ELDER NOMINEES 2026

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 Vice Chairman. May 3 is Elder Sunday where we will be asking church members to affirm these nominated elders in our Sunday services. Each nominee is up for a two-year term.

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 3 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?

Devin Dailey, Elder at Large

I have been married to my wife, Michelle, for twenty-three years. We have two sons, Grayson, aged 21, and Rivers, aged19. Grayson is currently a student at Point Loma Nazarene University, and Rivers is taking a gap year, looking to explore underwater welding.

I have diverse experience, including roles as a creative director and graphic designer at various companies. I currently operate my own design studio and recently concluded my tenure as an adjunct instructor of graphic design at California State University, Long Beach, and Biola University.

My introduction to Christianity occurred in middle school, and I committed my life to Jesus Christ at Angel Stadium during a Harvest Crusade. It was during my collegiate studies, specifically at Point Loma Nazarene University, that I gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. While there, I attended Miles McPherson’s church and rededicated my life to Jesus Christ. This period marked a realization of my own limited understanding, necessitating a reliance on Jesus Christ alone.

Michelle and I have actively served on parent leadership teams for both the Junior High and High School Ministries. We have both served in various capacities within the creative arts ministry. Through collaborative effort within our circle, we conceptualized, initiated, and established an Adult Fellowship, The Sandbar.

Beyond church activities, I coached my two sons at Golden Hill Little League from Tee Ball through Juniors and served on the board for 2 years. Michelle and I were also active with the Boy Scouts of America, leading several outings with our son Rivers.

I present myself authentically, valuing honesty and transparency about my shortcomings, while fostering empathy for others. I connect with individuals, practice active listening, and provide encouragement. Furthermore, I hope my sense of humor can elicit genuine laughter and smiles in others.

I am excited to witness and participate in the Holy Spirit's continued work within our church and local community.

Josh Freeman, Elder Board Vice Chairman

I have been married to my beautiful and brilliant wife, Heather, for 29 years this coming June. We are blessed with wonderful children, Isaac and Daniella, who are married, and Ella, who is currently attending Biola University. My greatest passions are my family and community, and I love every moment spent with them. Heather and I both appreciate a good meal—whether it’s a foodie dining experience or something simple from the dollar menu. Some of my favorite moments are gathered around our table with the many people in our lives. If I’m not there, you might find me exploring an off-roading trail. I also love being creative in just about anything I do, although the results may vary.

Professionally, I have worked in the corporate world for 35 years and currently serve in Oracle’s cloud software sales group.

I was raised in a Christian home. When I was five years old, my family hosted a Five-Day Club at our house. On the final day, the Gospel was shared, and I vividly remember standing on the side of our house with a few other kids, watching their feet as we prayed together. That day, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I had a foundational understanding of what it meant to follow Christ and continued to live as a Christian. At age 11, I was baptized. However, it wasn’t until I was 22 that I fully embraced accountability and ownership of my faith. That was when I truly began to pursue Jesus Christ in an authentic and intentional way.

For multiple decades, I have been actively involved in various ministries at Fullerton Free. These include adult fellowship leadership, guest guides, hosting, serving on multiple ministry leadership teams, and the elder board. Most recently, I had the privilege of being a Night to Shine buddy and loved every minute.

I am most excited to see how God will lead Fullerton Free in this next season—through the ministries we serve and the relationships we build. It’s truly thrilling to witness how God moves among us—ordinary people who are simply willing to follow His lead.

As I serve on the elder board, there are several key contributions I hope to bring:

A deep desire for dependence on the Holy Spirit’s guidance through sound biblical interpretation, prayer, and wise counsel.
An awareness that unresolved personal wounds can hinder sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading.
The courage to tackle difficult challenges and view obstacles as opportunities for growth.
Decades of corporate experience in communication, leadership, and change management, which can be valuable in a church context.
Most importantly, a shepherd’s heart.

Larry Sittig, Elder at Large

I was raised mostly in La Habra, and my family started driving “over the hill” to the Fullerton Free Church when I was just a high school freshman. I trusted in the Lord Jesus to be my Savior as a young child, and as a part of the youth group here deepened in my commitment to God’s Word, the Good News, and to healthy Christian community. Rhonda and I met at Biola and married in 1975. Our two sons and two daughters are married to very fine people and our eleven grandchildren are rather remarkable human beings.

When we got married, we joined a newly formed adult fellowship here called Joint Heirs, and that’s still our place within the bigger church. I am currently the fellowship’s leader. Our family served as missionaries sent by this church to plant and strengthen churches in Spain from 1981 to 1994. Since returning, I’ve served on the missions board and translated for youth group trips to Mexico, and was a member of the elder board from 2011 to 2014. I’ve gone on one mission trip to Ukraine and three to Cuba. Rhonda and I love to work with young adults, so have assisted the pastors and hosted home groups for many years. My most basic ministry is as a teacher of the Bible, and I love to do that in Joint Heirs, Bykota fellowship, Closer Walk, and wherever I might have a chance.

My hope is to bring the elder board a long and broad perspective, a passion for church health, an analytical and inquisitive mind, a desire to encourage, and optimism, faith in Christ’s intent to bless the world through us.

Fullerton Free has a heritage to build on of commitment to understanding and obeying the Scriptures by the power of God’s Spirit, and of caring for one another. We seem to be building a core of committed people, gaining critical mass in young families. I love our stress on outward-focused ministry, touching our neighbors, circles, cities, at their points of need, loving people in Jesus’ name.

Kody Stavert, Elder at Large

I'm from Fullerton and have been attending Fullerton Free since I was a child. I placed my faith in Jesus at a young age but the depth of that commitment was understood as a high school student here at the church. I am married to my wife Becca who also grew up at the church and we have been together since we were 15. We have one son, Walter and another due in about a month named Franklin. Becca is a Biology Teacher at Brea High School and I build custom furniture and am working on my ratings to become a professional pilot. We have served in youth ministry since we were in college and were both on staff at the church from 2014-2022. I don't know exactly what it is I can bring to the elder board but I deeply love this place and the people that call it their church home and I desire to see God move in our lives and the lives of our community. I'm excited for God to surprise us, we are in a unique moment of our church's life and one without clear answers. I look forward to "the looking back" and marveling at how great God is and was. I'm also excited about watching my son's and the other young kids here grow up and experience God's love and goodness through this place like I did as a child.

Ben Wahlquist, Elder at Large

I grew up in Downey, CA. I accepted Christ when I was 6 and was baptized at Downey First Baptist Church, where the youth ministry and camps at Forest Home and Hume Lake were formative. I studied Business and Economics at Westmont College, where I met my wife Stefani. We've been married almost 29 years. We have 4 kids: Jeremy (20), Kevin (18), Lydia (13), and Marc (11). I've been working in technology and software development for 3 decades. We started at EV Free Fullerton in 1997, just after our honeymoon, and immediately got plugged into a community group, Faith Unlimited Fellowship, now called ACTS2 which I've led for the last 6 years. Jesus is everything. Without him I'm a mess!

I currently lead the ACTS2 community group, and have been active in community groups for 29 years. In the past I've volunteered in the nursery, the parking ministry, taught 2nd grade Sunday school, and even served on the CE board back when there was one. I did not seek out the elder board, but hope by God's grace that I can provide a willingness to serve, ears to hear, and a heart to understand.

Fullerton Free belongs to God. What excites me is a future in which he both wills and works through us to love those in our community who are hurting and in need of Jesus. May we be pleasing to him.