Oversight Team

Mike Roth

Lead Pastor

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.

Thomas Hwang

Oversight Team Member

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. 

Melissa Monner

Oversight Team Member

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 Guest

Oversight Team Member

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 Waterman

Oversight Team Member

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.