Church staff

Senior Pastor

Pastor Steve has been in ministry since 1988. He has served 6 churches during that time. In each church he has grown as a follower of Jesus and as a leader. He loves being at The Methodist Church because the ministry here is so life changing for people. He believes that everyone who makes the decision to follow Jesus finds that their experience of life is enriched. True joy that comes from being aligned with the ways of Jesus is what he wants to offer all those who are part of this church.

Associate Pastor, Spanish Language Ministries

Corazón is the associate pastor for Latino ministry for The Methodist Church. She was born and raised in Durango, México. She studied Theology at John Wesley Methodist Seminary. Her passion in ministry is outreach and evangelism. Her husband is also a pastor. They have 4 children. She believes in the power of God’s grace to restore our lives through experiencing the power of forgiveness and the unconditional acceptance of God’s love.

Business Operations Manager

Joanna Sanchez has been a part of The Methodist Church staff since November 2012. As the Business Operations Manager, Joanna is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the church, oversees the Finance Department, recruits, trains and oversees volunteers, and coordinates the calendar of events.
Joanna earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from UCSB. She enjoys Harry Potter trivia, playing fetch with her pup Archie and has a love for plants.

Financial Secretary

Kristi came to Visalia from Southern California in 2015 when her husband accepted a job transfer in the area. They have been regularly attending The Methodist Church since 2017. Kristi received her MBA from CSU, Dominguez Hills where she studied business management and accounting. As Financial Secretary for The Methodist Church, Kristi maintains all aspects of the church finances including accounts payable, contribution tracking, payroll and finance reporting.

Children’s Ministry Director

Amada joined The Methodist Church staff in July 2022. She serves as the Children’s Ministry Director. Amada earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Development from Fresno Pacific University and has serveral years of experience in the Educational field. As the Children’s Ministry Director, her prayer is that she will support parents in equipping their children to become lifelong followers of Christ.

Lead Staff Member in Nursery Department

Kathy has been working in our Church nursery for 15 years. She was born in Iowa and grew up in Porterville, where her family was very active at Trinity Lutheran Church. After studying music and French at California Lutheran College, she was a nanny in Paris, France for a year. Her husband is “retired Navy”. They have 4 grown children and 1 grandson. They settled back in the valley in 1994. It is a joy and blessing for her to serve our tiniest members and visitors.

Worship Arts Director/Worship Leader

Raised as a Christian, Alejandra Tejeda fully committed her life to Christ at sixteen. She quickly involved herself in the Worship Ministry and has since been led by God to the calling of leading Worship to His people. She has her M.A. in Music-Vocal Performance from California State University, Fresno and serves as the Worship Arts Director/Worship Leader at The Methodist Church.

Service Producer/Technician

Rigo is the Service Producer/Technician at The Methodist Church. He’s a Fresno State Alumni and has 8 years experience working in broadcast television. He enjoys Sunday Worship and seeing everyone coming together. He has a passion for the Arts and enjoys being outdoors.

Lead Guitarist

Robert Gallegos was born in San Jose California, and has been the lead guitarist for the past 3 ½ years. Robert moved to Visalia in the second grade where he found his love for guitar from his dad Frank. Robert has played with numerous musicians and in many different styles. He continues to expand his musical capabilities with his worship band. He also enjoys spending time with his family, and vacations to the beach.

Director of Comfort Ministries

Kai Creel, found homeless on the streets of Porterville, remembers what it is like to feel lost and alone. Adopted by the Pastors Creel after he spent several months with Central Valley Rescue Railroad, Kai has dedicated himself to caring for others who may feel lost and alone in the circumstances of life. After engaging in a supervised internship he has now come on staff as Director of Comfort. His hobbies are walks, naps, snacks, sitting on any available lap, and playing tug and fetch with one of his many toys.