Bill Wertz

Pastors and Ministry Directors and Leaders
BIO Questions Format

Educational Background that helped prepare you for the role you play at the church?
I have three graduations and one almost graduation…that’s like batting .750 in the Majors. I graduated from Holbrook Elementary in Concord, CA in 1967, Glenbrook Jr High in 1969, and Mt. Diablo High in 1973 (yes I’m 51 years old). Unfortunately I never got that last one that I started done. But I have always been a passionate learner (I am a real hands on kind of person) and now I say my degree is lining the bookshelves in my office. I have learned how to teach myself the concepts I need to know in order to do what God has called me to do.

Professional Background that helped prepare you for the role you play at the church?
I am a very competent carpenter and I was a General Contractor in California…I know how to build things (I think Jesus did too). I am extremely mechanical and know how to make things work. This training in processes and design have served me well in ministry for the last 30 years. I have been blessed to be a key part in three growing churches (including this one). I served as a youth Pastor at the El Morro Church of the Nazarene in Los Osos, CA for seven and some years. That church grew from 100 to 500 some during my time there. I moved to Washington and became the Spiritual Growth/Administrative/Executive Pastor for seven and some years. That church grew from 400 to just about 3,000 while I was there (pretty cool). For the last five and three quarter years I have served here at Church on the Hill as Spiritual Growth Pastor, Executive Pastor, and now as Mission and Outreach Pastor.

Personal Background that helped prepare you for the role you play at the church?
I was born into a Non-Christian family. Yes in some ways that helped me. My conversion to Christ was a radical departure and one I would never in a million years imagined. I HATED Christians. I thought they were all judgmental and critical. As a result of that, I have always tried to help non-Christians see Christ for who He is and not how we’ve made Him to be. And I have tried to help Christians see that Non-Christians are not our enemies and they are the reason we have been given LIFE! My experience and perspective has helped the churches I have served at have a high return on our Kingdom dollars by seeing many people either find Christ, or find there way back to Him.
But I am also married to Tracey who comes from an even more non religious background than I. She has been my partner in ministry for 20 years of serving full-time in paid ministry and 10 years of serving Jesus in a layman’s role (yes that’s 30 years of marriage). Our two kids Sarah and Jacob grew up spending their Easter vacations on Native American Reservations serving them with an organization called Project Yes that I helped develop. Altogether I have led 20 some Mission trips…that is really where all of my gifting and abilities come in to play…I love it. I have one son in law named Shawn and two awesome Grandsons named Jackson and Aidan that I love and want them to grow up with an example of a G-Pa who spent his life serving Jesus.

What is the passion that drives your particular role in the church?
I love it when I see someone who has been self focused all their lives become passionately engaged in reaching others for Jesus. I love to see churches being transformed from self focused churches to being passionately engaged in reaching people for Christ. I love to see churches and leaders focused on a single mission. I love to see people get a total buzz when they discover their God given ministry and become totally consumed with serving Jesus. I want to see this church experience an Acts 2 kind of outpouring of God’s anointing…I know it can happen.

Do you see yourself in this role in 5 years, if not where would you see you in the church?
I see myself serving Jesus the rest of my life…I hope that is in McMinnville…but I have learned that sometimes God has other plans. I would love to be out on a mission field somewhere…but I believe God has called Tracey and I to be a part of a local church…that seems to be where God wants us and uses us.