This sermon was delivered by Pastor Tara Beth Leach, Senior Pastor, First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena, on Sunday, November 13, 2016. After graduating from Olivet Nazarene University in 2005 with a BA in Youth Ministry, Tara Beth has had the opportunity to serve in full-time ministry in various local churches. She has served in churches in Upstate New York and Naperville, IL, as both a Teaching Pastor and Youth Pastor, and most recently accepted a call to Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene (“PazNaz”) on May 22, 2016 as its new Senior Pastor. She is a student at Northern Theological Seminary where she also works as a Teaching Assistant for Scot McKnight. She is regular writer for Mission Alliance and has contributed to other publications such as Christian Week, The Jesus Creed, The Table Magazine, Reflecting the Image Devotional, Renovating Holiness, and most recently a chapter in The Apostle Paul and the Christian Life: Ethical and Missional Implications of the New Perspective with other contributors including N.T. Wright, James D.G. Dunn, Scot McKnight, and Bruce Longenecker. Her chapter is entitled “The Symphonic Melody: Wesleyan Holiness Theology Meets New Perspective Paul.” Tara Beth is also the author of the forthcoming InterVarsity Press book, Emboldened (2017) and a Beacon Hill Press book, Kingdom Culture (late 2016).
Pastor Tara Beth Leach has two beautiful and rambunctious children, Caleb and Noah, and has been married to the love of her life, Jeff, for almost 10 years.
First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena, 3700 East Sierra Madre Boulevard, Pasadena, (626) 351-9631 or visit www.paznaz.org.