Meet Our Pastors

Raised in Oklahoma, I was in line to be a third-generation-in-a-row dentist in Tulsa, but God had other plans. Through a youth pastor in high school, I became serious about the Christian faith and went to Wheaton College, Moody Bible Institute, and Dallas Seminary to prepare for the ministry. Later I completed a doctorate at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. A career in ministry has included a multi-racial internship at Circle Church, in downtown Chicago as well as an internship at Fellowship Bible Church of Park Cities, in suburban Dallas. After seminary, I’ve served the First Evangelical Free Church of Wichita, Kansas, Faith Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and since 2012, have been Senior Pastor here in Green Valley. Barbara and I have been married forty years and have three grown sons and eight grandchildren. Barbara enjoys teaching women’s Bible studies at the church and joins me in leading small groups within our home.

Pastor Bruce Van Sickle was born and raised in Longview, Washington. He began church time in the nursery and never stopped going. “I became a Christian when I understood that I did things that were wrong and needed to be forgiven at the ripe old age of 5 through Child Evangelism Fellowship. Even at a young age I shared my faith with others.” A Bi-Centennial graduate of high school, Pastor Bruce ventured off to Seattle Pacific University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education K-12 and a Master of Arts in Church Music and Worship. He met his wife, Karen, at Seattle Pacific and have three children and 5 grandchildren. They have lived in Washington, Oregon, Kansas and now Arizona in their 41 years of marriage and ministry together. Karen serves the church with her passion for playing piano and teaching. Pastor Bruce oversees Worship and Church Planting ministries and part of the Touch Local outreach here at EFC Green Valley.

We are Ron and Pat Jacobson originally from Wisconsin. We have been in pastoral ministry since 1972. During such time I (Ron) have been a youth pastor, senior pastor, seminary faculty, chaplain, mission coordinator for Converge World Wide In Brazil, where we invested our time in a church plant, children’s ministry, and preaching throughout Niteroi, Brazil. One of my personal highlights was to preach at First Baptist Church Niteroi from the same pulpit as Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, Louis Palu as examples. More recently I was invited to join Samaritan’s Purse to be part of the chaplaincy departments worldwide. My wife Pat has been my ministry partner all these years and a valuable inspiration to the ministries God has called us to. We have two children, five grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. A life verse is from Psalm 27:4 The one thing I ask of the Lord, the one thing I seek most, is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Ryan Walters, originally from the Northeast, is a social worker by trade and youth minister by calling. Ryan received his Bachelors and Masters degree in Social Work from Alliance University in New York City. Ryan spent many years as a social worker primarily serving juvenile youth in various settings such as recovery programs, foster homes, and detention centers. Ryan met his wife Christina at a Christian discipleship program in Seattle, Washington where they served the homeless population as interns. Ryan and his wife were married in 2018 and have three children: Benjamin, Cruz and Luna. Ryan was a youth minister in California for several years before joining Madera Church as the Associate Pastor. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys morning walks with his family, rooting for the New England Patriots and restoring his old Saabs.