Mike has been a part of Pearl Church from the beginning, helping to plant her in 2001. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Educational Ministries, a Master’s of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degree in homiletics. An educational highlight took place in 2007 when Mike served as Haddon Robinson’s Sabbatical in-Preaching Mentor. Mike and Jennifer married in 1997 and they have three children: Asher Howard, Phoebe Jo, and Miles Christian. Besides spending time with his family, Mike enjoys reading, drinking muddy coffee, and admiring Type II Volkswagens. As a native of Portland, he also appreciates rain.

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Born in Minnesota, raised in Camas, WA, Loren believed 1 John 5:9-13 on July 27, 1942 and received Jesus Christ, being freely graced with forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Loren graduated at Biola College and Dallas Seminary. Highlights of his life include: marriage to Joyce McLeod 50+ years, being a father to Lori, Brent, Matt, Lynn and Brett, serving as Assistant Pastor to his brother, Dr. Ken Fischer, at Magnolia Baptist Church in Anaheim, CA for 8 years, teaching at Western Baptist Seminary under Dr. Earl Radmacher for 12 years, founding Laurelwood Baptist Church of East Vancouver in their home while teaching at Western, pastoring at Milwaukie First Baptist Church for 22 years, enjoying Nursing Home Chaplaincy full-time since 2002 and being a worshiper, server, member and elder with Pearl Church. Thankful to start well; blessed to continue better; eager and committed . . . to end best!

Bruce was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He has been a Finance Controller for Intel Corporation since 1994.  Bruce moved to Portland in 1996, learned to cope with the slightly different weather than the Southwest, and now gladly calls Portland home.  Bruce and Cody were married in July 2008, and have one son, William.  Bruce loves to read, loves his friends, and loves to travel.  He held several ministry and music leadership positions at Sunset Presbyterian Church before joining Pearl in its early days as a home church in 2002.

Gail moved from Chicago to Portland in the Spring of 2006.  She followed her husband Jon after he had been transferred here for work and they married that Summer.  They found Pearl Church during that time and have been attending ever since.  In the Spring of 2008 they welcomed twins Addison and Samuel and have been entrenched in the joys (and trials) of parenting multiples.  Gail also takes pleasure in a career of financing medical practices and hospitals.  She and Jon enjoy cooking, entertaining, working out and family time.  Gail also loves baseball season and rooting for the Cubs and dreams of the day she will see them play in the World Series!

Amy Rapp began attending the Pearl in 2004 and has loved the people and the church ever since! She grew up in Portland and then left for a few years to sunny California and fun Chicago. Coming back to Portland in 2000 was a great choice to be around family. Married in 2007, she and her husband Toby enjoy entertaining friends and family and have just bought a home perfect for this. Toby’s a fabulous cook and more than willing to prove it if you’d like. She is looking forward to seeing you at one of the upcoming Pearl events.

Brett has lived in Portland most of his life and attended the University of Oregon.  He’s been a member of Pearl Church for five years, enjoys participating in The Reading of the Word and leading Prayers of the People during liturgy, is an active member of the preaching team, and has been involved with several Home Groups. He currently leads a Home Group with his wife Stacie. The positive impact of Home Groups is what motivated Brett to get involved on a leadership level, and he’s excited to see what Home Groups can do for the community at Pearl.  Brett would prefer to view films and enjoy delicious wine during his down time, and holds a particular fondness for The Godfather Part I, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Brunello. 

Thomas has been at Pearl Church since 2007 shortly after moving to Portland to join the faculty at the Oregon Health and Sciences University.  His studies has taken him to different corners of the country--Seattle, Boston, San Diego, and Baltimore--and he is excited to lay down roots here, and build authentic relationships with a family of believers with great hopes for what God can do in our midst. He loves good food, delicious non-alcoholic drinks of all temperatures, flaky pastries, classical music, worshipping, C.S. Lewis, honest conversations, and spending time with his wife Donna. 

coming soon…

more text here… and here…

sara works at MBC…

helps with credo, which is latin for “i believe”.

pretty cool.

Melissa first visited the Pearl Church in 2004 and was attracted to the “priesthood of believers” being affirmed in the worship service.  Her love for liturgy and the church’s need for a liturgy coordinator eventually drew her to be involved with the Pearl Church community.  She was born and raised in Oregon along the Willamette River, where she worked in her family garden planting rows and rows (and rows) of potatoes.  Puttering in the yard is still part of her DNA, and is usually the place for theological epiphanies (God IS a gardener, you know)! 

