Rev. Steve Cecil came as our Senior Pastor on November 8, 2021. He came out of retirement in Oklahoma City to answer God's call to our church. He is now in his 43rd year of pastoral ministry.
Pastor Steve is a native of southeastern MIssouri where three-generations of his family were crop farmers. The Summers of his teen years were spent driving a 966 International tractor learning the importance of a strong work ethic and what long work days feel like! It was during his teen years that he sensed God's clear, definite call to preach.
He was married for 38+ years until his wife died in 2019 after battling brain cancer for over three-years. He was her primary caregiver throughout her cancer struggle while also pastoring full-time. The last year of her life, he also served several mornings each week as a volunteer Hospital Chaplain. Nine months after her death, Pastor retired in order to rest from the exhausting cancer journey.
In October of 2023, God blessed him with a beautiful new bride! Together, he and Geneveb seek to help others come to know the restorative power of Christ and find wholeness out of brokenness.
Pastor Steve is outgoing, easy to talk with, compassionate, caring, and friendly. He also has an active sense of humor which often shows itself in his messages. He enjoys investing in the congregation OUTSIDE of the church setting as much as inside the church. His messages are strongly Bible-based, practical, and applicable for our lives. He has a special concern for those who have been hurt or disappointed by "church" because he has experienced that as well. He would love to have you join us for worship at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays! If you would prefer to check-him-out online, you can do so on YouTube or Facebook.
Pastor has four grown children (one in Illinois, one in Alabama, one in Florida, and one in Oklahoma) and seven grandchildren. When the weather is warm, he loves to spend time riding his motorcycle, a 2012 Yamaha Stryker.
Spanish Ministries Pastor
Rev. Sandra Collazo-Lopez
We are excited to welcome Rev. Sandra Collazo-Lopez as our new Pastor of Spanish Ministries! Pastor Sandra and her very talented husband, Miguel, arrived in Portland in mid-August 2024. After many years in law enforcement, then a career in nursing, Sandra found the Lord leading her to take on the role of Senior Pastor of the church they attended in the inner city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After more than one-dozen years in Philly, they are overjoyed to live in the relatively quiet community of Portland!
¡Estamos emocionados de dar la bienvenida a la Rev. Sandra Collazo-López como nuestra nueva Pastora de Ministerios en Español! La pastora Sandra y su talentoso esposo, Miguel, llegaron a Portland a mediados de agosto de 2024. Después de muchos años en la aplicación de la ley, luego una carrera en enfermería, Sandra encontró que el Señor la guiaba a asumir el papel de Pastora Principal de la iglesia a la que asistían en el centro de la ciudad de Filadelfia, Pensilvania. Después de más de una docena de años en Filadelfia, están encantados de vivir en la comunidad relativamente tranquila
