morgan murray

Morgan Murray
Senior Pastor
e-mail Morgan
925.935.1574 x107

pastor morgan's dissertation

 

 Pastor Morgan is a California native who grew up in the San Joaquin Valley. As an undergraduate at U.C. Berkeley, Morgan was introduced to the richness of reformed theology and Presbyterian scholarship at First Presbyterian Church - Berkeley. After graduation he joined Hollywood Urban Project’s City Dweller program, an incarnational ministry serving the immigrant population of south Hollywood. It was there that he met Veronica, a graduate of USC with a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy, and they married in 1996. Morgan and Veronica share a passion for adventure movies, baseball and urban farming with their sons Aidan and Liam. They share their home – but not their bed – with a Great Dane named Maggie Moo (aka “Sad Baby”) and a Great Dane/Boxer mix named Lucas (aka “Big Lunk”). Morgan also loves to surf but is quick to point out that “just because I love surfing doesn’t mean I’m any good at it.”

Since graduating from Fuller Seminary in 1998, Morgan has served as an associate pastor in Carefree, AZ and a solo pastor in San Juan Capistrano, CA before his current role as senior pastor at WCPC. By the end of summer 2010, he will have completed his Doctor of Ministry dissertation on Mark 10:17-31—Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Ruler. Morgan sees a strong parallel between the wealthy young man who falls before Jesus seeking eternal life, and we who struggle with materialism in our pursuit of “the good life.” In his paper, Morgan explores how Jesus’ command to go, sell, and follow may feel like an impossible standard, but is actually a grace-filled invitation to disconnect who-we-are from what-we-have in order to receive the unconditional love and acceptance of God.
     
DUGANpaul

Paul Dugan
Associate Pastor of Discipleship
e-mail Paul
925.935.1574 x114

  
 Paul is grateful to God for the opportunity to serve alongside the WCPRES leadership team. His own life has been deeply shaped in the context of local congregations that take seriously Jesus’ call to “whole life” discipleship. Whole life discipleship is the process in which the Triune God reshapes every part of who we are on the inside, in community together, and in this world. This process is summarized in Romans 12:1-2 (The Message): “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out”.

Paul is a native of Ventura County, California. Rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition, Paul was “awakened” by Christ in 1974 through a Methodist renewal conference. He went on to study at Point Loma College, San Diego State University and Bethel Theological Seminary. During his undergraduate years, Paul became active in student ministries at San Diego First Assembly of God. This led to founding and leading a university campus outreach at SDSU during the 1980’s. Prior to his current call at WCPRES, Paul served for eighteen years as Associate Pastor with Adult Education and Discipleship at Community Presbyterian Church in Ventura. He was ordained as Minister of Word and Sacrament (PCUSA) in 1995. In 2008 he completed his Doctor of Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary. To fulfill his D.Min., Paul developed a training manual in conversational evangelism based in the Gospel of John.

Paul and his wife Kathy have three young adult children (daughter Corey, and sons Jeremy and Sean). In his “free” time Paul can be found enjoying good books, good coffee and music (especially classical and jazz), and spending time with Kathy in God’s great outdoors. He can also be found trekking along the bike trails of Contra Costa County. Paul is excited to serve as Associate Pastor of Discipleship with the people of WCPRES, and laying a foundation of life-on-life discipleship that leads to the expanded influence of Christ’s kingdom in the East Bay and beyond.