PASTOR MATTHEW'S EXPERIENCE

A steady, decades-long runway toward planting Overflow Church

Calling & Core Vision
Rooted in Psalm 1, Overflow Church exists to plant people and churches “by streams of water” so they bear lasting fruit where they live, work, and worship across the Bay Area. Matthew’s preparation spans theological training, church leadership, nonprofit operations, marketplace strategy, and civic service—each season building the character, competencies, and relationships needed to steward a healthy, multiplying church.

Education & Formation (2004–2011)

Gordon College, Wenham, MA (2004–2007) – Biblical studies & leadership; early ministry exposure and service trips.
Jerusalem University College, Jerusalem, Israel (2006) – Semester abroad; field study in Israel/Palestine with additional travel in Egypt, Jordan (Petra), and Ethiopia.
Whitworth University, Spokane, WA (2007–2008) – B.A., Theology & Religious Studies (2008); Project Manager in the Center for Service-Learning.
Faith Evangelical Seminary, Tacoma, WA (2009–2011) – M.A., Theology & Counseling, magna cum laude (Aug 2011).
Certified Licensed Minister – State of California (1998).

Early Leadership & Community Impact (2007–2009)

Whitworth University – Project Manager (2007–2008 | Spokane, WA)
Organized service-learning projects in low-income neighborhoods; increased student volunteer retention by 35%. Built partnerships with the Spokane County Planning & Development Office for the West Central Neighborhood Re-building Project.
Lily of the Valley Preschool (Shiloh Baptist Church) – Executive Director (2008–2009 | Tacoma, WA)
P&L for a $200K+ preschool; 50% revenue growth in 6 months; launched a Single-Parent Program (GED-linked tuition discounts); led compliance/reporting; recruited and trained 9 staff.
Special Commitment Center – Residential Rehabilitation Counselor (2008–2009 | Steilacoom, WA)
High-accountability care and documentation in a clinical setting—experience that strengthened pastoral counseling practices.

Building Ministries & City Partnerships (2009–2015)

Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church (BFMBC) – Associate Pastor / Executive Director, Youth & Collegiate (2009–2015 | Oakland, CA)
Oversaw Youth & Young Adult ministries (Praise Team/Choir, Greeters, Junior Deacons, Sunday School, monthly Friday Youth Services, AWANA) with 50+ annual volunteer leaders.
City partnerships: African American Male Achievement, 180 Degree Program, Juvenile Hall bridge, Oakland Chamber of Commerce, Highland Hospital, Alameda County Hospital Association, UC Berkeley.
Special Project (2011): Youth Choir Recording—wrote, composed, and produced a professional album with 10 inner-city teens, mobilizing families socially, spiritually, and financially over 16 weeks.
Global/Local Service (formative, applied in ministry):
Tutor, Jerusalem University (Bethlehem, 2006) – Conversational English; bridge-building across cultures.
Teacher, Project Mercy (Yetebon, Ethiopia, 2006) – 4th-grade math/science in a compound serving 1,000+ orphans and refugee families.
Fellowship Phoenix Church – Interim Worship Leader & Music Director (2015 | Phoenix, AZ)
Led adult/children’s worship; launched first Youth & Children’s worship team (twice monthly). Built a Worship & Arts Camp with Grand Canyon University volunteers.

Scale, Systems, and Shepherding (2016–2021)

Desert Springs Bible Church – Associate Pastor (2016–2021 | Phoenix, AZ)
Pastored 35+ small groups; added 15 new groups in 6 months (470+ in community).
Built leader pipelines (ages 23–85); created training curriculum and monthly intensives.
Revitalized Youth & Young Adult ministry (+650% growth); volunteer engagement +79%.
Partnerships: Surge Network, Young Life, Real-Talk, School-Connect, Celebrate Recovery, GCU, PVCC, ACU, ASU, and more.
Taught/counseled at conferences of 700+ students; preached to 1200+ in main gatherings.

Nonprofit Leadership & Citywide Collaboration (2021–Present)

DARING SELF – Executive Director & Founder (2021–Present | Phoenix, AZ)
Interfaith nonprofit disrupting cycles of poverty through education on homelessness, generational trauma, and inequity.
- Coordinated 235 volunteers; mobilized donations; cross-sector partnerships with First Things First, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Kindest, OpenTable.
- Training/serving 19 churches (pastors, staff, lay leaders) to partner with local preschool directors, students, and parents.
- Vetted entrepreneurial cohort building generational wealth and equity through social, intellectual, and financial capital—embodying Overflow’s “streams-to-fruit” ethos.

Boards, Councils & Civic Leadership (Current)

Young Life – Board Member (regional service and advancement of youth discipleship).
Cate School – Alumni Council Member (advancement, mentorship, and alumni engagement).
Nogales, Mexico Mission Church Planting – Board Member (church-plant strategy, pastoral support, and cross-border partnership development).

Marketplace Experience (Silicon Valley → Scottsdale | 15+ Years)

Alongside vocational ministry, Matthew has 15+ years in the marketplace as a Strategic Business Development & Marketing Manager, serving companies from Silicon Valley to Scottsdale, AZ.

Expertise: GTM strategy, partnerships, brand development, pipeline building, and cross-functional leadership.
Strengths: Budget stewardship, data-driven decision-making, recruiting/training teams, and building durable partnerships—competencies directly applied to church health and growth.

What This Means for Overflow Church

Stability & Stewardship

15+ years of increasing responsibility in church leadership, nonprofit management, and corporate strategy.
Demonstrated budget ownership from $200K preschool operations to $500K+ church ecosystems.
Proven capacity to recruit, train, and multiply leaders and volunteers; to design compliant systems; and to partner across education, healthcare, civic, and corporate sectors.
Closed and managed million dollar deals, contracts and agreements from a 100+ Million pipeline; targeting Fortune 500 C-level leaders.

Disciple-Making & Multiplication

Scalable systems for groups, leader pipelines, and lay training—evidenced by 15 new groups in 6 months, 650% youth/young-adult growth, and multi-generational leadership development.
A Psalm-1 framework—planting people “by streams of water” so they become fruitful, resilient, and outward-facing in their neighborhoods.

Community Credibility

Board service (Young Life; Nogales Church Planting), alumni leadership (Cate School), and cross-cultural competence (Israel/Palestine, Ethiopia; Oakland & Phoenix urban ministry).
Marketplace acumen that brings operational excellence, brand clarity, and financial accountability to the church plant.

The Plan We’re Funding

Pre-Launch Core (Now–Month 3)
Weekly prayer & vision nights; launch-team recruiting; governance & financial systems; pastoral care rhythms; initial missional partnerships.
Launch Team Buildout (Months 4–6)
Train leaders (Groups, Kids, Students, Worship, Ops, Care); monthly community serve; story capture; preview gatherings; soft-launch Kids/Students.
Public Launch & Multiplication (Months 7–12)
Weekly services + weekly groups; quarterly leader intensives; biannual church-wide serve days; scope first church-planting residency cohort.

Initial Budget Priorities
Portable church systems & space; Kids/Students environments; benevolence & counseling; part-time ops/worship support; leader training resources; seed fund for residency.

Ways to Partner

Pray Weekly for favor, formation, and fruitful relationships across the Bay.
Introduce Us to people we should meet—community leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, and neighbors who care about renewal.
Give Generously to help us launch strong and stay healthy as we multiply.