Helping leaders imagine, embody and seek the
shalom of their cities.
About Me
I have always loved the City. As a young man, I would hop on the East Bay Transit F bus, head for San Francisco, and spend the day walking its streets, climbing its hills, and taking in its beauty. As a UC Berkeley student, I studied the City’s history, urban ecology and progressive politics. Then, as a staff with collegiate ministry InterVarsity, I moved to the City, took residence, got married, raised four children, and volunteered in their public schools. In the 90s I formed and led, as executive director, a faith-based 501(c)3 nonprofit that served poor and immigrant communities through after-school tutoring, youth job-training, health fairs, dental screening, legal assistance and advocacy.
At the national level, I served for 13 years on the board of the Christian Community Development Association, a network of nonprofits and congregations that seek solutions for impoverished communities across the country. While on the board, I helped further the association’s involvement in policy analysis and advocacy, particularly toward just and humane immigration reform. Dayspring Technologies, a web technology firm with a social mission, is another organization with whom I served as a board member. Also, writing extensively on the intersections of ecclesiology and public engagement has also been a passion, serving for about 8 years as a regular columnist for Christians for Social Action.
After completing two decades of nonprofit work (and serving on the pastoral staff of a local Presbyterian church), I went on to create a new nonprofit, Ekklesiae, that convenes and fosters theological dialogue and missional discernment among diverse, inter-generational leaders. I find this “passion project” to be a rich complement to my profession as a nonprofit consultant, grant writer, and coach. For recreation, I continue to delight in my ongoing theological studies, watch lots of movies with my family (especially in these COVID-19 days and nights), and play board games (think Settlers of Cataan) and Words with Friends, incessantly, on my phone with my dear 90-year old mom.
PERSONAL PROJECTS
EKKLESIAE is a bridge-building ministry that sets the table for ecclesial leaders (pastors, theologians, parachurch workers and others) to learn from each across theological traditions, culture, and generation - and to discern the missional implications for the Church in our world, particularly amid the radical transformations that are underway in the pandemic era. Ekklesiae is an all-voluntary organization (no paid staff), carried forth out of a passion for the gospel.
SFEXEGESIS is a portal to help people to “learn and love San Francisco,” a project I began over 15 years ago, a work in progress to this day. To “exegete” something is to delve deeply enough to lift meaning and implication. A city is like a book, and neighborhoods are its many chapters. My hope is that SFEXEGESIS can be of help to students, ministers, activists, politicians, anyone who has a stake in the history, present and future of the City by the Bay.