“When God creates a church in the making, He doesn’t just call one person to start it. He calls a whole network of people who have been growing pregnant with vision.”
- Ben Arment
- Ben Arment
G'Joe Joseph
Lead Pastor
Bio
Although both G’Joe and Aimee came to faith in high school, their college years were their most formative, spiritually-speaking. After three years in the marketplace, God called G’Joe to full-time vocational college ministry through Campus Outreach Greenville (COG). Although he left the marketplace, the marketplace never left him. In 2002, C.O.G. launched a team to begin Campus Outreach in Minneapolis at Bethlehem Baptist Church. G’Joe stayed in Greenville to become the Director of C.O.G.. In 2012, after settling into marriage and growing a family, the Joseph family moved to San Diego to begin Campus Outreach San Diego.
After nearly a decade of planting the gospel both on the college campus and in the places where they live, work, and play, the Lord has planted a church. Passing off the leadership of C.O.S.D. to a trusted friend and disciple, G’Joe is now able to focus on shepherding the flock that God has been gathering all these years.
After years of team ministry, the Joseph's knew they did not want to do the work of church planting alone. They prayed the Lord would provide partners in the work. The Lord faithfully provided through the Lecheler family who, in God’s providence, had been deeply impacted by the ministry of Campus Outreach in Minneapolis. God always writes the best stories. In the words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “God’s gifts put man’s best dreams to shame!”
After nearly a decade of planting the gospel both on the college campus and in the places where they live, work, and play, the Lord has planted a church. Passing off the leadership of C.O.S.D. to a trusted friend and disciple, G’Joe is now able to focus on shepherding the flock that God has been gathering all these years.
After years of team ministry, the Joseph's knew they did not want to do the work of church planting alone. They prayed the Lord would provide partners in the work. The Lord faithfully provided through the Lecheler family who, in God’s providence, had been deeply impacted by the ministry of Campus Outreach in Minneapolis. God always writes the best stories. In the words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “God’s gifts put man’s best dreams to shame!”
Contact
Email: gjoe@centercitysd.church
James Lecheler
Pastor
Bio
James and Betsy Lecheler were rooted in Minneapolis, feeling very called to their local church (Bethlehem Baptist Church) and neighborhood. That all changed during a trip to California in early 2020 for a wedding when James started to sense a need for the type of discipleship they had been experiencing at Bethlehem over the previous decade.
James couldn’t shake the sense he had, so he decided to bring it up to Paul Poteat who said, “That’s a little crazy, because my good friend G’Joe just reached out to me about his desire to plant a church in San Diego. You two should connect.”
After the Lecheler's and Joseph's spent a few months connecting, praying and getting counsel from their respective church communities, they decided to take the plunge and move towards planting a Treasuring Christ Together church in the center part of San Diego.
James couldn’t shake the sense he had, so he decided to bring it up to Paul Poteat who said, “That’s a little crazy, because my good friend G’Joe just reached out to me about his desire to plant a church in San Diego. You two should connect.”
After the Lecheler's and Joseph's spent a few months connecting, praying and getting counsel from their respective church communities, they decided to take the plunge and move towards planting a Treasuring Christ Together church in the center part of San Diego.
Contact
Email: james@centercitysd.church
Joe Brigantino
Finance Director
Bio
Joe Brigantino is a California native from the Monterey Bay area with a catholic upbringing. During his time at San Diego State University, he came upon faithful believers who shared the Gospel with him. Through God's grace, Joe believed in the Gospel and came to faith in Christ. He continued to grow in his faith and be discipled through the ministry of Campus Outreach. Upon graduation, he decided to go on staff with Campus Outreach part time, very briefly. Soon later, he met and married his wife, Nicole, and was called into the corporate world.
