Tim Theule:
Tim was born and raised in Southern California. He trusted Jesus Christ as a child and was actively involved in Campus Crusade for Christ throughout high school and his college years at UC Santa Barbara. After receiving a B.A. in Business Economics at UCSB, Tim went on to pursue a Masters of Divinity degree at Talbot School of Theology. Before coming to Grace, Tim served for 10 years at the Evangelical Free Church of Laguna Hills. During that time, he was both licensed and ordained by the Evangelical Free Church of America. After a wild and wondrous soul-searching process, sensing the clear call of God, Tim became Grace's fifth Lead Pastor in March 2003.
Tim is passionate about the power of the Gospel to transform lives, families and communities here on the Central Coast! He's committed to the centrality of the Gospel, the doctrines of grace, relevant expository preaching, and authentic, multi-generational community. His desire is that Grace becomes a church in the community, for the community, as we live and apply the Gospel throughout all life, in all relationships, in all circumstances.
Tim and his wife, Susie, were married in 1993. Susie is a licensed clinical psychologist and Tim's balancing factor in ministry. Together they have four great kids; Sage, Eden, Ezekiel and Haaken. In his free time, Tim enjoys surfing, mountain biking, reading and gardening.
Miles Nelson:
Miles was born and raised in the Northern California and gave his life to Christ at age 17.
Miles and his wife Hannah first came to Grace in 2008 after moving to the Central Coast. After volunteering for 6+ years, he served as the Youth Pastor from 2014-2017. He then served as the College & Growth Groups Pastor for 2 years until 2019. In Spring 2019, he took the role as Campus Pastor for the North County Campus. As Campus Pastor, he shepherds the people of Grace in the North County and helps oversee the week in and week out operations of the campus.
Miles has been married to Hannah since 2008 and they have four boys, Luke, Caleb, Seth and Silas. He loves skateboarding, playing music, drinking great coffee, and eating good Mexican food.
Ken Peet:
Ken trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior at the age of 7, at home with his family. He made a key recommitment in his junior year of high school at Hume Lake Christian Camp. He graduated from Cal Poly in 1977, majoring in social sciences. He married Judi in 1978 and began serving high school students at Grace in 1979.
Ken and Judi have two grown children, Jennifer, who is married to Jake, and is on staff with Campus Crusade in Santa Barbara and Jeremy who is married to Elizabeth, and is on staff with Grace Bible Church in Arroyo Grande, CA.
Ken has served here at Grace as Youth Pastor from 1992-2007, Pastor of Family Ministries from 2007-2019, and as the SLO Campus Pastor (2019-2023). He now serves as the Care Pastor.
Chris Rhodes:
Chris grew up on the Central Coast, in Santa Maria, where his passion for leading God’s people in worship began. He then moved to Southern California, where he earned his bachelor's degree in worship leading from San Diego Christian College. He led worship for eight years in San Diego, Orange County, and at Hume Lake Christian Camps, where he met his wife Bobbie. Chris and Bobbie were married in 2016 and have four children, Kingsley, Maverick, Denver, and Haven.
Nick Shorts:
Nick has been working at Grace Central Coast since 2013. He has worked primarily with youth ministry (though he has dabbled with video production) and he is currently the High School Pastor. Nick grew up in Atascadero before going to school at Biola University where he studied Communications. After school, he returned to San Luis Obispo where God directed him into service at Grace Central Coast and he's been there ever since. Nick is married to his wife Jessie and they live near downtown SLO with their daughter Ruthie and son Monty.
Debbie Johnston:
Debbie was born and raised in Ventura, CA by Christian parents who were always very active in the life of their church. She met Ron in the midst of that activity and her best friend eventually became her husband. They married in 1971 and have two grown children and three grandchildren who all live on the Central Coast.
She graduated from California Lutheran University with a degree in music. She loves kids and has taught private piano lessons for 45+ years. She also spent several years as director of music at her church in the Bay Area. She joined Grace staff as Pastor Tim's Executive Assistant in 2003, served as Business Administrator for 14 years, and is currently Pastor Tim's Executive Assistant.
Emily Head:
Born and raised in Northern California, Emily trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior at a Billy Graham Crusade in Oakland, CA at the age of 13. Active in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship while attending Cal Poly, she graduated in 1980 with a degree in Business and married Erik in 1981. She worked in Human Resources for Lockheed Martin for a number of years, and then as the Office Manager in the family dental practice until 2016. Grown children include Scott and Carly, parents to Jake and Luke, who live on the Central Coast, and son Matthew, who lives in San Ramon, CA.
Emily loves kids and is passionate about teaching them how much Jesus loves them. Having been active in children's and women's ministry 30+ years, she jumped right into teaching at the GraceSLO campus after she and Erik relocated to the Central Coast in 2016.
Emily now serves as our GraceKids Coordinator for the North County campus where she and her husband Erik attend.
Dori Iunker:
Dori has been the Kid’s Director at Grace Central Coast since 2001. She has a passion for foster care, adoption, and above all else showing children the love of Jesus Christ. Dori and her husband Larry have been married since 1984. They have five children; two of who were adopted through the foster care system. Over the years they have been blessed with loving and caring for over 30 foster children.