Rob Hawthorne grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, and met his wife Monique, aka Mo, while studying architecture at Cal Poly State University. He now works at a local architecture firm. Rob and Mo have been attending the Pearl Church since 2005 and Rob has been serving on the Outreach Ministry team since 2007. He became the Outreach Ministry coordinator in 2008. He enjoys spending time with his wife, eating good food, watching movies, and traveling when he can. 

Stacie grew up in Portland, OR, and has bachelor degrees in Communications from Portland State University and Interior Design from the Art Institute of Portland.  She lives in NE Portland with her husband Brett and son Moses.  Stacie loves anything design and art related, and her paintings can often be seen behind the altar at Pearl Church.  Her favorite things in life are her family and friends, great food and wine, sunshine and her pug Bonzi.  Stacie has been a part of Pearl since 2003.  She has been a member of the Liturgy team for much of that time, leads a Home Group with her husband, and now serves as the Administrative Assistant. 

Christopher Layton is a Portland native. His educational journey has taken him to Multnomah Bible College and Portland State University, where he has studied Theology, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Medieval Literature, and Biblical Languages. He and his wife, Rochelle, enjoy exploring Portland by bike, cooking together and learning about wine. He has previously pastored in Milwaukie, OR and taught at Multnomah Bible College.  Christopher has been involved with Pearl Church since 2002.

Visit Christopher Layton's Website

Ian’s first Sunday at Pearl Church was the Christmas service in 2002--he and his family have been there ever since. Back then, they only had two kids but now he and Mindy are blessed to have four children: Makaena, Aidan, Paige, and Joshua. After graduating from Multnomah Bible College in 1997, Ian served a Milwaukie church community as a worship pastor while working in the realm of marketing higher education. Ian currently works for Compassion International working to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. The Durias home is full, both literally and metaphorically, and when you see how Mindy runs it, you see a blessing from God. Lastly, Ian and Tippy, the Durias cat, are learning to get along.

Raised primarily in Oregon, Dave trusted Christ as his Savior while attending Cannon Beach Conference Center with his family in 1953.  He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Oregon University, and went on to complete a Master of Science in Counseling at Oregon State University.  Dave married his best friend, Drenda, in 1974, and together they raised three children, Hanni, Josh, and Kristin.  In addition to many years of service with Village Missions, Dave helped found Ecola Bible School in Cannon Beach, Oregon in 1971, where he now serves as Director.  He especially enjoys teaching the Marriage and Dating course, and the intern class on Principles of Ministry.  Dave and Drenda discovered Pearl Church in late 2003, and have enjoyed attending and serving here since.  Dave loves life, family, and walking with God.  Some of his special interests include good books, coffee, fly-fishing, and traveling with Drenda.

William grew up in the Pacific Northwest.  Together with his wife Rae, he came to Pearl Church in 2007.  He felt drawn to the genuineness and transparency of the leaders.  William finds joy in participating in community with imperfect yet growing persons.  He has experience in coaching and pastoral counseling.  Nearly any form of human interaction energizes William!  He is especially fond of spending time with Rae.  Together they love to explore beautiful gardens, hike, eat good food and enjoy the company of friends and family.  William is passionate about gardening and nurturing growth in other people.

Francis was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He moved to Portland in 2006 to begin working toward a degree in Educational Ministries with an emphasis in Family Ministries. He loves cooking, watching movies, and spending quality time with his wife, Olive. Exploring the beauty of Portland has become one of their favorite activities together. He has previously served as a ministry leader at a church in San Francisco, and now serves as a Pastoral Intern at Pearl Church. His passion is to see Pearl Church enter into community with each other and celebrate authentic fellowship.

Aurelie grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has called Portland home for the last six years.  She has attended Pearl Church since 2004 and serves on the women’s ministry team.  In 2008 Aurelie graduated from Western Seminary with a Masters in Counseling degree and currently works as a life coach helping people towards their full potential.  She enjoys traveling, reading,
and tennis.

Tanya came to fellowship with Pearl Church in 2002. She spent time on prayer team, and in children’s ministry as a volunteer before leading her home group for a season. In the midst of personal failure and repentance, Tanya has been a living testament to the healing power of God’s grace in community at the Pearl Church. She attests to the fact that Jesus sticks closer than a brother, and embodies His Body at Pearl Church to be that glue. Now, Tanya leads the Care and Prayer circle team in Women’s Ministries. Her desire is to come along side women in crisis to offer consistent prayer and resources for restoration and felt needs. She loves listening to Radiohead, poking fun at anyone who leave’s themselves vulnerable to a witty remark, and watching LOST Wednesday nights at 9pm/7CST.

