The more I served, the more I understood what God’s calling on my life really was: to be in vocational ministry. I have served in various capacities here at Laurelwood from Youth Intern to Youth and Worship Assistant. With the Lord opening and closing certain doors, I am now Director of Youth Ministries and know that God has prepared me to be here at Laurelwood for such a time as this. My passion and heart’s desire is to see our youth endure through the trials of their teenage years to be mature and resilient disciples while in our youth program and after they graduate. I believe that this will be achieved by cultivating an environment where our students will develop a deeply rooted faith that is founded on faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel, the Word of God, and love for God and others.

 

Another area where I have seen God sovereignly work is in my marriage to my wife Mindy. Mindy and I were introduced to each other through different people that we both are close with. We met in December of 2018 at her college in Bellingham and knew that we would be friends at some level, given who are mutual friends were. While Mindy and I both previously reached contentment in our singleness, God had other purposes for us. Through what can only be described as an unshakable feeling brought about by the Holy Spirit, we decided that we would begin our long distance dating relationship and were married in April 2021. Praise God for bringing a true blessing of a woman into my life.

 

I am continuing to pursue my education and plan to earn my bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministries. Meanwhile, Pastor Erik offers me training in various theological and pastoral studies. While I might not have become a professional wrestler, I still enjoy watching wrestling. I also enjoy cooking for people, spending time with my family (typically eating), adventuring in the PNW with loved ones, and playing music.