New Saddleback L.A. Pastor Aaron Crumbey

As part of our Daring Faith campaign, we want to grow our church family by filling God’s house with 40,000 worshipers at our weekend services by the year 2020. A key component in meeting this goal is our dedicated leadership and campus pastors who are committed to helping build God’s kingdom.

That’s why we’re excited to announce the new addition of Pastor Aaron Crumbey (A.C.) who will be overseeing Saddleback L.A. Taking a giant step of faith, he recently accepted the leadership position to help disciple the Los Angeles community for Christ.

It all started when Pastor Rick challenged A.C. to consider making the move to Los Angeles as campus pastor. At that time, he was serving his seventh year as a leader in Saddleback’s High School Ministry at the Lake Forest campus.

“We talked about my passions, what I had been doing for the youth, and what he saw in me as a leader,” recalls A.C. “Pastor Rick said, ‘If God wants you to do this, and you feel called by him, than I want you on my team.’”

Over the next few days, A.C. talked to his wife, his mentors, and those who helped shape his ministry. Years of experience had been preparing him for the task, including a position with World Vision, leading student leadership while being on staff with the high school ministry, and over two years working in L.A.

Other factors that helped mold him for the new position were his role in HSM leadership with Pastor Josh, building up the next generation of leaders by overseeing student leadership, overseeing pastoral care and the weekend experience, and training leaders in HSM and around the world. His accomplishments also included authoring several articles published in major media outlets including Churchleaders.com and Ministry Today Magazine.

“I didn’t know it at the time,” says A.C., “but God was building some things in me, knowing that they were for a greater purpose. He had been preparing me for a long time.”

A.C. truly felt God was calling him to make a difference in the city of Los Angeles. Not only was this a commitment for A.C. and his wife, but it was also a sacrifice for his three young children. After prayer and clear direction from the Lord, A.C. accepted the position to shepherd Saddleback LA.  

On May 16, A.C. took center stage during his first Sunday as campus pastor. Celebrating his installation was a special visit by Pastor Rick on May 22 and a meet-and-greet with his wife Kay on May 29.

The night before Pastor Rick’s visit, he had a dream that changed the direction of the service. “God gave me a vision,” says Rick, “––of Pastor Tom, me, and A.C., sitting on the stage talking about Saddleback values. I woke up from that dream and thought ‘this is what we need to share today.’”

Within an hour, Pastor Rick called A.C. who was already on the road to Saddleback L.A. Despite the sudden change of plans, A.C. agreed to the new message without hesitation.

Pastor Rick explains, “When we got up there on stage, the three of us preached on the 10 values of Saddleback. That is what it means to be fast, fluid, and flexible. It went off great and everyone was thrilled. It was all because we were listening to the Holy Spirit.”

As he embarks on this new chapter in his life, A.C. wants Saddleback L.A. to fill the missing void for those feeling hopelessness, and become a refuge where people can connect with Jesus. As a highly creative and diverse community from all walks of life, the Saddleback L.A family is made up people wanting to laugh, love, and share the heart of Christ. In an effort to introduce this joy to others, A.C. is focusing on getting the church to a healthy place to expand the infrastructure.

“It’s about reaching out and mobilizing the people,” he says. “This comes through serving and inviting people from the community. Church is not a building; it’s the people. My hope is to create a place where people can know Christ, and live out the Great Commandment and Great Commission in LA. That’s the way we will grow and fill God’s house.”

For more about Saddleback L.A, visit saddleback.com/losangeles.