Colleen started attending Pearl Church in the fall of 2005. She graduated in 2006 with a Bachelors of Science in Biblical Studies and Educational Ministries with a focus in Family Ministry. She is currently earning a Bachelors of Science in Nursing at University of Portland. She hopes to travel once she is done with school and work in orphanages all over the world.

Brian grew up in Portola, California. He moved to Portland in 1998 for college, earning a Bachelor’s in Bible and Music Ministry. He has been a part of Pearl Church since 2002. Music has always been one of Brian’s main hobbies, and in recent years his interest has been growing in songwriting and in choral arranging. One of Brian’s favorite life experiences was a year that he spent living in Lima, Peru learning language and getting to know the culture. He has come to realize that if he weren’t so interested in music, he would have loved to have become a linguist.

Abby and Karl, both having prior connections to the Pacific Northwest, moved back to Portland in May ’08 from Chicago. They visited Pearl Church soon thereafter and quickly sensed it was a group with whom they would be excited to journey. The home group ministry is a natural fit for the them because they see great value in the connections and growth that happen within the context of these groups, and they’re especially eager to partner with and encourage the home group leaders. They’re also growing in their understanding of prayer and are considering how it might contribute to the home group ministry. Abby and Karl appreciate almost anything that gets them outdoors – camping, hiking, swimming, gardening, tennis, fishing – as well as cooking and enjoying food with friends.

Along with his wife Karen, Rob joined the Pearl in August of 2004 and has served as a greeter, an elder, and now leads the Finance Team; caring for everything from offerings and deposits to the church budget and cutting checks. During the day Rob works for Portland’s historic downtown Union Gospel Mission as their Director of Development. He and Karen enjoy tandem kayaking as well as keeping up with their adult son Nathan and daughter Rachael. 

Heidi grew up in a rural Southern Oregon town.  Favorite past times from there include swimming in the beautiful North Umpqua River, driving up the mountains for target practice and performing in local dance recitals.  She moved to Portland in 1999 to attend Multnomah Bible College and graduated with a degree in Bible & Theology and Youth Ministry.  Heidi has been part of the Pearl Church family since 2002. Heidi and her husband Chris have enjoyed cultivating their small yard, mountain biking and relaxing with their two kitties: Sophie and Tigger. Heidi & Chris lead a Home Group and Heidi currently is a part of the women’s ministry team

Heidi grew up in a rural Southern Oregon town. Favorite past times from there include swimming in the beautiful North Umpqua River, driving up the mountains for target practice and performing in local dance recitals.  She moved to Portland in 1999 to attend Multnomah Bible College and graduated with a degree in Bible & Theology and Youth Ministry. Heidi has been part of the Pearl Church family since 2002. Heidi and her husband Chris have enjoyed cultivating their small yard, mountain biking and relaxing with their two kitties: Sophie and Tigger. Heidi & Chris lead a Home Group and Heidi currently is a part of the women’s ministry team.

Bill Dolan moved here from Arizona in May of 2005 and found the Pearl Church in the summer of 2008. He graduated from Westmont College which is much better than Multnomah Bible College. He is great at finding reasons to ride his bike and his favorite thing to do is spend time with his wife Brynne because she is the most beautiful woman in the world. His hope is to see men at the Pearl church laugh, worship, confess and grow together in Christ.

Cory has called Portland home since 2004. Having moved around all his life, he is excited to call the Pearl Church his home and looks forward to (as Pastor Mike says), “growing old together.” Cory has found such an abundance of love and support from the people at Pearl, that he can’t wait to give back what he has learned to other men. Under current assignment as men’s events coordinator, Cory brings his passion for seeing men create new bonds through the abundance of activities Portland has to offer. Flying, mountain biking, motorcycle riding, and serving others are just a few of the many activities he enjoys.

Justin Martin was born and raised in Oregon. He was away from Portland for about 10 years on various adventures in the south and abroad but finally returned home unable to stay away any longer. Justin earned his B.A. in Religion/Government Law at Liberty University and his J.D. at Willamette University College of Law. His Portland law practice consists of Business and Taxable Estate Planning, Real Estate, and General Litigation. Justin enjoys leisure time always on the move, especially salsa dancing.

