The incoming pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church (UMC) surprised me when he compared our Methodist Church in Coronado to the Borrego Springs Community Methodist Church. Given that Pastor Robb had been the previous pastor at La Jolla UMC, I expected comparisons to be made with our tony neighbor to the north, not a church in the middle of the desert.
But I was wrong.
Yes, Pastor Robb Fuesler said he feels right at home in Coronado, not because he was previously at La Jolla, but because he was previously in Borrego Springs.
He explained that both exude an island lifestyle – the only difference being that Borrego Springs is an island in the middle of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and Coronado is an island in between the San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
I needed to be convinced.
Robb explained that, surrounded by the beauty of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, members of the Borrego Springs church delight in the natural environment that surrounds them; in the same way Coronado locals delight in the natural environment that surrounds us. Like in Coronado, out-of-towners and tourists have made an effort to get there, and the usual membership are a close-knit group, who are happy to welcome the travelers. Members at the Borrego Springs church also love the small town feel of their community and, like us, have to plan for trips “to town” so they can go to Target or Trader Joe’s. Also like Coronado, Borrego Springs is a community where you are going to run into your fellow parishioners around town.
Before attending seminary, Pastor Robb was a Deputy Probation Officer in Imperial County, and also worked as a Protective Services Worker for the State of Nebraska.
Robb obtained his Master of Divinity from the Claremont School of Theology (CST) in 1996 and was ordained in 1997.
He enjoys body surfing, golfing, watching movies, reading theology, and drinking his morning cup of coffee!
Pastor Robb’s wife, Jennifer, has a Certificate in Youth Ministry from Princeton Seminary as well as paid and volunteer experience in youth, camping, and communications ministries within the Presbyterian Church (USA), GenOn Ministries, and United Methodist denominations. Jennifer enjoys gardening, reading, creating, and walking on the beach.
The previous pastor, Rev. Neil Keller, was much loved and well respected by the community at St. Paul’s. I wondered if Robb felt nervous about stepping into Rev. Keller’s shoes. Robb said that he didn’t feel nervous, just “honored and excited to follow Pastor Neal after his long tenure of service.”
Noting that St. Paul’s is already a robust faith community, Robb shared that he is known for shepherding vibrant churches in a manner that continues to support their mission and purpose.
I asked Pastor Robb about some key issues facing most churches today.
One of these issues is same-sex marriage. The Western Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church in the U.S., as a whole, votes progressively on social issues, like same-sex marriage, while the global UMC, tends to be more conservative on same-sex marriage. In fact, the decision of clergy performing same-sex marriage polarized the larger Methodist Church enough that the delegates to the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Oregon seemed close to splitting over this issue. The General Conference delegates have asked their Bishops to design a potential resolution within the next two years.
I wanted to know his thoughts.
Pastor Robb said that he sees Coronado as a “bridge church” (did he mean that pun?!) where a variety of viewpoints can come together for the common purpose of glorifying God.
He said that theologically and spiritually we draw out the best in each member so we can serve God together. He stated that “no matter where we may be, conservative or progressive, a common challenge is to help people grow as disciples.”
This was not Pastor Robb avoiding a difficult subject. This was a pastor honoring and respecting that differences are smoothed by transformation and understanding rather than belittling and judging.
Robb pointed out that if you google “Why are Christians so….” the auto-correct adds “judgmental.” I tried it myself. The first phrase that comes up in my google search was “Why are Christians so mean?” Ouch!
Robb explained that: “In Jesus’s day, the Romans wanted to know ‘why are Christians so loving to each other?’ ” Clearly Robb believes we need to get back to that.
Pastor Robb’s first sermon was Sunday, July 3. A reception to welcome his family will be at St. Paul’s Methodist Church at 11:30 on Sunday, July 10. Everyone is welcome!
