East Bay Free Methodist Church is an intergenerational community of family like relationships that builds bridges into the lives of the many diverse English-speaking people of the Bay Area.
We at East Bay FM Church encourage and challenge one another to grow in faith through the Word, worship and witness, all under-girded with prayer.
Our mission is to make disciples, live incarnationally within the context of our everyday lives, and demonstrate love in action in our relationships with God and our neighbors.
We at East Bay FM Church encourage and challenge one another to grow in faith through the Word, worship and witness, all under-girded with prayer.
Our mission is to make disciples, live incarnationally within the context of our everyday lives, and demonstrate love in action in our relationships with God and our neighbors.
MEET OUR PASTORS
English Congregation
Contrary to popular belief, Royce, although born and raised in Hawaii, does not surf. In fact, he doesn’t really like to swim and prefers land-based activities such as running (like Forest Gump, he just keeps on running), trail running in parks, hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, fishing (from land, casting fishing line into a body of water), hunting, and rock climbing. Asked often if he would ever return to live in Hawaii, he replies, “been there, done that, which is why I live here now.”
Royce and his wife were married in 1994 and left Hawaii 2 weeks later to attend Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts to get an M.Div. At that time, Royce told his wife “in 2 years and 10 months, the length of the program, we will be back in Hawaii…” That was 17 years ago. When Royce started attending seminary, his wife would often ask him impossible theological questions, so Royce said “why don’t you ask the professors yourself?” So she also got two Masters Degrees from GCTS and is now getting a PhD. If you want to know Royce’s GPA, just divide his wife’s by two. Royce likes to say he has lots of answers, but if you want the correct answers, talk to his wife.
Royce started serving as the pastor at East Bay in 2007. It was quite a miracle for Royce to come to EBC. The hiring church superintendent knew someone in California who knew someone in Hawaii who knew his parents, proving the theory that there are only 6 degrees of separation between every person on earth. As a pastor, people have said that Royce is unlike any pastor they have ever known. Whether that is a good or bad thing, it is what it is. But one thing he does try to convey is 1Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” He prays that God’s love will be the hallmark of his ministry. Royce also has a passion for music worship and uses the skills developed from his University of Hawaii undergraduate music degree. If you ever want to get to know him better, invite him to eat with you at your favorite restaurant. At church you can often catch him hovering over the buffet line.
MEET OUR STAFF