Leaders
Elders
Chris Taylor
Lead Pastor
chris@gatheringcc.org
Chris was born in Portland, Oregon in 1956. Raised in a Catholic family, at seventeen, he came under conviction of his own sin when a street preacher shared the gospel with him in downtown Portland. But Chris’ life did not change until the summer of his junior year in high school, during a hitchhiking trip around the country, in Daytona Beach Florida, and high on LSD, Chris was confronted by a demonized man to accept that he belonged to the devil and to give his life to Satan. Chris, for the first time, stood up and confessed that he “belonged to Jesus.” Jesus Christ accepted that statement of faith and the next morning Chris woke up to a new life, was transformed and has followed Christ ever since. Not a recommended way to get saved, but it worked.
In 1975, shortly after graduating from high school he joined a discipleship and communal movement called Gospel Outreach– these were common at the time – and joined a team to plant a church in Chicago, Illinois. Subsequently, he was involved in church planting for almost two decades (planting churches in Chicago, IL, Eugene, OR, and Vancouver, WA).
Chris and Donna married in the fall of 1980. God has blessed them with eight wonderful children, and five wonderful grandchildren.
Dan Garfield
Pastor
dan@gatheringcc.org
Dan Garfield, first sensed the call of God on his life as a college student in 1971, while attending Colorado State University, where he first heard the gospel and surrendered his life to the Lord. Dan attended a small Bible school in Fort Collins. and it was there that he acquired a heart for missions. Although, his desire to go to China as a full time missionary never materialized he has gone to China twice on short-term missions as well as Cambodia, and the Dominican Republic. The Lord impressed on Dan that his mission field was wherever God had him. Along with his family he has actively pursued a missional lifestyle, as a business owner, builder and craftsman.
For the past 20 years Dan has served his congregations in some capacity of leadership as a small group leader, lay pastor, elder, and along with his wife as pre-marital counselor. He and his wife Gay, have been happily married for 37 years, have three grown children, (two who are married), and currently two grandchildren. Dan and his wife now reside in the Portland area where he serves as an elder at the Gathering Community Church.
Daniel Fender
Pastor for Discipleship
dfender@gatheringcc.org
Daniel hates the thought of wasting his life. His reason: he had plenty of years wasted in sin. He was born and raised in the Phoenix valley, and before Daniel turned sixteen he was little more than a thief, a stoner and a class clown. One day, however, he found himself alone in his bedroom with his guilt and a sudden urge to open the Bible. He hoped it would be a band-aid for his guilt. But every page he turned to instead seemed to say, “You’re a sinner and you need a Great Savior.” He asked Jesus to save him from the sin he loved more than God.
After this, God gave Daniel an insatiable hunger to understand the Bible. To this day he continues to mine the Sacred Scripture in order to see who God is, love who God is, and teach who God is. After High School and a 2000 mile cross-country road bike trip, Daniel moved to Portland in order to continue studying God’s Word at Multnomah University. For the next decade Daniel devoted his time and energy to studying and teaching about Jesus Christ, both formally and informally, in the church and outside the church, internationally and locally. Daniel has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Divinity degree from Multnomah Seminary.
During this time two of the richest blessings God has given are his beautiful wife Janine, whom he met on a white water kayaking trip, and their two children, Caleb and Adaiah, whom he met on their birthdays! Daniel loves being a father and husband and is energized by seeing others find mercy through Jesus’ work at the Cross. He also enjoys camping, backpacking, hiking, astronomy, gardening, touring by bicycle, and reading outside when the sun is shining in Portland. As the future unfolds Daniel hopes to be a strengthening influence for Christ’s cause in the world locally and internationally.
Matthew Cunningham
Pastor
matt@gatheringcc.org
Matthew was born and raised in Southern California. When Matthew was 18 he had quickly ran his life into the ground but this is precisely where Jesus Christ found him, empty handed and in desperate need. Jesus rescued Matthew from the mess that he made of his life and since then Matthew’s life has been marked by sheer grace.
Matthew met his wife Vanessa in High School and they married a few years after they graduated. The joy of Matthew’s life is his wife and children. Matthew and Vanessa have four kids, two daughters and two sons. As a family, they love camping, taking daylong road trips, and having dance parties in the living room. Matthew enjoys reading, good coffee, good food, and spending time with friends.
Matthew has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Multnomah University and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Multnomah Biblical Seminary.
