Our Pastors
Stephen Forsyth, Senior Pastor
Pastor Steve was born in Cape May, New Jersey July 9, 1960. He was married to his best friend, Sherry on 8.8.88. They have three wonderful children, Sam, Steven and Jeannine. He has seven awesome grandchildren, Anthony, Steven, Ryan, Madison, Joshua, Nicolas and Taylor.
Initially Pastor Steve was raised in the church. When the doors were open he was there.
But something happened. Instead of going to church and worship; inviting people from church over to our home for dinner they sat on bar room stools, listening to the wisdom of drunks; having drunks and drug addicts in the home; a healthy family turning into a divorced split family; studying the word of God to shouting and arguing and turmoil. He saw the difference Christ can make in a person’s life. He has lived with Christ in the home and outside of the home. He is to help individuals and families live with Christ in their lives and in their homes. What he love most about being the lead pastor at El Cajon Wesleyan Church is that so many people in the pews hunger and thirst for more of Christ in their lives and in their homes. Christ matters.
He was ordained as a pastor on 8.8.85. Pastor Steve received B.A. from United Wesleyan, Allentown, Pa, 1982, his Masters from New Brunswick Theological Seminary Rutgers University; New Brunswick, NJ 1994 and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, 2007.
Pastor Steve began professional ministry as pastor on April 3, 1983 as Youth Pastor at the New Castle First Wesleyan Church, 1983-1985. The Lord brought him here to El Cajon Wesleyan, as the Senior Pastor in 2004.
Presently, he also serves as the Division Chaplain for the 40th Infantry Division, Los Alamitos, CA as Lieutenant Colonel. Since 9/11 has served in the State of California; Fort Lewis, WA; Egypt; San Diego/Mexico border; Kosovo. It’s a ministry of presence and being there for soldiers and their families in the time of need.
To Contact Pastor Steve email him @ pastorsteve2005@yahoo,com
Kelly Buchanan, Life Group Pastor
Pastor Kelly has been part of the ECW church and staff since September 2007. As a young adult she answered the call to ministry, has served in the Wesleyan church for over 20 years and was ordained in 2008. One of her passions is to see people grow in their relationship with Christ desiring them to grow in wisdom and knowledge. Her main responsibility and attention is given to our Life Groups Ministry, connecting people with God and each other to foster a life transformation. Other areas she uses her gifts and abilities is developing and working with the Welcome Ministry, Usher/Greeters, Recourse Center, Common Grounds, in addition to serving as our Worship Manager.
In her spare time you will find her spending it with her husband Elden of 31 years, her 2 adult children, daughter in-law and the most amazing, cute and talented 1 year old grandson ever!
To Contact Pastor Kelly email her @ kbuchanan@ecwesleyan.com
Loren Holmquist, Tech & Missions Pastor
Pastor Loren has been in ministry since 1993 and at serving here at El Cajon Wesleyan Church since 1998. He has been married to his awesome wife since 1990. They have 16yr old twin boys and a 10 yr old girl. Pastor Loren’s desire for the people of ECWC is to be on Christ’s mission seven days a week.
To Contact Pastor Loren email him @lholmquist@ecwesleyan.com
Chris Hughes, Family Life Pastor
Pastor Chris has been on staff and serving in children’s ministries since 1992. She is responsible for coordinating all aspects of Kids Jam ministries which include, Sunday morning programs, mid week programs and administrating the El Cajon Wesleyan Preschool which is a Monday thru Friday fulltime daycare. She is an ordained pastor and has a degree in Child Development. She and her husband Ken have been married for over 25 years and have 2 adult sons and 1 teenager daughter. Pastor Chris’ desire is to partner with families in bringing Christ into every area of life, especially as it relates to parenting and strengthening marriages.
Pastor Chris is a huge fan of the Boston Red Sox and also a huge fan of the New York Yankees loosing.
