On Easter weekend, Pastor Todd concluded his ministry here at Mountain View after 20 years. As a church, we want to do our best to keep you informed about what the next season holds. Below, you'll find important announcements, details and updates regarding the transition and pastoral search.
Meet the
Pastoral Search Team
Nominated by the congregation and selected by the Overseers, this group of people is a cross section of our church body from all walks of life. The Pastoral Search Team was affirmed by the Stakeholders at our annual meeting on Friday, June 24th.
MATT BALM
Matt lives in Laguna Beach with his wife Charee and two daughters Sullivan and Isley. Their family has been a part of Mountain View for the past 8 years. Matt started out in youth ministry, but has since moved on to be a part of the Christian Music industry. For the past 25 years, he has owned a management company that manages and develops Christian music artists. Matt has also been a part of multiple non-profit organizations, helping promote and raise awareness of different types of ministries around the world.
KARLA WALKER
Karla was born and raised in Colombia, attended high school in Rancho Santa Margarita and earned a degree in International Business from UCI. She and her husband James have been married for 10 years, and together they are raising three incredibly passionate, loud, fun-loving little humans! They consider Mountain View their home and family.
Her desire is to see MVC grow as a spirit-led and spirit-filled community that is in tune with the Father’s heart and most concerned about His business. Karla has experienced firsthand the healing and restoration that Mountain View provides – where she is known, seen, loved, equipped and sent out. She prays for the same legacy for others during this season of transition and long into the future.
Karla is passionate about seeking Jesus in every decision she makes, and encouraging others to do the same, which is why she is excited to serve on the Pastoral Search Team, bringing every detail and discernment to the feet of Jesus.
JACOB FURNARI
Jacob was born and raised in Orange County. He attended Pepperdine University and now lives in Dana Point with his wife Cassie. He is passionate about the contemplative life and believes deeply in Mountain View’s call to be home for the wanderer and rest for the weary.
When he’s not spending time with his wife or his family, you can find him in the water, on the trail, or enjoying his work as a product designer. He and his wife have found a home at Mountain View Church and he is honored and excited to serve as a member of the Pastoral Search Team.
cassie snow
Cassie and her husband Bill have attended MVC since 2008 and love their church. She had the great privilege of leading the Women’s Ministry Team for 10 years, ending in 2019. This included being a part of church staff, guiding a wonderful group of volunteers, and planning events to help women connect with God and each other while having a little fun. She is currently serving on the Restoration Team where she witnesses God healing the broken hearted. Cassie and her husband have been married for 32 years, and together they have 3 grown children, a beloved daughter-in-law and a one-year-old granddaughter that lights up their world! She looks forward to being on the Pastoral Search Team and finding the ideal pastor to take MVC into the next season.
alex nowlin
Alex is a husband to Lauren, Dad to Kinsley Rae, and fur-Dad to Winston. Although he moved a lot as a kid, he’s spent most of his teenage and adult life in Orange County and has attended MVC since the age of 15.
His first volunteer role with MVC was in 2017 as a high school leader. He continued for the next four years, consistently showing up as a solid role model & mentor for students during a time when there was a lot of transition. After finishing his service as a leader when his students graduated, Alex began to assist with generosity and fundraising at the church. He has helped run a financial stewardship course, two year-end campaigns, multiple merch fundraisers, and continues to serve on the Generosity Team, consulting with the staff and overseers on Mountain View’s financial health.
Alex currently leads a team of 20 through his business USCAPE in Lake Forest, where he is proud of the culture, brand and relationships they have built over the past several years. Through his business, he’s had the chance to be a part of hiring and onboarding team members and maintaining very low turnover.
With his combined experiences in leadership, youth ministry and fundraising, Alex hopes to discern candidates who will thrive in the culture we’ve created at MVC. He is honored to have the opportunity to be a part of the Pastoral Search Team with your blessing and support!
