ncclaguna.org

NCC’s members and friends are asked to join us on Sundays at 10 AM as the Rev. B.J. Beu conducts the worship service.  The Rev. B.J. Beu,  his wife Mary Scifres, and their ten-year-old son Michael Beu moved from Gig Harbor, Washington, to Laguna Beach in October to begin the next phase of their lives as integral parts of our church family. 

Pastor Beu – his given name is Brian Jeffrey, but he prefers to be called B.J. – had been Senior Pastor at Fox Island UCC in Fox Island, WA, for the past 13 years. B.J. is a graduate of Boston University School of Theology and Pacific Lutheran University. He has also studied with Nobel Laureate, Elie Wiesel, and spent a year of study at St. Mary’s College at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The Rev. B.J. has chaired the Worship Committee for the annual meeting of the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Church of Christ, and has taught the UCC history section for the Licensed Ministry Program for the Central Pacific and Pacific Northwest Conferences.

As an author B.J. has published sermons in The Abingdon Preaching Annual, and for the last eight years, B.J. and Mary have been co-editors of The Abingdon Worship Annual. Mary Scifres is an ordained Methodist minister and is an author. The Rev. Beu is also a musician – he sings and plays several instruments. He has done some acting as well, most recently playing a lead role in a local production of Inherit the Wind.

Qualities that led the church to unanimously affirm the Rev. Beu as their new senior pastor were his engaging and interactive preaching style, sense of humor, creativity, dedication to open and affirming (ONA) and justice issues, and commitment to progressive Christianity. Additional factors were his ten plus years experience as pastor of a church similar in size to ours. During that time he helped to strengthen and grow the church, including initiating and conducting a building fund drive, building a new building, increasing giving to missions fourfold, and increasing lay involvement in ministry and in worship.

In addition to his leadership track record, B.J. has worked in hospital ministry and seniors’ services and he has experience in youth work, spiritual counseling and mission outreach projects. He is an excellent teacher and musician as well as a person of deep faith, spirituality and integrity.