Kristin has been attending Pearl Church regularly since fall of 2005. Born and raised in California, Kristin moved to Portland to attend Multnomah Biblical Seminary in 1995 for the one year biblical graduate program. Kristin has worked in the commercial real estate field the last 13 years managing renovation projects and leasing office space. Besides a three block commute, her favorite thing about attending Pearl Church is the church’s willingness to wrestle through complex issues. She serves on the women’s ministry team and has a special compassion for believers who are dealing with addiction and grief. In her spare time, Kristin loves to read, decorate, spend time with friends and have some kind of creative project in the works.  She also has a special place in her heart for 70’s disco music! 

A native Oregonian, Jacqi grew up just outside of Portland. After earning her degree in psychology at Trinity Western University in British Columbia, she and her husband moved to Portland and joined the Pearl community in 2007. Her passion for fostering discipleship among women, as well as affirming and empowering women to use their gifts in the church, has led her to be a part of the women’s ministry team. Jacqi works from home with her husband, Boone, in their photography business. Philosophical discussion, reading, gardening, cooking, and watching period films are a few of her favorite hobbies. 

Matt is a native of Portland and has been attending Pearl since 2001 with his wife Elizabeth. During High-school, Matt and Elizabeth were both part of a youth group led by Mike Roth, who also performed their wedding ceremony. Matt currently works as a Sales Manager for an Internet Marketing Company and loves working with children. He and Elizabeth have one child of their own, a daughter named Allie. Matt loves love all types of sports and games (anything with competition) and regrets regularly losing at golf to John Ross.

Monique (aka “Mo") has been attending Pearl Church regularly since summer 2005. After growing up in Central California and graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (where she met her husband Rob), Mo moved to Portland to attend Lewis and Clark Northwestern School of Law in 2003. She now practices real estate and environmental law focusing on sustainable development. Her desire to motivate people to action has led her to be a part of partner ministries at the Pearl. In her spare time, Mo enjoys spending time with her husband while exploring global cuisines, debating philosophy and politics with friends, watching movies, and playing music. If you ever find yourself debating with Mo, don’t forget that she’s just having some fun. 

New to Portland and searching for a place to worship, Stacy and her husband John visited Pearl Church and were so warmly welcomed that they decided to make it their church home.  Since graduating from college Stacy has worked with children and youth for many years, most recently serving as Children’s Ministry Director at a large church in the Minneapolis area.  She is the proud mom of two great kids-Alex and Paige.  Stacy loves cooking, wine, books, dancing and seeing every Broadway musical that comes to town.  She currently works as Communications Director at the Northwest Chinese Academy. She is excited about serving as age group coordinator for 8-11 year olds at Pearl! 

Ben grew up in Portland, OR and attended Portland State University earning a Bachelors of Arts in Arts and Letters. For most of his life he has sought out good music and ways to make it sound better. Ben and his wife, Stefanie, spent a year in China teaching English at Hebei University of Technology. They enjoy walks, camping, good food, and good conversation. Ben has been attending Pearl since 2009.

Bruce was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He has been a Finance Controller for Intel Corporation since 1994.  Bruce moved to Portland in 1996, learned to cope with the slightly different weather than the Southwest, and now gladly calls Portland home.  Bruce and Cody were married in July 2008, and have one son, William.  Bruce loves to read, loves his friends, and loves to travel.  He held several ministry and music leadership positions at Sunset Presbyterian Church before joining Pearl in its early days as a home church in 2002.

Heidi and Andy have attended Pearl Church since they married and moved to Portland from Honduras in August 2006. Heidi worked for 3 years in Honduras with a non-profit development organization where she was responsible for hosting short-term mission groups within the organization. Andy spent a year in Honduras assisting with the groups and updating project designs. Because of their strong interest in short-term missions, they are now overseeing the Short-Term missions aspect of the outreach ministry. Their goal is to help better prepare people for mission trips (culturally, spiritually, and emotionally), as well as encourage the body of the Pearl to remain aware and involved in the rest of the world. Click here to find out more about short-term missions at Pearl Church.

Annie was raised in Portland, OR.  At the conclusion of high school, she decided to embark on a cross country adventure in order to attend Grove City College in Western Pennsylvania where she earned degrees in English, Communication, and Secondary Education.  It was shortly after graduation in 2002 that Annie found Pearl Church and also began her teaching career.  Annie taught Freshman English at Westside Christian High School.  During this time she met and married her husband, Matthew.  After four years of attempting to impart the love of language to 14 and 15 year olds, Annie resigned to stay home with her daughter, Alexa Rae, who has since been joined by a younger sister, Serena Mackenzie.  Annie enjoys spending time with her family and friends.  She delights in watching her children grow and learn and looks forward to the day when they too will be able to enjoy the differences among pronoun uses and forms.

