Sitting Down With A New Local Pastor

This morning, I had the pleasure of being able to sit down with a new local church pastor, Cameron Garcia.  He and his family moved to Sunnyside from Bellingham in just the past few weeks.

Cameron Garcia at Guerra's Coffee Company

While snow was dusting the ground outside, we stayed warm with fresh coffee at Guerra’s Coffee Company on South 1st Street in Sunnyside.

Mr. Garcia informed me that he spent a couple of years working with Americorps using Asset Based Community Development, and sees his role in Sunnyside with a community development component.

His church, the Church of God,  was established in Sunnyside since 1949, but will be going through a “restart” under Garcia’s leadership.  As part of this process the church will likely be getting a new name, with a launch date tentatively planned around Easter.

In the meantime, the church will be using the time to discern its vision.  Mr. Garcia said the church should “love God, love your neighbor, and make disciples.”  While many churches focus on the third part, “making disciples”, Garcia said that the “love your neighbor” part is equally important.

Garcia envisions the church being outwardly focused, doing things that benefit the community, without necessarily doing them to ”make disciples”.

Garcia has a personal blog, CameronGarcia.net, and is on Twitter @camerongarcia.

He has also started a website for his church, Sunnyside Church of God, which is under construction.

I look forward to seeing how the church restart progresses, and to the positive impact it may have in our community.