3/20/2022
An Update From Julianna Wakeling & Brandon Brickley
2/13/2022
An Announcement From
Todd & Traci Rodarmel
Take A Look At Our
Pastoral Transition
Timeline
Click through for an overview of what you can expect during the upcoming transition.
February 13, 2022
From Todd Rodarmel to MVC Family and Friends:
You may have heard by now that my daughter Rachel and her family moved to Tennessee last year. What you may not know is that my son Zac moved his family there as well in December. Those of you who know how close our family is might not be surprised that Traci, Luke, and I intend to move there. It has been an honor for the last twenty years to establish and grow our church. Now I want to do the same for my family.
When I came to serve as “Interim Pastor” and help the church through a transition in 2002, I only intended to stay six weeks. In that time, God began healing my heart and restoring my call to ministry through the people of this church. You have become like family to me. Many of you have been with me since I was a youth pastor at Coast Hills. Some of you have followed me through the years of wandering with Mercy and then Mountain View. Even in the last years since we have settled in a permanent home, so many new friends have come into our lives. I will miss you. But my heart is with my kids and my grandkids.
The decision to move has been difficult. Though family and a new adventure are drawing me elsewhere, the people and potential of this church makes it so hard to leave. Mountain View has become the community I dreamed of when I first set out to plant a church. We are truly home for the wanderer and rest for the weary. I have experienced the Kingdom breaking in on earth as in heaven in this place. Now, with so many new people coming and over 200 homes being built in our back yard, the opportunity for growing God’s Kingdom in our location in San Juan is really exciting! I am grateful for the past and hopeful for the future.
To lead us into that future, we have a strong and wise group of overseers and a talented and dedicated staff. The overseers are working with our denominational leaders at the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church to start the search process for our next Lead Pastor. Our stakeholders will have input into the process. Our Chair, Julianna Wakeling will give you more details.
For now, I will continue in my role until Easter, when we will celebrate our 25th Anniversary. God allowed me to lead the church to this point and I am praying for the leadership God has already picked out to lead the next leg of the journey.
Traci and I have had a head start in being able to process this decision over the past many months. We have experienced denial, anger, bargaining, and sadness and we finally came to acceptance that this is happening, and now we are hopeful for the future. For many of you, these stages of grief over loss and change may begin. Understanding the grief process helps me make sense of how I’ve been feeling as I’ve sensed this transition for a while now.
Please be patient with yourself and with us. Be patient with our overseers and staff as they navigate many decisions that need to be made even amid navigating their own feelings. Change is hard and always best done together in patience and love. God is up to something great at Mountain View. What he has for his church is bigger than any of us, and it calls us to be united in prayer, giving, waiting, seeking and serving.
I love you and I have loved being your pastor.
In Christ,
Todd
From Julianna Wakeling, Chair of the Overseers of MVC:
I want to communicate on behalf of the overseers that we are partnering in Todd and Traci’s decision to join their family in Tennessee. Although we are deeply saddened they will no longer be with us here, we are excited for them to begin their new adventure with their kids and grandkids.
From now through Easter, please join us as we celebrate the legacy Todd and Traci have at Mountain View and all they have done for the sake of Jesus’ name. They have dedicated so many years to building a church that keeps Jesus the main thing and they have also created a place that is truly home for the wanderer and rest for the weary.
We now have the opportunity to continue the work God began and look forward to seeing all He has in store for the future. We have spent much time in prayer and reflection, seeking God’s direction and heart for Mountain View. He has been showing the staff and overseers that He is doing something new, and He has good plans for our church. You all are part of those plans, so we encourage you to partner in what God has planned for this next season.
The overseers are working closely with the Pacific Southwest Conference through this transition. We will be keeping the congregation updated regularly with the details of this plan as it progresses. If you have any questions for us during this time, please feel free to reach out to me directly at julianna@mvc.life.
Sincerely,
Julianna Wakeling
Chair of the Overseers