Joe has known the Joseph's throughout his time in the Campus Outreach ministry. Nicole and Joe knew they wanted to be a part of the church plant as soon as they heard of it. Now using his gifts of organization and working with numbers, he has joyfully joined the Center City family and uses his talents as the Finance Director. You can also catch him on Sunday mornings playing the cajon or guitar for worship and hanging out with the youth group as a leader alongside his wife.
Joe has known the Joseph's throughout his time in the Campus Outreach ministry. Nicole and Joe knew they wanted to be a part of the church plant as soon as they heard of it. Now using his gifts of organization and working with numbers, he has joyfully joined the Center City family and uses his talents as the Finance Director. You can also catch him on Sunday mornings playing the cajon or guitar for worship and hanging out with the youth group as a leader alongside his wife.
Contact
Email: joe@centercitysd.church
Davis Goodroe
College Ministry & Administration Resident
Bio
Though Davis became a Christian at a young age, it wasn’t until his junior year of high school that his religion became a relationship. During his first week at Clemson University, he met Landon Tucker who works full time for Campus Outreach (CO). His involvement with CO added to his view of the Christian life, and excited him to share his faith and pour into other students. Two weeks after graduating in May 2022, Davis and his now-wife, Charis, got married in their hometown of Myrtle Beach, S.C. after dating for five years. She works as a nurse and seeks to share the love of Christ with her patients daily. They both love being active, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends. Davis especially loves baseball, volleyball, and golf.
Uniquely, Davis felt affirmation to begin his working career in vocational ministry while pursing his Masters of Business Administration. Right around that time, G’Joe Joseph reached out explaining his desire to reach college students at local campuses through Center City Church. Davis is passionate about helping others use their gifts for the Kingdom, and the campus is one of the best places to do that. College students make up a tiny percentage of the world’s population, but in many ways they are the most powerful slice of humanity on earth as they will be the leaders in every facet of society. Reaching the campus today is vital to reaching the world tomorrow. Learning from experience, Davis wants to bring college students into the body of Christ at Center City. Biblical community has been pivotal in his life, and he wants to share that same experience with others.
Uniquely, Davis felt affirmation to begin his working career in vocational ministry while pursing his Masters of Business Administration. Right around that time, G’Joe Joseph reached out explaining his desire to reach college students at local campuses through Center City Church. Davis is passionate about helping others use their gifts for the Kingdom, and the campus is one of the best places to do that. College students make up a tiny percentage of the world’s population, but in many ways they are the most powerful slice of humanity on earth as they will be the leaders in every facet of society. Reaching the campus today is vital to reaching the world tomorrow. Learning from experience, Davis wants to bring college students into the body of Christ at Center City. Biblical community has been pivotal in his life, and he wants to share that same experience with others.
Contact
Email: davis@centercitysd.church
Coby Greene
College Ministry & Worship Resident
Bio
Coby grew up in a Christian home in Greenville, South Carolina with two loving parents and an older brother. He accepted Christ at a young age but started to really understand what a relationship with Christ looks like in high school. He attended Clemson University, where he got involved with Campus Outreach (CO) his freshman year. Sharing the gospel and discipling other men quickly became the best part of college for him.
In 2021, Coby went on a vision trip to San Diego with CO to see what ministry was like here. Earlier that year he started to feel the Lord leading him to college ministry and now felt God was calling him to San Diego. The Lord made this calling clear a year later when G'Joe Joseph reached out about doing a college ministry focused residency at Center City. After graduating from Clemson in 2023, he moved to SD to go on staff with Center City.
Coby does college ministry alongside Davis Goodroe at San Diego State University and Point Loma Nazarene University. In addition to evangelizing and discipling college students, he is very passionate about music. He loves serving on the worship team and helping others worship Jesus through music.
In 2021, Coby went on a vision trip to San Diego with CO to see what ministry was like here. Earlier that year he started to feel the Lord leading him to college ministry and now felt God was calling him to San Diego. The Lord made this calling clear a year later when G'Joe Joseph reached out about doing a college ministry focused residency at Center City. After graduating from Clemson in 2023, he moved to SD to go on staff with Center City.
