Calvary Chapel Lake Arrowhead | "To Know Christ and Make Him Known"

Pastor Tom is happily married to Sandi, an amazingly gifted teacher and a co-laborer in ministry. God has blessed them with four wonderful children: Christina, Dominic, Breanna and Chelsie. Praise God, all four children have a personal relationship with Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Dominic is a youth pastor and worship leader at Reality ministries in Carpentaria, California.

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Dominic and his wife recently made Tom and Sandi first-time grandparents. Christina manages a Starbucks in San Diego and the youngest two, Breanna and Chelsie, are focused on finishing school, while periodically embarking on missions trips. Pastor Tom has been in Lake Arrowhead since August of 2001 and involved with Calvary Chapels since 1972.

Born and mostly raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Pastor Tom was brought up in what he thought was a normal Italian-American family. Gambling, alcohol, arguments and fighting were all part of his family heritage, along with the Roman Catholic religion. In his senior year of high school his father became very ill, so the family packed their bags and moved to California -- San Gabriel that is. Tom simply transferred his life of confusion he led in Cleveland to a mirror life in San Gabriel. His young life was filled with partying to no fulfillment, violence with no control, athletic participation with no achievements, academic advancements with no contentment. Following in his family's footsteps, Tom emulated their drinking, use of drugs, and choosing the wrong relationships. His life had, frankly, become a disaster and disappointment, even to himself.

Through the grace of God, as Tom continued his freewheeling lifestyle in California, he found where ever he turned there were three particular Christians that continually crossed his path. These Christians explained to Tom that he needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and not just a religious relationship if he wanted to find true peace. Tom brushed these do-gooders aside until God threw a lightening bolt in his life. At a big party some 500 people in East Los Angeles, one of Pastor Tom’s friends was stabbed and beaten nearly to death. Tom then chose to separate himself from everyone, spiraling into a deep depression.

During this dark time, Tom remembered those Christian friends and a pastor who spoke about the forgiveness found in a relationship with Jesus. In his despair, Tom finally became open to the voice of God. Tom made a decision to repent and ask Jesus Christ to be his Lord and Savior in February of 1972. The changes Jesus made in Tom’s life were immediate and dramatic: a young punk that hardly went to school was now a straight “A” student, a person addicted to drugs and alcohol was completely clean and freed from his bondage, a heart mired in depression was replaced with a heart of true joy. The outward changes were testimony of Tom’s new found love for God. This supernatural love led him to share the Gospel of Christ wherever he went, and quickly put him in ministry at Blair High School in Pasadena. God’s love soon led Tom to his first Calvary Chapel, Big Calvary – commonly known as The Tent – Calvary, Costa Mesa.

The moment that Tom walked into that tent he knew he was home -- the love of the Lord was beyond description. Pastor Chuck taught the Word of God in his relaxed style and Tom treasured it in his heart. From 1972 to 1976, Tom had the privilege of learning under “Papa Chuck.” Tom loved learning the Word in this way and figured he would continue at Calvary Costa Mesa forever -- but God had other plans.

During this exciting period, one of Tom’s pastors encouraged him to “check out” a certain karate studio in the area. Tom did, and from 1975 to 1978 he watched an amazing miracle: God took that small group of kung fu students and turned it into a church of thousands upon thousands of people. Pastor Raul Ries discipled and mentored Tom in the ways of the Lord as Tom went out and developed his God-given gifts. Tom attended college at Azusa Pacific, Western Bible College and Masters College, all while working in the grocery industry as a manager. Tom was honored to always be serving in some capacity at a Calvary church. With the encouragement and blessing of Pastor Raul, Tom then moved to Calvary Walnut to serve under Hal Brown.

Tom grew in his faith and responsibilities as he followed God’s lead. In 1983 Pastor Tom was tremendously blessed by being part of Calvary Chapel, Palm Springs. Immediately the love and deep commitment of Pastor Chuck Wooley and his church was apparent, as was the depth of teaching God’s Word. After a short while there the assistant pastor asked Tom to come on staff in a full-time position. After serving several years in Palm Springs, Pastor Tom was sent out to plant a Calvary in Palm Desert and then God called him to Santee to be a Senior Pastor. Then in 2001 he was asked to shepherd yet another group of precious sheep in Lake Arrowhead, California.

The church has grown in amazing ways since Pastor Tom and Sandi arrived, and the body is proud to have them as leaders. The Calvary family and friends focus on gathering together to expositionally and exegetically go through the Word. If you were to stop by, you would see him faithfully attending to God’s work: prayer meetings, counseling, cleaning the facilities or simply loving on the sheep through the Good Shepherd – Jesus Christ. Pastor Tom says: “We’re in this together, we’re all important, it is not all about ‘the Pastor’ it is all about Jesus.”

We can all be leaders as we simply fulfill the great commission in Mt 28 and I Cor. 12 by walking the talk and letting God be God.