Many pastors choose the profession to grow a stronger relationship with God and to teach others along the way. This was the reasoning for Armijo teacher, Mr. Jeff Wilson, who served as the Missions Pastor of Community Bible Church in Vallejo from 2015 to 2018. “I became a pastor because I love Jesus and I love people,” said Mr. Wilson.

Before he served in that role, he had spent seven years serving the church in other ways, but he said that teaching others about how to honor God and others was definitely one of the highlights in his pastor years.

“When I was in Mexico working in a church, I saw how some people were thrust into roles in the church with very little experience or access to training,” he said. “I wanted to help equip them to succeed in their own calling.” He had the opportunity to go overseas over a dozen times to help others and be that leader he always looked up.

While his career has taken him in a different direction, Mr. Wilson continues to teach Bible school, and is encouraged by other leaders in his life. Unfortunately he had to cut his time as a pastor short. “I stopped because the Missions Pastor job was part-time and my family and I eat full-time,” he said.

His love for people and being able to teach and watch them succeed followed him in his career as a high school teacher and he sees opportunity at every turn. We recently returned from Christmas break and Mr. Wilson addressed the importance of the holiday for himself and other Christians. “Even more than a Nativity scene with a baby in a manger, Christmas reminds me that the Baby in the manger was God taking on flesh and living among us, and years later dying for us, so that all who would believe would be forgiven sin and have a relationship with him.”

Despite the ups and downs in his career and the changes and challenges that he has faced, Mr. Wilson’s faith is still strong and his drive for teaching carried through both career choices in his life.