Gary is a Native Californian. He was born in Whittier, CA on January 14, 1946. He grew up in Pico Rivera which is in Southern California. When he was in the 11th grade, his father got a job transfer and the family moved to Davis, CA . He graduated from Davis High School in 1963 with a plan to become a high school athletic coach.
Gary accepted Christ as his Savior when he was a senior in high school. During his freshman year of college, God completely changed his original plan and called him into the ministry. He enrolled in Western Baptist Bible College in El Cerrito, California in September 1964.
On June 25, 1966 he married Mariann Chastagner who he met while at Davis High. They have been happily married for 52 years. He and Mariann have 3 grown children: Greg, Tricia, and Barton, 6 Grandchildren, and 3 Great Grandchildren.
Gary graduated from Western in 1967 with Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Theology. He immediately enrolled in San Francisco Theological Seminary where he graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 1971. While in Seminary he served as the associate Pastor of Westbrae Bible Church in Berkeley, where he gained much practical wisdom from the Senior Pastor, Dr. Paul Reiter.
After Seminary, Gary was called to pastor Grace Baptist Church right here in Paso Robles where he served from 1971-1986. In 1981 he went back to school and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from California Graduate School of Theology in Glendale, California.
From 1986-2003, Gary served as the pastor of Amador Valley Baptist Church in Pleasanton, CA.
Pastor visited Africa with his Evangelist friend, Jim Cook, from December of 1999 to January 2000. He had the great privilege and blessing to teach over 100 pastors during that month. God used that experience to burden his heart with the great need of theological education for African Pastors. So, in August of 2007, he and Mariann went to Zambia, Africa with Baptist Mid-Missions to upgrade a three year Bible Institute to a four year college. While there, they along with their co-workers, also planted a church. Pastor and Mariann retired from the mission and returned to the States in 2015.
Pastor was called to return to Grace Baptist Church in Paso Robles in September 2017. He says he has a great deacons’ board and a church family that is a joy to serve.
He is currently an adjunct professor for Shasta Bible College and Graduate School in Redding, California. He also serves as an official representative of the college.
Over the years Pastor has served on various mission boards, camp boards, and the California State fellowship of the General Association of Regular Baptists.
He loves to be involved in the community. He was a leader and coach for special Olympics for 8 years while he was in Pleasanton.
He has been actively involved in Rotary for over 23 years. First in Pleasanton, then in Africa where he served as the president in Choma, Zambia, and now here in Paso Robles.
Besides all the areas of service, he enjoys wilderness back packing, fly fishing, motorcycle riding, gardening, and playing with his dog. Because of his love for sports, he was a basketball referee and baseball umpire for many years. He also enjoyed martial arts and earned a black belt in TaeKwondo.
Above everything else, His passion is to teach believers the Word of God so they love God, love people, grow spiritually and are equipped to serve in the church, but most of all to bring Glory to His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.