Rev. Erika O. Gara
Lead Minister
Rev. Erika Gara is the lead/teaching pastor of Hope United Methodist Church. Gara a native Californian, grew up in Lancaster and Huntington Beach. She previously served as Associate Pastor at Garden Grove UMC and as Senior Pastor at St. Paul’s UMC, in Redondo Beach. Rev. Erika received her B.A. in Religious Studies from California State University, Long Beach in 1995. Her theological education took her to the East Coast, where in 1998 she received her Master of Divinity degree from Boston University School of Theology. At Boston University, she received awards for her contribution to community life and for excellence in liturgy and Bible. Rev. Erika’s passions and gifts for ministry are in worship and preaching, Christian Education, caring for the poor, people with HIV/AIDS, and Emergent movement. Rev. Erika was recently named a Lewis Fellow in Church Leadership out of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C. Rev. Erika is most excited about finding ways that faith and everyday life intersect. She currently serves as the Spiritual Leader for Strength for the Journey, Long Beach/Orange County, a spiritual retreat for persons with HIV/AIDS.
Rev. Erika is married to Joel, an elementary school teacher in Redondo Beach. Joel and Rev. Erika have a dog, named Sophie. Joel is an outdoor photographer, musician, and athlete when not teaching. Joel is a big fan of the Angels and loves soccer. His mom was a minister and his dad is the Annual Conference Treasurer. Joel and Rev. Erika have a daughter named Kat. Rev. Erika is an avid baseball fan, loves to read, cook, and laugh. She especially enjoys popular culture. ESPN and the Food Network are her top two favorite channels. She loves the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Good Eats with Alton Brown. And, there are plenty of different styles of music shuffling on her ipod.
