OUR STAFF


  • RUSS MARTIN
    interim Senior Pastor

    Russ has served as a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene for 50 years. He is a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene, received his Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary, and Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. Russ has recently agreed to fill the role of interim senior pastor here at SDFC, where he and his wife, Lou Ann, have been congregants for many years. 

  • MATT WILSON
    Associate Pastor

    Matt Wilson has been on staff at SDFC since 2016, first as Youth Pastor and now as the Associate Pastor. Matt and his wife Lindsay, a wonderful marriage and family therapist, have two kids: Rosie and Luke. He is a graduate of PLNU (B.A. in Biblical Studies and M.A. in Religious Studies) and Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv), and is currently working on his PhD degree from Duke University.

  • LEXII MERCADO
    Youth Pastor

    Lexii has been a part of the SDFC community for several years, but just recently joined the staff team in 2022 as our Pastor for Youth and their Families. We are so excited to have her leadership over our ministries for the 6th-12th graders in our community!

  • JORDAN PITKIN
    Director of Children's Ministries

    Jordan was born and raised in Paris, TX, and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Sports Management in 2007. She also received her MA in Education, and joined the SDFC staff in 2019. Ministry and working with children has been woven into her DNA and while church work was not on her radar, it has been a perfect fit! She and her husband, AJ, have 3 kiddos: Judah, Georgia and Banner.

  • RYANNA MARSH
    Children's ministry coordinator & facilities scheduler

    Ryanna Marsh hails from the exciting hometown of Porterville, CA. After graduating from Vanguard University in 2015 with a degree in Musical Theater, she moved to Texas to Stage Manage at SeaWorld San Antonio and now brings her creative and organizational skills to SDFC in Children's Programming and Facility Scheduling. In her free time, she enjoys game nights, road trips, & learning new things!

  • TYLER ELLISON
    Director of Communication & connection

    Tyler was born and raised in San Diego, and is a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University with a B.A. in Managerial & Organizational Communication and Philosophy. He currently lives in the Point Loma area with his wife, Veronica. Tyler's interests include film, TV, music, & Padres baseball, and as a trivia enthusiast, he hopes to one day appear on Jeopardy!.

  • AUSTIN HOLMES
    worship director

    Austin grew up in Visalia, CA before coming to San Diego to pursue his B.A. in Music & Ministry at Point Loma Nazarene University. At SDFC, he is passionate about using his creativity and musical background to lead worship and cultivate spaces for people to encounter God each week. When Austin isn’t playing music, you can likely find him either playing basketball or watching Chargers football. 

  • VICTOR LABENSKE
    worship director

    Victor Labenske has served as a worship director at SDFC since 2012, where he enjoys directing the choir and planning vocal and instrumental ensemble music. He is also professor of music at Point Loma Nazarene University, teaching courses in piano and composition. His compositional output includes over 700 published compositions and arrangements, and he remains active as a concert artist.

  • HEATHER HILLS
    Bookkeeper

    Heather has worked as SDFC's bookkeeper since 2008. She also coordinates weddings and helps with memorial services. Heather met her husband, Rich, at PLNU right before graduation. Together they have three grown children and have added two wonderful kids-in-law.