To Contact Pastor Chris email her @ chughes@ecwesleyan.com
Our Support Staff
Vicki Gerlek, Administrator
Vicki has attended ECW since her freshman year of college in 1970. Skip, her husband of 39 years, and she were both baptized and married here in the stone chapel that used to sit where our current sanctuary is located. They have two adult children: Clinton, who lives in Springfield Missouri and Katie, who is married and lives with her husband Anthony in Newport News, Virginia. Vicki is involved in our women’s ministry Bible studies and working with women building relationships with Christ and each other. And did she tell you that she is soon to be a grandma????
To Contact Vicki email her @ vgerlek@ecwesleyan.com
Debbie Simmons, Receptionist
Debbie has been attending ECW with her husband, Tim, for 20 years. Debbie and Tim have been married for 23 years and have two adult children who are both currently attending college; Beth, who will be getting married in the Summer of 2011, and Tim Jr. (Timmy) who is involved with community volunteer work. Debbie is the receptionist for ECW, but is also involved with our Surge Youth Ministry. She has a passion for teens and helping them to grow in their Christian faith so they can mature into Christian adults. She enjoys attending sporting events, livestock shows, concerts and other activities in support of the teens involved in her ministry, as well as other teens in the community.
To Contact Debbie email her @ dsimmons@ecwesleyan.com
Darla Saiman, Secretary & Graphic Designer
Darla works in the office as the secretary and graphic designer. She has been a part of the El Cajon Wesleyan church family since 2004 and has been on staff since 2010. Darla dedicated her life to serving Jesus in 2000. Since then her life has been an adventure she could never have imagined. Darla has had some wonderful opportunities to partner with God internationally (three countries in Africa, Southern Mexico and India). She has been married to the most wonderful husband in the whole world since 2008. They had their first baby at the end of 2010 and are enjoying their new family.
Darla and her husband are in the process of moving back to India. Her desire is that people would come to see God moving in their lives on a daily basis and that they could experience the adventure (what ever that may be) that God has planned for their life.
To Contact Darla email her @dsaiman@ecwesleyan.com
Reggie Seutia, Music Director
Reggie is the worship director at ECW; he heads up the praise and worship team and assists in the planning of weekly worship services and other events. His passion is to change lives through the power of
Gospel and use the gift of music and the arts as a vehicle in worship to God who alone is worthy.
What he does when he’s not working: Reggie enjoys various sports such as basketball, football and anything physical and competitive. He also enjoys writing and composing music as well.
All about God:
Reggie grew up in church but was never really of the Church. After High School, God graciously saved Reggie and changed him from one of the many false converts that profess Christ and live like the devil to a new creation in Christ growing in holiness. Reggie loves God and His Word and he is passionate about biblical evangelism and studying the best-selling book of all time. He graduated from Azusa Pacific
University with a Bachelor in Human Development and was also a music major.
Family man:
In 2005, Reggie married “way over my head” to Andrea Seutia; she is beautiful inside and out. The inside is the key and the outside is the bonus. Together they have a son named Corban Lee – who sucks the life
out of them and is a blessing and a joy to them all at the same time.
To contact Reggie email him @ reggieseutia@gmail.com
Eddie Reitz, Children Director
Mr. Eddie has been involved in Children’s Ministry at ECW since 2004 and is responsible for the Elementary portion of our program. He and his wife Karen have been married for 14 years and have four children. He has an overwhelming passion to teach and show people the love of God and plans to become a full-time Ordained Minister.
To contact Eddie email him @ eddiereitz@yahoo.com
Ruth Bagley, Sunday Preschool Director
Ruth is married with three grown children and one grand-daughter. Her husband John, is a high school teacher. Ruth and John work side by side in children’s ministries.
One of her primary passions is designing developmentally appropriate Christian curriculum for our children here at ECW and our ECW weekday preschool. Ms. Ruth has a heart for working with children who have special needs. She has extensive experience teaching children of every age, however, working with preschool age is her favorite. She finds great joy in watching the Lord work in the lives of even the youngest of children.
In her spare time she loves doing anything creative.
Her life verse:
Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
.
To contact Ruth email her @ rbagley@ecwesleyan.com
