What are “overseers” of the church?

We believe according to scripture that “elders/pastors/overseers are charged with general oversight, direction, and teaching of the Word of God in the local assembly” - D.A. Carson

What are the functions of the overseers?

Practitioner of the marks (preaching, administering the ordinances)

Teaching

Meet with staff

Be disciplined and stick to a workable schedule

Graze - feed the flock

Guide - direct, model, equip, and keep the flock

Guard – from false teachers and false teaching

The 4 P’s – preaching, prayer, personal discipleship relationships, and patience

- Mark Dever (Deliberate Church)

 
 

Who are our Overseers?

KENNY DODD

SENIOR PASTOR | OVERSEER

  • I became a Christian at age 15 when I heard for the first time that God loved me personally and sent His Son, Jesus to pay the penalty for sin. I spent a year in San Diego after college and got involved at Clairemont Emmanuel where I met and married

    Cathy in ‘79.After completing seminary, we moved back to Wheaton, IL and I

    was an intern at College Church there, and taught part-time in the Christian Education department at Wheaton and in the Philosophy & Religion department at College of DuPage.

    I was ordained at College Church of Wheaton in 1983, left for France in 1984, serving for 10 years at the European Bible Institute (as pro- fessor and Dean of Students. All of our children were born in France (Patrick, Jordan, Laura, Graham).

    We returned to the U.S in June 1994 and began working as Claire- mont Emmanuel’s Associate Pastor, then voted in as Senior Pastor in 2002.

NATHAN ROBINSON

WORSHIP/MISSIONS PASTOR | OVERSEER

  • Nathan grew up as a missionary kid whose parents were sent out from Clairemont Emmanuel to Papua New Guinea in 1980. After graduating high school on the mission field in 1995 he returned to the U.S. and continued to make Clairemont Emmanuel his home church.

    Nathan began serving as a volunteer every week in music ministry beginning in 1997. During this time, he attended Point Loma Nazarene University as a music major and his weekly ministry gradually turned into a staff position as Worship Arts Pastor in 2004.

    In 2014 Nathan took on the additional position of Missions Pastor. He has been serving as an overseer since 2007. Nathan and his wife Kendra were married in 1999 and currently have three children in high school and college.

John Kirk

LAY OVERSEER

  • I was raised in the Roman Catholic church, but sought a more intimate relationship with the Lord while in
    college and law school. I accepted Christ as his personal Savior in 1989. Met my wife Lisa at a Christian retreat; and we married in 1993. Our life has been blessed by the addition of their four (now adult) children: Justin, Wesley (Karie), Zachary and Cassidy.

    We began attending Clairemont Emmanuel in 1993 while engaged, and we immediately became involved in the young married class (Heritage Builders).  My service at Clairemont Emmanuel over the years has included Board service as both a Deacon and Overseer, as a Small Group leader, and in Men’s Ministry. I am currently in charge of our Sunday morning Coffee Ministry, and together we host and lead a home fellowship group.

DAVID WARREN

LAY OVERSEER

  • As a middle-schooler, I came to the conclusion that the Bible was true. On that foundation, God guided me to submission and new life in Him. Praise God!My family and I love Clairemont Emmanuel! You’ll

    see me on Sunday morning with my wife Shannon, daughters Hannah, Lily, Faith, and my mother-in-law, Joy.

ZACH BOYER

YOUTH PASTOR | OVERSEER

  • Born and raised in Battle Creek, MI. I became a Christian when I was five years old, fully under- standing my need for a Savior, and Christ’s amazing sacrifice for my soul. I was committed and gave many sermons after church from the back seat while driving home from church. I studied at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, majoring in Bible and Communication.

    Sydney and I met at Kanakuk Institute and were married in December 2013. We moved out to San Diego to work at CEBC May 2014. We both love working with youth, the growth of students, and love to further the kingdom of God at Clairemont Emmanuel. Our family has grown to include Everette, Mabel, and now Jonny.

THOMAS NELSON

LAY OVERSEER

  • I became a Christian in college when I made my faith in Jesus personal and public after having been raised in the church. After graduating from law school, I started attending Clairemont Emmanuel in 1985. I met my wife Sumi here, and we were married in 1991. When Sumi and I and our three children, Carissa, Ben and Luke moved up to North County, we started attending church in that area.

    But after an invitation from Pastor Kenny to revisit Clairemont Emmanuel about six years ago, we have been attending here ever since. Sumi and I are involved in leadership for Young Life at Mission Bay High School through Clairemont Emmanuel, and I have taught a men’s Bible Study for the past ten years.

AARON PASSMORE

COMMUNITY LIFE PASTOR, OVERSEER

  • I have been connected to Clairemont Emmanuel since birth, and a member since 2003. I came to know the Lord as my personal Lord and Savior at a young age, but came to a clearer fuller understanding later in High School and College.

       After graduating from John Brown University in Arkansas, I moved to San Diego to work with Spectrum Ministries. During that time I met my wife Christine here at Clairemont Emmanuel. We served both before and after marriage on the youth staff.  We have two kids, Zeke and Damari.

      In 2014, we were sent out as missionaries from Clairemont Emmanuel to Ecuador. We served there for ten years and returned in 2024 to take on a role as Community Life Pastor here at Clairemont Emmanuel.  I started that role on September 1, 2024.

BROOKS BUSER

LAY OVERSEER

  • I have been a member of CEBC for 22 years. By God’s grace, I came to salvation at a young age, but came to a clearer fuller understanding later in High School and College. I attended San Diego Christian College where I met my wife Nina, and

    married upon graduation, celebrating 26 years this year. Our son Beau is finishing his MBA and working. In the early years of our marriage, through our time in the Word, we felt called to missions and confirmed through the church elders here - left for Papua New Guinea in 2003, living among the Yembiyembi people for 13 years. By God’s grace, we became fluent in the language, devel- oped an alphabet, taught the Yembiyembi to read and write, trans- lated the scriptures, and saw the Yembiyembi church born and brought to maturity. In 2016, we returned to the U.S. and rejoined CEBC where we have been attending and serving since. In 2017 I was asked to be the President of Radius International and now lead our four campuses around the world.

KERRY DANIELS

LAY OVERSEER

  • I grew up in Texas and first accepted Christ as my Savior at age 14. My faith was deepened at a Christian high school where I went on two short-term mission trips to Costa Rica and Honduras. After graduation, I joined what I saw as the “mission field” of the U.S. Marines. I began attending Clairemont Emmanuel shortly after being stationed here in 1998, under Pastor Jim Smith.

      The Clairemont Emmanuel family is what kept me here after leaving active duty - not to mention meeting my wife Rachel. Now, along with our four kids, we very much consider Emmanuel our extended family. I attended UCSD for engineering and business which led to my day job - typically some form of biotech program management, but my constant and favorite job is being a husband and father.

      In the off-hours, we seek to serve our church family in whatever capacity God calls us to. I started in music ministry shortly after I joined, and together Rachel and I have served in children’s ministry since our dating years. More recently we helped launch the Re|Engage marriage ministry. We love our church family and look forward to watching God continue the awesome work He’s been doing in this church and our community.