After attending First Presbyterian Church for 4 years, Jourdan joined the staff as the Interim Director of Spiritual Formation and Community Life in 2013. In August 2014, she was made the permanent director. Jourdan felt God’s call to ministry in her teens and has been pursuing that call ever since—attending Baylor University to study religion and then Princeton Theological Seminary for her Master of Divinity. She has worked in Christian schools, as a hospital chaplain and is now happy to be serving in the church.

 

Originally from Austin, Texas Jourdan has the personality one would expect for a gal who comes from the “friendly state”! She loves cowboy boots, great BBQ and queso. She loves to be outdoors—hiking, backpacking, camping, at sporting events, or concerts. She is always up for new adventures and places a priority on relationships.

Ruth Schmidt has been in California for a year and is halfway through her MDiv program at Fuller. Before seminary she worked in advertising agencies for 10 years as a writer while doing bi-vocational ministry. Most recently Ruth served as a Deacon at her home church in Kansas City, and before that she was on the founding leadership team of an urban church plant for five years.

Ruth spends most of her time working or studying, but her curiosity is stoked by almost everything and she tries to walk through life with her eyes and heart open. She is a voice actor and writer on the side, and enjoys brainstorming new ways to use language and the power of narrative to open hearts to God’s love. If you enjoy coffee or any other drink, send her an email to connect.

Amie is originally from Princeton, NJ with a background in theatre and dance. After receiving an A.B in English from Duke University, she spent a year at Oxford University studying Classics. Currently, she is close to completing a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. In 2009 she joined the staff of FPCH as the Director of Community Outreach and is passionate about serving on the Homeless Task Force for the Presbytery of the Pacific.

 

“My greatest joy is spending time with beautiful and brilliant friends in our community, some of whom are transitioning with housing. Sharing in life together allows the love of Christ to minister to all of us. Such abundant love gives us hope and allows us to experience the true profound blessing of being the church.”

Jennifer Oliver is a native of Birmingham, AL and a Fraser Fellow/Pastoral Intern at FPCH.  She is currently a 3rd year M.Div. student at Fuller Theological Seminary, with a double emphasis in International Development/Urban Studies and Worship, Theology, and the Arts.  Prior to answering her call to ministry, Jennifer worked as a research scientist and professor in the field of food science.

 

At this point in her Christian journey, Jennifer envisions her call to God’s mission in the world as being a pastor and serving in the mission field. She hopes to integrate her background in agriculture and food science into ministry to aide in transforming communities by filling need gaps in the areas of hunger, poverty, and clean water, both domestically and globally. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys spending quality time with her 11 year old daughter Jordan.

Born and raised in Southern California, Justin grew up in his mom’s surf shop in Pasadena.  He came to faith in Jesus while watching a televangelist at 18 years old…seriously!  While attending the University of Colorado at Boulder, he married his high school sweetheart, Victoria, and worked in retail and marketing prior to joining FPCH.  He even has his own promotional products business on the side!  He has four children; Moriah, Jadon, Olivia, and Shane.  On December 1, 2014, Moriah went to be with Jesus after fighting a substantial congenital heart defect.  Jesus has been the foundation as they navigated the journey, and his wife kept a blog to chronicle the season of life.

 

He currently is a student at Fuller Theological Seminary and joined FPCH as a Fraser Fellow.  He leads The Table, a ministry to 30’s and 40’s,and serves families in crisis as it relates to chronic illness.  In his free time, Justin loves to go on long runs outside and enjoy the beach with his family.

Courtney came to serve the children and families of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood in June 2014. She is passionate about the mission of God, the discipleship of children, holistic care of families, and the equipping of parents and congregation members for Kingdom-minded living. She feels called to Hollywood Pres and is thankful to be serving alongside so many incredible staff and volunteers.

 

Prior to 2014, Courtney ministered to children and families in Arkansas, Chicago, and Pasadena. She has a BS in Theology/Youth Ministry from John Brown University, will finish an MA in Family Science through Concordia St. Paul in 2019, and is becoming a Certified Family Life Educator. She is married to Doug Rominger who is on staff at another area church. Courtney deeply enjoys theater and outdoor activities and spends a lot of time reading, knitting, and playing board and card games with her husband and friends.

Maddie came to First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood in 2015 as part of the Fraser Fellowship program. While she studied at Fuller Theological Seminary, this church became her spiritual home – and a hands-on extension classroom! In 2017 Maddie completed her Masters of Divinity in Christian Ethics, and in 2018 she came on staff full-time to serve our Young Adults, Community Outreach, and Global Missions ministries.  Maddie is passionate about creative hospitality and the ways we are all called to extend the warmth of community, especially in a city that can feel overstretched and isolating.

 

Before coming to Los Angeles, Maddie lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains working as a Retreat Coordinator for Mount Hermon Camp and Conference Center. She grew up in Anaheim where her family still lives. Between a bout of camp life and a childhood with Disney in her backyard, Maddie has the spirit of play deeply engrained in her overall attitude toward life. When not on church campus, Maddie enjoys concerts and comedy, trips to the beach, and any sort of garden that can be found in this urban setting. She is a proud known-regular at a local donut shop, and can be found outside (likely journaling) whenever possible.

Brooke Coxon has been the Worship Coordinator at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood since May 2016. She moved to Los Angeles with her husband Barnaby in 2015 from New Zealand, or as some like to call it Middle Earth. She has a Bachelor of Music Arts with a major in film composition from the Ara Music Arts School in Christchurch. She worked at an elementary school teaching piano, singing and ukulele. She also created and led a weekly after-school music program.

 

Brooke and her husband had no doubt that God was calling them to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t until she started her job here at the church that it became truly evident what God had planned for her.

 

This position has given Brooke a greater understanding and passion for worship. She loves helping others experience God and has a desire to see them grow in a deeper relationship with Him. She helps facilitate worship by planning the services, and regularly leading music.

 

Brooke enjoys embroidery, composing music, hiking and finding great coffee spots. As a kiwi, she knows what a good cup of coffee tastes like so if you have a favorite coffee spot, do let her know!