Dori has a Bachelors Degree in Child and Family Development and a Masters Degree in Education: Counseling & Guidance. She has worked for the public school system and in the social work field working with at-risk youth. She is also a Trust-Based Relational (TBRI) Practitioner, helping to train foster and adoptive parents connect with the children in their care.
Erik Anderson:
Erik is from Sacramento, California and moved to the Central Coast to attend Cal Poly. He graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. He was fortunate enough to start working at Grace Central Coast in 2017 and is currently working towards a Master of Divinity degree. In 6th grade, Erik became a fully-devoted follower of Christ and has been prioritizing the Gospel ever since. When Erik isn't chasing around middle schoolers as the Middle School Director, he's playing sports and spending time with his friends.
Mariah Woolard:
Mariah is a graduate from Cal Poly SLO and she studied Child Development. She is the Kids Coordinator for the Five Cities Campus and has been attending Grace Central Coast since 2017.
Darren Nelson:
Darren was born and raised in Northern California. In college, he began serving in youth ministry at his local church, and after graduating college, entered seminary. During seminary, he taught Bible classes full-time at a Christian school, and began leading the college & young adult ministry at his local church. In 2019, Darren earned his MDiv from The Cornerstone Seminary in Vallejo and moved to SLO to join the team at Grace Central Coast.
Darren and Lauren were married in 2016 and love traveling together. A few of Darren’s favorite things besides Jesus, the Bible, and Lauren are: basketball, golf, wakeboarding, reading, listening to old vinyl records, and laughing with friends and family.
Jessica Jantos:
Jessica and her family moved to SLO in 2011 and has called Grace Central Coast their church home after attending their first Fall Kick-Off just a few weeks after moving to SLO. She has been involved with the Women's Ministry at Grace Central Coast for quite a few years as a Bible Study small group leader and a coordinator for MOPs, a ministry to young moms. She is honored to step into this new role as Women's Care Director and help the women of Grace find and follow Jesus.
Al Streder:
Al, Tanya and their three children, Paul, Jordan & Katie, came to Grace in June, 1992. After earning his Bachelors of Music in 1977, he taught music in the public schools-one year in the Chicago area and three in the San Jose area. During the 70's Al and Tanya were quite involved in the touring ministry of the Continental Singers, and in late 1981 Al accepted a position in the Continental office, where he worked through the end of 1989. While with the Continentals he also served as music director at a small Baptist Church. Al and Tanya have been able to work and serve together in and outside of the church. Both are members of the SLO Symphony and also involved as coaches with SLO Youth Symphony.
Bekah Nicklas:
Bekah grew up as a Pastor's Kid in Camarillo, CA for most of her life. She moved to San Luis Obispo in 2016 to attend Cal Poly where she received her degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. After 3 years of working at Grace Central Coast as an Adminsitration Assistant, Bekah joined the Ministry Team as the Communications and Outreach Director in 2020.
Bekah and her husband Devon Nicklas are involved in Grace as volunteers and are blessed to do ministry together each week. Bekah loves surfing, hiking, and anything that involves getting outside in nature!
Marina Garcia:
Marina is a Cal Poly graduate with a degree in Child Development and Psychology. She and her family have called Grace Central Coast their church home since 2014. Passionate about working with children, Marina embraced the opportunity to get involved with the GraceKids ministry and also follow God's call to become a licensed foster family. After several years of serving as a volunteer at the children's ministry, Marina joined the SLO Campus staff as the Early Childhood Coordinator in 2020.
Morgan Crawford:
Morgan grew up in Easton, CA and began attending a Southern Baptist Church at 14 years old. At age 16 Morgan became a follower of Christ and was involved in CRU throughout College, leading Bible studies, running outreaches, and attending a summer internship in Detroit’s Inner City.
Morgan graduated with a BA in Social Work and a minor in Conflict/ Peace Studies. After a few years working in Fresno, he began a 16 year career working with at-risk youth/Foster youth while volunteering in Youth Ministries at Grace Central Coast. In 2021 Morgan took over the position of Youth Coordinator at our North County Campus, and in 2023, he became the Assistant Campus Pastor.
Morgan married Kathleen Crawford in 2009 and together they have 3 daughters. He enjoys woodworking, kayak fishing, and figuring out his next side hustle.
Ethan Lee:
Ethan was born and raised in Sacramento, California, where he trusted Jesus as his savior. He moved to the Central Coast in 2018 to attend Cal Poly, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, with an emphasis in Organizations. Ethan called Grace Central Coast his church home during his college years. He gained a newfound passion for ministry during his stints as the Worship Intern, Facilities Manager, Tech Coordinator, and now Youth Coordinator at the Five Cities Campus. As someone who encountered a relationship with Jesus in middle school, he recognizes the importance of building relationships and teaching the Gospel to students.
