Pastoral Staff

RICK DARDEN

lead pastor

Rick has lived in the North Orange County area since he was 10 years old. He graduated from CSU Long Beach with a degree in biology and Azusa Pacific University with a Master's Degree in Divinity. He has served as a Pastor since 1990. He has a heart for the Kingdom of God and he believes, God has called his family to the ministry. Rick is married to Lani and they have three boys, Micah, Caleb, and Joshua. As a family they love God's people and the opportunity to serve them, it is then with great excitement and a humbling sense of responsibility that they shepherd Friends Community Church, Brea.

FUN FACT: When Rick was a kid, he wanted to work at a fish hatchery.

CHRIS GRATTAN

Associate Pastor

Chris and his wife Barbara have adult twin girls, Christina and Catherine. They have lived in Brea since 2002. Chris has been involved in ministry since he graduated from Faith Tech International Bible School in 1997. Chris previously served in ministry with Christian Services for the Blind, Church of the Good Shepherd, and Cornerstone UMC.

FUN FACT: When Chris was a kid he wanted to be a pro football player.

Jonathan Hamrick

pastor

Worship & Creative Arts

Jonathan was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. He lives in Southern California with his amazing wife, Katie. Jonathan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Oklahoma Baptist University and a Master’s Degree in Film Scoring from the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program in Seattle. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. In addition to being a worship leader, Jonathan is a songwriter, recording artist, and film composer. Jonathan joined the staff of Friends Community Church in 2020 and loves pursuing the presence of God through worship.

FUN FACT: Jonathan spends much of his free time searching for authentic, New Mexico Green Chile.

Eddy Vera

pastor

Missions & Young Adults

Eddy and his wife Amanda live in Brea and enjoy having people over to their home. He completed his B.A. at Hope International University with a double major in Intercultural Studies and Business Administration, and is currently in his final year at Talbot Theological Seminary receiving an M.A. in Philosophy. Eddy is a fan of sports, food, and board games.

FUN FACT: Eddy has never had a cup of coffee in his life.

RICK ELLIS

pastor

High School Ministry

Rick and his wife, Monica, have been married since 1982. They have two daughters. Amanda lives in Oklahoma and is married to Jonny. They had their first child in March, 2013. Becky is their youngest. Rick has been involved in youth ministry for many years, working for various Friends Churches including a stint at Quaker Meadow Christian Camp. Rick also works full time as the Regional Director for an upscale grocery chain. Rick graduated from Azusa Pacific University with an M.A. in Christian Education with an emphasis in youth ministry. He loves Jesus and His Church with a deep desire to serve others and to demonstrate how to live like Christ.

FUN FACT: Rick would love to hike to the top of Mt. Everest... or at least to Base Camp.

Travis Morrill

Pastor

Online Ministry & Operations

Travis has attended Friends Community Church since he was in third grade. He has a BA in Communication: Cinema Arts from Vanguard University and an MDiv from Azusa Pacific University seminary. He and his wife, Kaylie, reside locally with their dogs, Millie and Murph. Travis loves talking about God, and anyone is invited to join him in a good-natured and loving theological dialogue any time (no topic is off limits).

FUN FACT: Travis is known as the “fun fact guy” around the office and spends way too much time on Wikipedia.