For Daren, it marked the first time in 40 years he had not been the lead pastor. Valley Christian is legal entity, but the church will be known as Brave San Ramon and Brave Dublin.Īs Valci and Daren Laws discussed it, he suggested that the 33-year-old Samuel be the lead pastor while the two seasoned pros moved into associate roles. As Valci observed, it was a remarkable show of Christian unity. On May 2, Valley Christian members voted to move ahead with Brave and Jessup. Since Jackson took the helm, enrollment has tripled and the number of majors have grown significantly and graduate programs have been added.Ībout four years ago at a fundraising dinner at Blackhawk Country Club, Valci asked that Jessup return to the Bay Area and fill the gap that had been left as many colleges and seminaries closed their Bay Area offerings. Jessup was founded in the Bay Area as San Jose Bible College and then moved to its campus in Rocklin in 2004. That includes robust offerings on campus as well as online and satellite facilities.

Both pastors have been involved with meetings with Jackson when he discussed his vision for higher education moving forward. They involved John Jackson, the president of William Jessup University. Valci also wanted to fill a gaping hole in Christian education and ministry training in the Bay Area. After praying and thinking about it, the Brave leaders said they were willing. He suggested Brave because Valley Christian was larger and had a 50-acre campus with the school and worship center. His conclusion-one church needed to formally die with the assets and debts transferred to the remaining church. Their question came about six months into the pandemic as Valci started shifting the dialogue at Valley Christian Center away from dealing with health and safety and county orders to asking what type of church should Valley Christian Center be when the pandemic ends? That included consideration of whether he should sit in the lead pastor’s seat.ĭiscussions grew serious between the leaders and then someone suggested they get an attorney involved to see what worked legally. So, imagine Valci’s surprise when Laws and his son, Samuel, came to see him and asked how they could help. Valci has served as lead pastor at Valley Christian Center with its k-12 school and its 50-are campus on a hilltop in west Dublin.

It has a 25-year history in San Ramon and has built momentum. Pastors Roger Valci and Daren Laws have become good friends since Laws moved here eight years ago to lead Brave Church in San Ramon.īrave, called Church in the Hill in those days, has enjoyed some publicity when Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and his family worshipped there and preached on occasion.

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