Ellie Amesse:
Ellie has been a part of the Grace Central Coast community since 2012. She grew up on the California Central Coast and is currently studying Journalism and Public Relations at Cal Poly. She serves on the GraceCollege leadership team as the communications coordinator and began working at Grace as Pastor Ken's Admin Assistant in 2021. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, writing, and spending time with friends and family.
Cherie Hunt:
Chérie grew up in North San Diego County. For over two decades she has served in Children and Women’s Ministries. She married her husband Joel in 2002 and they adopted their daughter Daisy from the foster care system in 2014. In 2018 they moved to the Five Cities area and started attending the Five Cities Campus. Chérie jumped into serving on the Women’s Leadership Team and also as a Women’s Bible Study Group Leader. In 2021 she joined the Ministry Staff as the Five Cities Family Care Coordinator. Her deep love for her Savior Jesus has given her a passion for encouraging families to find and follow Jesus. Chérie enjoys walking her dogs on the beach, being outside in nature and grabbing an iced tea at the many coffee shops.
Ben Ernstrom:
Ben grew up in San Luis Obispo and has been blessed to be part of the Grace Central Coast family for his entire life. He came to faith in Jesus Christ at a young age and has enjoyed learning about Him ever since. Ben graduated from Cal Poly with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He is currently a student at Western Seminary. When free time comes around, Ben can be found with his 5 younger siblings, playing on the church softball team, drinking coffee, or reading books.
Faith Phillipps:
Faith joined the Grace Central Coast community in the Fall of 2021 when she transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She is currently studying Sociology with an emphasis in Social Work. She serves on the Tech Team for the Grace College Group and Sunday mornings and in January of 2022 she began working as the Administrative Assistant to Pastor Chris Rhodes.
Karena Talley:
Karena grew up at Grace her whole life and is currently a senior at SLO Classical Academy. This internship has been a great opportunity for her as she is interested in studying Communications for her college degree. Karena is involved in the Grace Youth Group and GraceKids ministry as well. In her spare time, Karena likes to hang out with friends/family, play volleyball, and travel.
Bret Martin:
Bret Martin is a disciple of Jesus Christ, committed to Gospel multiplication through equipping, empowering, and investing in reproductive disciples of Jesus Christ. Bret has over 20 years of pastoral, teaching, and ministry experience—and finds it an honor to participate in the life-transforming work of the Gospel. He loves Jesus, Jesus’ Bride, and those who don’t yet know Jesus. Bret serves on the Executive Team of Grace Central Coast and is the Five Cities Campus Pastor. Bret and his lovely wife Molly have three young sons—Brock, Brody, and Beckham. Together the Martins enjoy people, family, friends, hiking, surfing, camping, coffee, and good BBQ.
Ron Johnston:
Ron was born and raised in Ventura, and gave his life to Christ when he was 13. Ron got his degree in computer science at UCSB and added an MBA during a career in Silicon Valley. Ron and his wife Debbie relocated to SLO and came to Grace in 1996. They have 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren - all local. Ron is a non-governing Elder and presently serves Grace as Business Administrator. Ron loves music, cycling, running and family vacations in Hawaii.
Courtney Theis:
Courtney grew up in Orange County, California and moved to SLO to study Experience Industry Management with a minor in Graphic Communication at Cal Poly in the fall of 2020. She called Grace her home after attending one Grace College group. She served on the College Leadership Team as the Events lead and is excited to take on the role of Outreach Coordinator. In her free time you may catch Courtney at the beach, giving tours of the Cal Poly campus, or just being around friends!
Karin Bruck:
Karin attends our North County Campus and joined our staff in 2021 as our amazing bookkeeper!
Susee Glover:
Susee joined our staff in 2021 and currently works as our North County Campus Admin and Women's Ministry Admin.
Bethany Vazquez:
Bethany got connected with Grace Central Coast when she moved to San Luis Obispo in 2020, after graduating from the Master’s University with a double major in English and Communication. In 2022, she joined Grace staff as Communications Coordinator. She has experience in marketing and journalism and loves the chance to see God at work in the Central Coast community. She married Tommy Vazquez in 2023 and enjoys taking photos, painting, and gardening.
Will Harington:
Will Harington was born and raised in Templeton, on the ranch his family has lived on for five generations. He and his wife Jenna have been married since June of 2013 and have three children, Liam, Emma, and Elijah. Will has had a relationship with Jesus his whole life and grew up regularly attending church. He first began volunteering in various church ministries in high school. Ever since then he has served on several church leadership teams and helped with many outreaches. He has served in ministries that range from youth to media and everything in between.
Luke Ernstrom:
Luke was born and raised in San Luis and has been attending the SLO campus his whole life. Growing up, he was a part of Grace's AWANA program as well as its middle school and high school groups. He is now blessed to be serving as a staff member. He began working at Grace as a facilities assistant in 2021, later adding the role of tech coordinator. He currently attends Cal Poly as a computer science major. Luke enjoys eating good food, playing music, and overthinking movie plots with his friends.
Lily Cheney:
Lily has lived in San Luis Obispo and gone to the SLO campus since she was born. She works in the bakery at Scout Coffee and loves to do anything creative in her free time. Lily is a part time student a Cuesta College, pursuing her creative interests.
