Leadership

Growing up in Brazil as the son of missionaries, Andy moved with his family to the States at the age of 12.  Andy only spoke Portuguese and had to learn English.  He is a graduate of Asbury University and Asbury Seminary.  Andy has been the solo or lead pastor in three congregations where God has used him to lead significant growth, primarily through conversion, as many have become brand new disciples of Jesus Christ.  In two of those churches, he led each congregation in reaching people of different ethnicities, including a small Anglo congregation in Richmond, California, to become fully multi-cultural.  His last lead pastor role was in Santa Rosa, California, where he spent twenty-one years seeing a congregation grow from 70 in attendance to well over 900 in attendance again, much of that growth coming through people who became brand new disciples of Jesus.  As Andy told the PNC, “we had atheists who sat in the back row for five years who finally came to Jesus and are now elders in the congregation.”  For the last year, he has been on the Executive Lead team at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church where he has overseen the staff, six campuses, and the virtual service of this mega-church of over 6000 people.

Andy married his high school sweetheart Kelli and they have now been married for 33 years.  They have three adult children who all work in the Southern California area.  Kelli has a background in Elementary Education and has served in children’s ministries over the years.

Andy sees himself at MPC for the next 15-20 years.  His ministry philosophy is to create a congregation where unchurched people love to come and engage with other believers and then meet Jesus Christ and follow him.  He wants a congregation where unbelievers can ask honest questions, express their doubts, and experience both grace and truth.  He believes the local church is to follow their leader to seek and save those who are lost.  He sees believers following the teaching of the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians of finding the role God has for them in the Body of Christ and working together with other believers to create a healthy functioning body.

Amy loves to see people connect with one another and take their next step with Jesus. She is passionate about helping every person to find belonging here whether they are Churched, Unchurched, or Anti-Church. Amy is a California native with a deep heritage of faith. She fell in love with ministry while studying at USC through leading small groups and is incredibly excited to help others to know and trust Jesus through small groups as well.

Before coming to our team, Amy served as a family pastor helping equip families to live the full and abundant life that Jesus offers to all of us.

Amy is married to the love of her life, Garrett, who is a professor at Pepperdine University. They have three amazing children ages 17, 14 and 10. She loves adventures, especially ones that include the ocean and the sand. You can find her hiking in the hills, biking on the boardwalk, stand up paddle boarding, or cozying up with a latte.

Darren joined the team here at Malibu Pacific in August 2024. The son of missionaries, he spent his formative years living in the highlands of Papua New Guinea before returning to his homeland of Australia to attend high school. While studying to become a school teacher, he was given a chance opportunity to tour as a session musician, and spent the next 6 years performing all across Australasia with some of the biggest Christian artist of the time.

In 1994 he met and married Bree, and moved to Perth in Western Australia, beginning three decades of full time church ministry in some of the largest churches in Australia (Hillsong, Riverview Church, C3 Oxford Falls) and in the USA, planting a number of Churches as Lead Pastor, and working extensively in the US and Canada as a consultant in numerous denominations.

Darren and Bree have two incredible children, Dakota and Paris, who have equally amazing spouses, Moriah and Wes - each serving as leaders in their local churches.

Darren wears his love for the local church on his sleeve, and spending anytime with him is sure to inspire you to find your place in God’s house. He has a keen love for music and the arts, and when blended with a sharp Australian wit and humor, he has a unique and compelling communication style that is challenging, practical and entertaining.

Darren serves on the Executive at MPC with a focus on strategic planning, team building and service direction.

Ashley serves as a coordinator for both the 4th & 5th Grade Ministry and the Care Ministry at MPC. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Christian Ministries from Azusa Pacific University and is planning to pursue a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Ashley has spent the past three summers investing in youth ministry at MPC and is excited to continue leading and serving this community. Outside of ministry, she loves staying active and spending time outdoors, whether she’s running, surfing, or hitting the gym.

My name is Caden Vom Steeg and I am the Middle School Coordinator here at Malibu Pacific Church. I graduated from UC Santa Barbara in December 2024 with a degree in Economics. I also played 4 years of Division 1 college soccer at UCSB. I love being outdoors, reading, hanging out with friends, and learning new things.

Kelli has been involved in children’s ministry for over 40 years, beginning as a volunteer shortly after she accepted Christ as a teenager!   She joined the staff at Malibu Pacific Church as the Children’s Director in December of 2021.  Kelli’s heart and passion is for kids and education. She has spent over 30 years substitute teaching in the CA public school system. Her passion for children’s ministry stems from many years experiencing the joy of introducing children to Jesus and leading them in a growing relationship with Him.   She also loves equipping and encouraging faithful volunteers to use their gifts in ministry to help kids explore faith each week, and to grow their own faith in the process.

In her spare time, Kelli enjoys spending time outdoors.  She loves to go for long hikes and explore new places.  She also enjoys spending time with her three adult children and their spouses,  and her ever expanding brood of grandchildren, who all currently live in Orange County.  Kelli also enjoys meeting new people and hearing the story of their life journeys.  She looks forward to a time to connect with you!

Lorien Ayabe serves both as an assistant in Malibu Pacific Kids and as a bookkeeper  aide at MPC. In 2026, she will be graduating with her bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Pepperdine University. Lorien has been a part of MPC since her freshman year of college and has jumped at every opportunity to help out in the community. Beyond the church, she loves to read, write, and learn about random things, such as the different types of commercial airplanes you’ll see flying in and out of LAX.

Stewart is a recent graduate of Baylor University  and received degrees in Religion and Philosophy, concentrating in theology and ethics. Stewart above all wants to love God, love people, and make disciples, and he is expectant of all that the Lord will continue to do in Malibu!

When Stewart isn’t at church, you might find him surfing, running, drinking coffee, or reading a book. He ran his first half-marathon in March 2023 and most certainly plans on running more. Stewart is a learner at heart and his favorite authors are C.S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, John Mark Comer, and Eugene Peterson, but he may also dabble in some fiction every once in a while. Stewart always loves to talk theology, but is most excited to do life with his church community as we all pursue the Lord together.

Brittany grew up in the local church and has been serving in various ministry roles for most of her life. She has a deep love for connecting with people and is especially passionate about mentoring youth and college-aged young adults. Supporting church leadership and helping ministries thrive has always been close to her heart.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Christian Ministries with a minor in Psychology from Fresno Pacific University. Brittany previously served as an Executive Assistant at a church in Fresno, where she supported pastoral leadership and church ministries. She has thrived in supportive roles where she helped teams become organized, focused, and moving forward with excellence.

Brittany lives in Clovis, California with her wonderful husband and their two adventurous boys. In her spare time, she enjoys making sourdough bread, gardening, raising quail, and spending time outdoors, especially near the ocean.