Coby does college ministry alongside Davis Goodroe at San Diego State University and Point Loma Nazarene University. In addition to evangelizing and discipling college students, he is very passionate about music. He loves serving on the worship team and helping others worship Jesus through music.
Contact
Email: coby@centercitysd.church
Fernanda Santillan
Kids Ministry Coordinator
Bio
Fernanda's journey into ministry is deeply rooted in her upbringing in Tijuana, Mexico. At the age of 17, she and her family relocated to Bakersfield, California. Growing up in a Catholic household, Fernanda's spiritual journey took a transformative turn at the age of 12 when she was invited to a Protestant church, leading her to establish a personal relationship with Christ.
In pursuit of deepening her faith and understanding the gospel, Fernanda chose to attend Point Loma Nazarene University. During her freshman year, she encountered G'Joe and Aimee at a fall retreat, where a community centered on the gospel was formed. This community became a space for Fernanda to challenge her faith and foster a desire for deeper spiritual growth.
In her junior year, Fernanda became intrigued by the concept of church planting, desiring to be part of a community that pointed others towards Christ. This led her to actively engage in church planting efforts.
Currently, Fernanda serves as the Center City Kids Coordinator, where she has the privilege of delving into the understanding of her Father's love through interactions with children and their parents. This role allows her to contribute to a community that is centered on Christ and emphasizes the importance of growing together in faith.
In pursuit of deepening her faith and understanding the gospel, Fernanda chose to attend Point Loma Nazarene University. During her freshman year, she encountered G'Joe and Aimee at a fall retreat, where a community centered on the gospel was formed. This community became a space for Fernanda to challenge her faith and foster a desire for deeper spiritual growth.
In her junior year, Fernanda became intrigued by the concept of church planting, desiring to be part of a community that pointed others towards Christ. This led her to actively engage in church planting efforts.
Currently, Fernanda serves as the Center City Kids Coordinator, where she has the privilege of delving into the understanding of her Father's love through interactions with children and their parents. This role allows her to contribute to a community that is centered on Christ and emphasizes the importance of growing together in faith.
Contact
Email: fernanda@centercitysd.church
Nick Yerardi
Operations Coordinator & Youth Ministry Resident
Bio
Nick grew up about an hour north of Boston, MA in the city of Dover, New Hampshire. For the first 15 years of his life, he attended the same church with his younger brother, father and mother. Though he grew up in the Church, he had never been in a personal relationship with Christ until his sophomore year of high school when he went to a Young Life camp in New York. It was there he began his relationship with the Lord.
He attended Gordon College in the North Shore of Boston. He studied Christian Ministry with concentrations in Youth & Pastoral ministry. Nick is passionate about meeting teenagers where they're at in life, building relationships, and sharing the Gospel with them. After graduating college, Nick moved to San Diego where he has much family. He was connected with G’Joe and James through their mutual love of basketball. Shortly after meeting them, he, and his girlfriend Grace, began attending Center City. They both had never felt the Lord so clearly place them into a specific community.
Nick currently works as our Sunday Coordinator alongside his full-time position at La Mesa Arts Academy. He also has been a volunteer Young Life leader at Helix Charter High School since 2021.
He attended Gordon College in the North Shore of Boston. He studied Christian Ministry with concentrations in Youth & Pastoral ministry. Nick is passionate about meeting teenagers where they're at in life, building relationships, and sharing the Gospel with them. After graduating college, Nick moved to San Diego where he has much family. He was connected with G’Joe and James through their mutual love of basketball. Shortly after meeting them, he, and his girlfriend Grace, began attending Center City. They both had never felt the Lord so clearly place them into a specific community.
Nick currently works as our Sunday Coordinator alongside his full-time position at La Mesa Arts Academy. He also has been a volunteer Young Life leader at Helix Charter High School since 2021.
Contact
Email: nick@centercitysd.church