Light & Life Christian Fellowship

Staff

Light & Life staff are people who are passionate about Jesus, about LLCF and about our mission as a church.

Each staff person is hired based on a sense of "call" to their position of ministry.

We prioritize hiring a combination of multi-ethnic and gifted individuals. We prioritize hiring from within the body of LLCF when possible.

Currently on our staff we have a combination of Hispanic, Pacific Islander, African American, Filipina, Asian, and Anglos.

Our staff includes former teachers, professional football players, Sr. Pastors, marriage-family counselors, rocket scientists, druggies, and rock band members. It's an interesting and exciting group. Each has made a big sacrifice (usually financially) to serve Jesus as a staff member of LLCF.

All our staff are here to serve YOU so let us know what we can do to assist you.

Visit our staff pages to get to know some of the key staff better.

Larry Walkemeyer

Larry Walkemeyer leads the Light & Life Christian Fellowship in Long Beach, California, a community that started as a small mono-ethnic church and is now a large multi-ethnic, urban church. His 30 years in ministry have included youth ministries, conference speaking, para-church leadership, radio ministry, missions work, pastoral mentoring, and 15 church plant projects (7 of which are in Ethiopia). Azusa Pacific University named Larry one of the most influential students over its one hundred year history. Larry is a frequent speaker to ministry leaders and has started a non-profit organization to assist kingdom work in urban and international places of need.

Deb Walkemeyer

Deb Walkemeyer currently works part time as the interim youth pastor for Fusion Student Ministries at Light & Life. She is a licensed marriage/familiy therapist and an ordained minister. Deb enjoys working with students and their families, helping them discover their unique gifts and strengths, then mobilizing them into service for God. One of Deb’s specialties is working within a team context. The Fusion leadership team shares the leading of our multi-ethnic student ministry

Family Info:
Husband: Larry Walkemeyer, the Lead Pastor….hmmm, I guess there are some perks with that?

Lindsey Walkemeyer

Assistant Youth Pastor for Fusion Youth Ministries and the Director of Emerging Leaders.

Within Fusion, Sarah Tatupu and Lindsey Walkemeyer partner in planning and ministering to our multiethnic youth of Light & Life. Lindsey especially focuses on developing relationships with the students, planning camps, fundraisers, and teaching.

As the Director of Emerging Leaders Lindsey spends intentional time building relationships with people especially between the ages of 25-35 years old, helping them to understand who they were created to be, the talents, strengths and spiritual gifts they have been given, and empowering them to get involved in ministries (or start ministries) in which they are passionate about and fit who they are created to be.

Family Info:

Daughter of Larry & Deb Walkemeyer. Yup…That’s about it!

Kristy Hinds

What Active Image is your role at LLCF? Executive Assistant to Dr. Larry Walkemeyer & Director of Fusion Extreme, young adult ministry.

What is the best part about your role?
Working with LLCF is a wonderful gift!

Vern Burgess

How did you come to LLCF? I saw Larry at a Pastor’s gathering in the fall of 2006 and he said “Why don’t you come to Long Beach?” I said sure and here we are! Okay there is a little more to the journey, but it is a great God thing.
Read more...

Craig and Mary Durst

Active Image Since 1991 Craig and Mary Durst have been the worship leaders at Light & Life. Craig and Mary are professional jazz musicians who consistently perform as 2AZZ1 at the most prestigous jazz venues in Southern California. Their strong marriage, deep commitment to Christ, disciplined lifestyles, and amazing musicianship form a foundation for a strong worship ministry at LLCF. Their passion for excellence and for letting God move in the midst of our worship has been a powerful force that God has used to do mighty things over the years.

They love their dog, their Harley motorcycles, and their friends.

Sarah Tatupu

How did you come to LLCF?

My family (husband & 7 boyz) came to LLCF over 7 years ago by an invitation from my sister Connie and husband Junior Moaalii whom were already attending LLCF. They had shared with us that we needed to "check it out" and the rest was history. Since then til now It has been all good, awsome and an amazing journey...PTL!

Izzy Matos

How did you come to LLCF?
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (2003) I led a mission trip to Ensenada Mexico. I was set to be a part of a mission team headed for a different part of Mexico, but God’s providence switched me at the last minute to lead a trip to Ensenada in which a young Lindsey Walkemeyer was a part of the team. You may have recognized the name and, if so, please go to your fridge and get yourself a snack for a reward. Lindsey is, in fact, Larry’s daughter. Apparently, I did not scare her too bad, nor did I leave her with a bad taste, much like orange juice and toothpaste would. Rather, she gave her parents a nice report about her Ensenada leader. About 6 months later the LLCF youth pastor, Ronel, was getting ready to plant a church in Oahu, Hawaii. So the search began. Larry asked Lindsey about that weird, lip ring guy who led the Ensenada trip. Lindsey set up an appointment for Larry and me to meet and Walla!

Sandy Bond

How did you come to LLCF?
My family was invited by Karl Luecke to come visit a loving environment. We really enjoyed Pastor Larry and our kids couldn’t wait to come back to the Children’s Church.

Calvin Tatupu

Calvin Tatupu, along with his wife Sarah, take it to the streets of Long Beach! Ministering to boys and girls in the poorest parts of our city through games, crafts, Bible stories, music, and love is their passion. They also minister to the kid's parents and often bring food or other forms of support to the needy. Calvin is a powerful and prophetic minister of God's Word and heart and is a leader in the LLCF prayer ministry.

John Ogbonnaya

Minister of African Ministries

Leads the Breakthrough service.

A service dedicated to Revival and total Restoration of Divine realities- necessary to propel an emerging Church to exercise an irresistible influence for God. His mantle and mandate from the Lord include to ignite fresh awakening and to raise a new breed of radical believers. His calling is both that of an Evangelist and Prophet. He ministers as a regular conference speaker and with an anointed healing, deliverance and liberation ministry in crusades.

Before now, he had served with various Christian groups in leadership capacity for over 20 years, these include campus ministries and pastoral.

Lody De Ridder

Minister of Dutch Indo Ministries

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