Pastor Mike and Diane Bradaric, Senior Pastor
Pastor Mike and Diane were both born and raised in San Diego, California. Originally, Mike planned for a career in the military after graduating from the United States Coast Guard Academy. But in 1971, after four years of service, he surrendered to God’s call to pastoral ministry. As Mike relates, “God had been after me for over ten years about surrendering my life to His call. Like Jacob in the Old Testament, I wrestled long and hard against His call. But God always wins. One night, on a ship bound for Viet Nam, I got on my knees and surrendered my plans and my ways to His will and answered His call to full time ministry. It has been over 50 years since that night of surrender and I have never been sorry for the decision to follow Him.” Before coming to Lincoln Hills, Pastor Mike and Diane served churches in Cerritos, Burbank, and Anaheim, CA. Mike has also served as an Adjunct Professor in Preaching and Pastoral Ministries at Biola University and the Regional Minister for North American Baptist Churches in Southern California. Besides the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Mike is a graduate of Biola University from which he holds Master of Theology and Doctor of Ministry Degrees. Diane is a graduate of San Diego State University and UCLA, from which she holds a Master of Nursing Degree. Pastor Mike and Diane have been married for over 50 years.
Pastor Jody and Tricia Shorkey, Associate Pastor
Pastor Jody joined our staff as our Associate Pastor on January 1, 2020. His main focus is on pastoral care and helping members of our church family experience purposeful ministry opportunities and meaningful relationships in our church.
Prior to coming to Lincoln Community Church, Jody was pastor of the First Southern Baptist Church of Wheatland, CA. Prior to that time, he pastored the First Baptist Church of Lincoln. He is also a licensed funeral director and has worked with the Chapel of the Valley Funeral Home of Roseville for many years. Jody and his wife Tricia were raised in Orange County of Southern California and unknowingly, were members of a Baptist Church just a mile away from Pastor Mike’s previous church in Anaheim, CA.
Jody and his family have been residents of Lincoln for the past twenty two years. After moving here, Jody began serving as a Deacon in his local church and within a short time sensed God’s calling to ministry. Soon thereafter he was ordained and began serving as the pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Yuba City. Tricia had worked as a school clerk in the Western Placer County Unified School District and before her retirement, had worked at Lincoln Crossings Elementary School. Jody and Tricia have three grown children and two grandchildren, all living in the Lincoln area.
During their twenty plus years in Lincoln, Jody has been active in various Christmas food drives, youth organizations, Gideons International, and other community activities. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Counseling and Psychology as well as Biblical Theology from William Jessup University. Jody also holds a Masters Degree in Theological Studies at Liberty University.
We praise God for bringing Pastor Jody and his lovely wife Tricia into our church family.
J.R. and Carol Griggs, Worship Pastor
Pastor J.R. serves as our worship pastor at Lincoln Community Church. His enthusiasm for serving God and leading the LCC family in worship through music comes out clearly during our Sunday morning worship services. J.R. and his wife Carol previously served as Associate Pastor before moving to Arizona in 2018. But God had other plans for J.R. and he and Carol felt the tug to be back near their family in California.
J.R. and Carol have been married over 55 years and live in Citrus Heights.
We are delighted to have J.R. and Carol back with us at Lincoln Community Church!
Steve and Michelle Montoya, Facilities Manager
Steve Montoya has served in the Public School System for 32 years providing support in building and grounds maintenance and custodial services. The last four of those 32 years He was the Director of Facilities, Maintenance, Operations and Transportation for a school district in the foothills of El Dorado County. In that role he provided the support to those in various leadership positions as well as supporting volunteers, who were there to serve in their community at various facilities within the District.
Throughout those years of service he came to realize that leadership is truly servanthood, both in the public setting and more importantly within the body of Christ. Steve believes that our service to God, requires our hearts, our commitment, and an unwavering devotion to His Glory alone. Steve considers it an honor to serve God’s people as the Facilities Manager viewing himself as a steward of a place where God’s people have invested and continue to yield their lives to His service and worship.
Steve and his wife Michelle live in Woodland.
“It is always amazing to see God’s people gather together to serve Him with their whole heart. It is my privilege to join together with such people here at Lincoln Community Church, who have devoted themselves to one another for the glory of God.”
Serving the Lord with gladness,
Steve Montoya
Jim and Denise Brown, Office Administrator / Organist
Jim Brown serves as our Office Administrator, as well as our Organist. So, you might say that he wears two hats around Lincoln Community Church! Jim was born in Torrance, CA. His family moved to Roseville, CA when he was very young and attended schools throughout the Roseville City, and High School District. He graduated from Roseville High School in 1974. His parents were both musical with his father being a trained tenor soloist. His mother also served as an organist and pianist in several churches over the years. Along with his music, Jim was also fascinated with cars and heavy equipment and had intended to pursue a vocational career as either a mechanic or machinist. Following graduation from high school, Jim attended American River College with the intent of obtaining a degree in heavy equipment mechanics.
With the Vietnam War winding down and military veterans returning to the classrooms on their GI bills, finding the classes that he needed proved to be quite challenging. As a result of this, as well as he and Denise making plans to be married, Jim decided that he needed to go in another direction. He soon found that direction when by chance he saw a job opening for the City of Roseville. He successfully passed the written and oral entrance exams and was hired by the City in October 1976.
His love for the organ was instilled in him by his mother and Jim would often listen to her play as she practiced her music for church services. He also listened to records that were recorded by a well-known theater organist for hours at a time. In fact, he literally wore out the records from playing them so much! It was while on his choir class field trip to the Bay Area during his senior year in high school, and a stop at a well-known pizza parlor in San Lorenzo that forever changed his life. This pizza parlor featured a mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ that was installed in the dining area of the restaurant. Seeing and hearing this organ transformed him from just enjoying listening to organ music to also wanting to play them. With the help of some caring professional organists he knew, and some great music teachers who mentored him, Jim began studying the organ in early 1974. His music career took off in December, 1975 when he was hired as one of the organists to play at Big Top Pizza in Carmichael, CA. His first church organist position began in 1981 at Sunrise Community Church, in Fair Oaks, CA. In 1992, he began playing at Arcade Church, in Sacramento, and in 1997 he began playing at Centerpoint Church, in Roseville, CA until December, 2005.
Jim decided to retire from the City of Roseville in December, 2005 to take advantage of a new job opportunity in Spokane, WA. In January 2006 he became a school bus driver for the Mead School District. Jim soon found himself assisting with some office work at the transportation building and was soon elected to the executive board with the local 1135 MT driver’s union. While on the board; Jim served as treasurer, vice president, and secretary.
During the eleven years that they lived in Spokane, Jim also served as organist in several churches around that area. His last organist position was at Opportunity Presbyterian Church, in Spokane Valley.
Jim and his family decided it was time to return to California. And in November 2016 they moved back to Lincoln to be available to minister where they both grew up. In January, 2017, God led them to Lincoln Community Church where he became organist in March 2017, and Office Administrator in July 2017.
“We are so thankful to God for leading us to Lincoln Community Church when He did and being a part of this wonderful church family!”
Jim and his wife Denise have one daughter, and they currently live in Auburn.