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Pastor of Music and Arts
Jake joined the PBC staff as an intern in 2005 and stepped into fulltime ministry as Pastor of Music and Arts in 2007.
Jake’s journey into ministry has been unique in that he originally studied and trained to teach English literature. He was a student at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California and received a BA in English there. Every summer throughout his college years Jake returned to the Bay Area and was a regular part of PBC’s college ministry including being part of the first class of SLI (Summer Leadership Institute) students. His undergraduate work was followed by a one year MA in English Literary Studies at the University of Durham in England. It was a year filled with wonderful experiences and enriching studies, but God had plans for Jake outside of academics and, upon returning to the Palo Alto area in 2005, Jake responded to the call to begin an internship at PBC in music ministry that prepared him for stepping into the position of Pastor.
Jake has a passion for seeing God’s people worship Him with the whole of their lives, especially through expressions of song and artistry when the church gathers together. He is a guitarist, pianist, and vocalist who is conversant with a wide range of styles but is most at home in the folk-rock tradition with its mix of up-tempo music and strong harmonies. Some of his musical influences (and thus heartily shared recommendations) are... Andrew Peterson, Sandra McCracken, Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace, Hillsong United, David Crowder, Derek Webb, Keith Getty, Sufjan Stevens, Rich Mullins, Josh Ritter, Kate Rusby, David Grey, and Patty Griffin.
Jake and his wife Sarah live in Mountain View. Sarah currently works for the local non-profit organization Center Stage For Youth "CSFY" and has a heart for families and young people facing the challenges of living in the Bay Area.
Please visit the Music and Arts ministry page by following this link: www.pbc.org/musicandarts.