Meet the Team
Pastor Garrett Yamada
Garrett has served as the Pastor of our church since September of 2009. He has worked well with the leadership to clarify our mission statement and to develop programs and passions to help meet it. He brings a ministry that is full of joy, adventure, laughter and the love of Christ.
Garrett has been an ordained pastor for over 35 years. He received a Master of Divinity from his time at Princeton and Fuller Theological Seminaries. He has previously served at churches in Riverside, Berkeley, Laguna Hills, Pleasanton, San Mateo and Manila (Philippines).
He and Stephanie have been married for almost 37 years and have three grown children, Brent, Kimi and Sara. They met while they were both students at UC Davis. (Garrett earned a B.S. in Agricultural Education and two teaching credentials at U.C. Davis). Stephanie is a Behavior Therapist with Pleasanton School District and works with children with special needs.
Garrett loves spending time with his family. He also enjoys traveling, good food, fishing and photography.
Office
Music
Music
Bill comes to First Presbyterian Church of Newark with over 35 years of handbell experience. He previously directed the handbell choirs of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Berkeley and Piedmont Community Church. He has performed extensively throughout the United States as a ringer and handbell soloist. Bill has also taught classes in the art of handbell solo ringing at conventions sponsored by the American Guild of Handbell Ringers (now Handbell Musicians of America).
His other musical endeavors include playing Timpani in the Contra Costa Wind Symphony. In his non-musical life, he is a geographer specializing in Geographic Information Systems. Bill lives in Walnut Creek and enjoys traveling andspending time with his wife and 4 kids.
Family Ministries Director | Brian Webster
