Leadership

---

LEAD PASTOR

I have always been convinced that most comedians are just preachers who haven't answered their call, so after 20 years as a full-time standup comedian, I answered the call and helped plant Emmaus Church (you win a Christian maturity ribbon if you can pronounce Emmaus) in Redlands, California, which is now a decade old and going strong. Then I was a teaching pastor at Canyon Lake Community Church for four years and have  ventured back into church planting as the lead pastor of Center Church. (You get nothing if you can pronounce that, except the satisfaction of being hooked on phonics.) Westminster Seminary California allowed me onto their campus even though I baptize grownups. That seminary and its professors have been formative in my life. But not as much as my wife who I have been married to for 31 years as of July 2024. That's me in the selfie with my wife Dinika, our son Rex (6), our daughter Eden (24), and our daughter Kate (15). That's right—eight years between kids, because we're good planners.

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY COORDINATOR

Ariane is deeply passionate in her love for Jesus and has a heart for God’s children and youth ministries. She is honored to serve as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Center Church and loves learning to further follow Christ with child-like faith. Ariane has served in local children’s ministries for over 10 years and she takes great joy in seeing little ones open their heart to the love of Jesus. Her husband Erik and her have been together for 13 years and are blessed with two beautiful children. Ariane is deeply passionate about the care and protection of children and she serves as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer for children in foster care with the organization Voices for Children in Riverside County. The Lord has blessed her with a rewarding career, heavily focused on servant leadership, relationship building, and connecting with others in the community management industry, where she works during the week as an on-site General Manager for a large-scale HOA community. Ariane holds her CMCA® designation and has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business/Healthcare Administration. 

ELDER / WORSHIP LEADER

Steve Adler is a consummate rocker, as in rock n’ roll back when it was rock n’ roll and not whatever it is now. Techno. Exactly. Tech? No. The first rock concert Steve attended was KISS in 1979 and yes, he was in full makeup. Thankfully for us, he has left face painting behind and leads the worship team at Center Church. Steve brings his passion for the Lord into the sanctuary with every note of his guitar. If there is an instrument, whatever it may be, Steven can probably play it, even the ukulele. He started playing music at 11 years of age and was awarded a gold medal at an international music festival with a jazz ensemble in 1984. He is a first-class bass player, but his skills go far beyond his instrument of preference. This is why one of his great gifts is in developing other musicians and singers into worshippers who sing to the Lord with their whole hearts and on key. (Praise the Lord for that.) Steve has been married to Tammy (who was such a good sport for this selfie which came without warning) for 28 years in October. They have three children, one in college (Dave, 26, studying psychology at Cal State Long Beach), one who just graduated college (Michaela, 27, BS in geology from Cal State Fullerton) and Sam (22) who's studying at Cal State Fullerton also. Before Center Church even had a name, Steve came to me (Thor) and said, "If you start a church, I'll be your worship leader." And he's been with us ever since. 

ELDER / TREASURER

Daniel is a professor at Martin Luther King Jr. in Riverside. Needless to say, Dan is a great teaching elder at Center Church. He has been married to Jenny for 24 years and they have four children: Julia (16), Charlotte (13), Mary (2) and Grant (little). Daniel also serves as church treasurer. His wife Jenny works for Mission Vista Charter School as an Educational Specialist, where she works with homeschooling families. Both Dan and Jenny have a long line of teachers in their families. As a couple, they are also advocates of orphan care, having just adopted Mary, and her brother Grant become part of their family as well in November of 2024. They have been with Center Church since its inception and Dan has been part of the leadership team since the original launch of 2016.