ELDER NOMINEES 2024
ELDER AFFIRMATIONS—
After asking for Elder nominations and having our nominating committee review those names, we have Elder nominees and a nominee for Elder Board Chairman. May 5 is Elder Sunday where we will be asking church members to affirm these nominated elders in our Sunday services.
If you have questions or concerns about any of the Elder nominees, you may email the Elders.
Make sure you get to know our new elder candidates before May 5 by reading a short bio of each of them below. Each Elder who is up for affirmation or reaffirmation was asked to respond to the following four prompts:
- In a few sentences, tell us about your background, faith story and family.
- In what areas of ministry have you been involved here or outside of the church?
- What do you feel you can bring to the Elder Board?
- What excites you about the future of Fullerton Free?
Paul Kim, Elder at Large
I grew up in a Christian home and came to accept Jesus Christ in my heart when I was a young child. Later, as I grew in my faith and understanding, I started to follow the call on my life to know God more and to serve his kingdom in all that I do.
I assist my wife in setting up and breaking down the 1st-3rd Grade Family Room for Sunday services and for other special events. I have served in various ministries and support positions in the past at previous churches that my wife and I have been a part of and recently transitioned from 10 years of military service as an Army Chaplain.
I believe I have the gift of stewardship and service. I have used them to help churches that I have served as part of the ministry staff and/or as an outside consultant in assisting them to effectively and responsibly steward the finances entrusted to them.
I am excited about Pastor Darin's and the church leadership’s desire for the church (both longtime members or new believers) to continue to capture and emulate the heart of Jesus in everything that we do.
Jeremy Procaccini, Elder at Large
I was born and raised 40 miles south of Boston Massachusetts. At thirteen years old I attended a revival event in a nearby town where I heard the Gospel for the first time and responded by committing my life to Jesus. My wife Theary and I met at church in 2004 and were married later that year. She is a full-time teacher at Washington Middle School in La Habra. We have two amazing children. Our 18-year-old daughter Esther works at a Christian pre-school and is enrolled in full-time classes at Orange Coast College where she studies respiratory therapy. Silas, our 17-year-old son, is finishing out his senior year at Sunny Hills High School, where he is a STEM student and captain of the cross country and track teams.
I serve as a vocational missionary with Novo where I oversee various staff people here in the US. Our focus is seeing movements of the Gospel launch among refugee communities in North America. This ministry provides me with a unique perspective on the Global church since I’m networked in with other colleagues doing the same type of work around the world. I feel this is a valuable perspective that I bring to the Elder Board, along with a broad understanding of the current ministry landscape in America.
I am excited to see how God will use the wonderful people of Fullerton Free to impact our neighbors with the Gospel through proclamation of the Word, loving deeds done in Jesus name, and by God’s power to heal and transform lives.
Gene Shepherd, Elder Board Vice Chairman
Raised in a strong Christian home, I accepted Christ when I was 9. After very active youth participation in my home church, I went to Bible college and then seminary. My undergraduate degrees were in Music and Christian Education, then moved to a Preaching Major in graduate school. During that time, I married Marsha, which will be 49 years ago this May. We have 2 daughters - Ann Shepherd and Ruth Locke, both of whom attend Fullerton Free, along with our granddaughter, Jane Locke, who will graduate from Biola this spring. Our grandson, Alexander Locke, currently serves in the US Army.
During the first 40 years of my adult life, I mostly served churches in Missouri, Illinois and California, as youth minister and then lead pastor. During this time, I also taught part time at three different Christian colleges in Illinois, Texas and California, interrupting my preaching career in the middle, to serve as president at one college for 9 years, before returning to work in the local church. While in full time ministry, I also spent significant time doing support mission’s work in England, Haiti and Russia. In 2013, after 40 years of full-time ministry I retired to pursue a full-time, late career in fiber arts, one of my life-long hobbies. We started attending Fullerton Free at that time.
At Fullerton Free I’ve served officially on Host Ministry, Adult Fellowship and Christmas Blvd teams as well as done stints with VBS and as a Kids Ministry teacher. I frequently guest teach for various adult fellowships, occasionally teach in the morning service, and sometimes provide music for Men’s Fellowship meetings and Closer Walk. I became an elder in 2020 and currently serve as Vice Chairman.
I love the church - universally and locally - and never tire, as an elder, of being involved with ways to strengthen, equip, empower and protect it for the ministry it is called to do.
I am excited about the wave of new people that have found the church since COVID, as well as the dedicated base of working church members that have welcomed them to our ranks. That dynamic spirit is a powerful asset to all aspects of our future ministry.
Craig Weinreich, Elder at Large
I grew up in the Midwest on a farm outside of Chicago before moving to Fullerton in 1987. My family was Lutheran until I was in high school when we began attending Eastside Christian Church where I gave my life to Christ during my sophomore year of high school. I met my wife, Nicole, at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where we were both heavily involved with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. We currently live in Fullerton with our two sons, Luke (19) and Liam (17).
After college, I was on volunteer staff with InterVarsity before we moved back to Fullerton. My family and I usually attend the 11:11 service now where I serve as an usher. We were also part of the Bound By Grace adult fellowship until our boys moved into junior high school, where Nicole and I served on the parent ministry team. I also serve in Sports Ministries on Monday nights as a captain and help organize half-time devotions for the other captains to use in the men's basketball league. My family has also volunteered during Christmas Blvd in the past as well.
Working as a high school administrator for the past 11 years has helped me become more familiar with the different facets of being in leadership and I know that God has been at work to grow me further in these areas as a part of the Elder Board. Also, confidence that God's hand is at work with Fullerton Free for His purposes in our community that will ultimately bring Him glory.
Fullerton Free holds a special place here in north Orange County. We continue to have a positive impact on our surrounding communities in so many different ways. Most recently, I see God using our church to be His ambassadors of the truth of who Jesus is and how He wants us to live our lives to reflect who He is and project how much He loves everyone around us. I am excited about how much of an opportunity we currently have to positively impact those we come in contact with each day for His Kingdom despite the uncertainties of life around us. It has been amazing to see so many new faces and young families at church over the past few months. I am excited to see how God will continue to use our congregation in the lives of the people we each come in contact with on a daily basis.