Moving from flock to flock

Young Chang

Mariner’s Church doesn’t think it’s losing a team member.

Newport Mesa Christian Center doesn’t think it’s stealing one.

Scott Rachels, the pastor moving from Mariner’s Church to Newport Mesa

Christian, says everybody wins.

“It was a huge win for God’s kingdom,” he said of his decision to move

from being a singles pastor at Mariner’s to senior pastor at the Costa

Mesa center six miles away.

Earlier this month, the Newport Mesa Christian Center invited Rachels

to serve as senior pastor, a position which will become effective June

16. The congregation has been without a senior leader for almost two

years, since James T. Bradford left to serve a church in Canada. The

congregation, now 650 people, shrank considerably during that time.

Rachels’ leadership will be refreshing, said Mark Hubbard, an elder at

the center.

“He’s going to be able to cross a lot of boundaries with the way that

he communicates,” Hubbard said. “He is full of wit and humor, and he’s

also a very deeply emotional guy. If you summarized his style, I think

it’d be very passionate in what he believes and very passionate in what

he communicates.”

Kenton Beshore, senior pastor at Mariner’s, is equally optimistic

about Rachels’ new post and anything but resentful to be losing him.

“Mariner’s Church has a desire to see all of the great churches that

believe in Jesus Christ to prosper and do great,” he said. “We see

ourselves in partnership with them.”

Pastors preceding Rachels have gone on to lead other churches.

Sometimes the church has even helped to create new centers of worship. A

little more than four years ago, Mariner’s started Rock Harbor Church in

Costa Mesa. Beshore encourages the practice of exporting spiritual

leaders.

“Churches don’t compete,” he said. “The church belongs to God, we’re

all part of the same team, so in that sense [Newport Mesa Christian] is a

sister church with us. We’re very excited about them and Scott being able

to take the next step.”

With Rachels leading, the step will likely be fun.

Known in high school as the class clown and among Mariner’s

congregants as a funny, witty guy, Rachels speckles even his sermons with

humor.

“Everybody thinks they have a good sense of humor, but one of the

things I think God kind of gave me is the ability to find humor in

things,” said the 35-year-old who has performed stand-up at the Comedy

Club in Los Angeles. “I’m not at all suggesting that everything is funny,

but I think we can find things to laugh about.”

The Irvine resident and graduate of Vanguard University added that the

Scripture is filled with funny moments. Citing the story of Abraham and

his wife Sarah having a baby late in their lives, Rachels said the name

of their child -- Isaac -- literally means “laughter.”

“God’s sense of humor is wonderful,” said the pastor, who is married

and has three daughters. “I see God’s humor in having my wife, Julie, and

I move to Newport Mesa as a senior pastor.”

The two senior pastors who preceded Rachels were brilliant, the pastor

humbly said. One was literally a rocket scientist and the other earned a

law degree just for fun.

“I’m probably a little different, more relationally geared,” Rachels

said. “Probably a little more laid back but just as serious about making

an impact on our community.”