Olive has been attending Pearl Church since the summer of 2007. She has worked with young children for many years and has cultivated a passion for helping them become life-long learners. After graduating from San Francisco State University, she taught kindergarten while continuing school to get a Master of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education. She is back in school to earn a Master of Arts degree in Teaching and a Teaching Certificate.  Her greatest hopes for the children at Pearl are that they would be part of the conversation that happens on Sunday mornings; they and their parents would feel connected and supported; and that they would grow to worship God and follow Jesus. 

Rob and Karen Howells lead our marriage ministry. After 33 years of marriage and raising two children, they are committed to the goal of strengthening marriages at Pearl Church. Rob works at Union Gospel Mission as their development director, and at the Pearl has been an elder and the financial manager.  Karen who has been the women’s ministry director at the Pearl owns The Howells Group, Inc. She consults in the area of leadership and team development, managing her own firm for 21 years.

Quintin moved to Portland after graduating from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Film and Video. He enjoys skateboarding, dogs, mowing grass, and summertime in his home state of Wisconsin. After visiting Pearl Church in November of 2009, Quintin was compelled to its dynamic and encouraging ministry. Quintin became a volunteer preparing church facilities before becoming Facilities Coordinator in July of 2010. He longs to grow more in the community and serve in practical ways at Pearl Church.

Melissa first visited the Pearl Church in 2004 and was attracted to the “priesthood of believers” being affirmed in the worship service.  Her love for liturgy and the church’s need for a liturgy coordinator eventually drew her to be involved with the Pearl Church community.  She was born and raised in Oregon along the Willamette River, where she worked in her family garden planting rows and rows (and rows) of potatoes.  Puttering in the yard is still part of her DNA, and is usually the place for theological epiphanies (God IS a gardener, you know)! 

Jonathan and his family visited Pearl Church for the first time in 2008 after having returned to Portland from his native New York City suburbs--from which he misses real bagels, Greek diners, August thunderstorms and bitterly cold and bright winter days.  He and his wife Annalyn have three wonderful children, Caleb, Ella and Lydia.  Jonathan serves on InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff at Portland State University.  If you see a man with a big smile on his face in the Park blocks surrounded by a crowd of international students, it might just be him!  When he gets a free moment or two, Jonathan enjoys precious times alone with Annalyn, playing with his kids, hiking, fishing, canoeing, reading, marine engineering and having theological and philosophical discussions.  Jonathan holds degrees from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Multnomah Biblical Seminary and is currently dabbling in philosophy at PSU.

Rae grew up on a small farm in north central North Dakota.  She attended a small country school and country church until she was twelve.  Moving later to the BIG city (Portland) was an adventure!  She considers herself almost a native Oregonian, having lived here since 1979.  Rae worked for many years as an Occupational Therapist.  Rae works for Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in the Cancer program.  Her current job consists of managing a guest house for patients and families and supervising volunteers.  Together with her husband William, Rae has attended Pearl Church since 2007.  They love living in community with the Pearl family.  Two things at Pearl which are shaping Rae’s faith are the liturgy and the Theological Book Group.  Her all time favorite activity is spending time with William.  They share a wide variety of interests including visiting gardens, walking, the Farmer’s Market and spending time with family and friends. 

Reilly grew up as a country boy in rural SE Idaho.  Moving to Oregon after high school to attend Multnomah University, Reilly almost qualifies as a NBO (native-born Oregonian).  Besides a Th.B. from Multnomah, he earned degrees from Baylor University (BA in Greek & English) and Western Baptist Seminary (M.Div in pastoral studies).  Reilly and Miriam have been married 39 years and for the last 33 years have partnered in ministry in three churches.  Most recently Reilly was Pastor of Discipleship and Children at Central Bible Church.

Reilly & Miriam enjoy healthy relationships with their three daughters, three sons-in-law, and eight grandchildren.  For recreation Reilly enjoys interactions with family, daily 3-mile walks with Miriam, listening to audio books, and coffee dates with friends.

Chuck and Harriet Tsen joined Pearl Church in 2009 shortly after moving to Portland from Madison WI.  Originally from Texas, the two have been married for 5 years.  They are excited to serve Pearl Church by helping with the home group ministry.  They believe that home groups can provide a place that we can grow closer to God and to show Christ’s love to one another.  Chuck and Harriet also love rock climbing and eating yummy food.