Our Leadership

Daren Pitcher

District Superintendent

Rev. Daren Pitcher has served in multiple roles on the Central Cal District; initially as a youth pastor, then as a pastor, and on April 19, 2024, Daren was elected Central Cal District Superintendent. He and his wife, Amy grew up in the Pismo Beach area. Daren preached his first sermon and felt his initial call to ministry on a mission trip to Mexico as a teenager and ministries in Hispanic contexts have remained close to his heart. Daren also taught middle school in Boyle Heights.

After graduating from Point Loma Nazarene University, Daren served as a youth pastor in Southern California, the Central Coast, and the Central Valley. Daren’s first pastorate was the planting of a new church in Rancho San Diego followed by fruitful pastorates in Bakersfield and Los Osos (near Morro Bay).

Amy graduated from Azusa Pacific with a degree in Biblical Studies, served on staff in children and youth ministries, and has enjoyed a number of years as a teacher and administrator in Christian Education. She currently teaches Bible at Bakersfield Christian High School.Daren and Amy have two sons, Dawson (a graduate of PLNU) and Noah (a graduate of Cal Poly, SLO). Daren loves to surf and has many years of experience coaching volleyball and golf.

Julie Cheney

District Secretary

Rev. Dr. Julie Cheney currently serves as the Lead Pastor of the Tulare Church of the Nazarene. In ministry since 1997, she has also served the church as Worship Pastor, Associate Pastor and Executive Pastor, and brings expertise in leadership and organizational strategy as well. More importantly, she holds a deep desire to engage people in living lives transformed by Jesus Christ.

In addition to being an ordained Nazarene minister, Julie earned her BA at Fresno Pacific University, her Master’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University, and her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Columbia International University. She presently serves as the District Secretary of the Central California District since 2021, Chairperson of the USA/Canada Nazarene Women Clergy Council, member of the District Advisory Board and District Ministerial Credentials Board for Central California, adjunct professor for Olivet Nazarene University, and lead developer of the Transformational Leadership course of study.

Julie has been happily married to her husband, Jim, since 1984. Together they have raised two sons, who are living their best lives following God and raising families of their own. Julie enjoys reading and playing the piano when time allows. In their spare time, Julie and Jim enjoy all kinds of travel.

Mike Smee

District Youth Director (NYI)

Martha Lundquist

District Missions Director (NMI)

Martha has been married to Dale since 1974 and they have two children and five grandchildren. They enjoy watching their grandchildren participating on the worship team, playing football and baseball. They work on the almond and walnut farm together, travel together and enjoy being neighbors.

Jesse Strutz

District Children's Ministry Director

Jesse has been married to his wife, Sarah, for almost four years. They just had their first son in November of 2023. As a family, they have enjoyed the valley as they love the sun and being outside. Jesse loves to drink coffee and golf, so if you enjoy either of those be sure to let him know.

Moises Amador

District Hispanic Ministries Coordinator

Moises was born and raised in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he met and married his wife, Kari, who currently works as a fourth-grade teacher. Moises also completed his studies in Public Accounting, further enriching his professional and ministerial preparation. The couple has been married for 21 years and has two children: Caleb (19) and Lidia (17), along with two energetic dogs that keep the family active. 

The Amador family has lived in Bakersfield since 2008 and considers it a blessing to minister to the Hispanic community.

Debie Songer

District Ministerial Studies Director

Rev. Debie Songer has always loved Kingdom work, growing up in the church, as was evidenced through her teaching God’s word in Sunday School as a High School Student, when her grandmother sent her a card with Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” She continued on, spending most of her life teaching God’s word to every age group through many different traditional as well as creative means.

She earned a BA in Communicative Arts from Point Loma Nazarene University and her teaching credential and an M.A. from Cal State Bakersfield. Debie then taught in private and public schools for 20 years, while serving with her husband, all the while she couldn’t get away a sense of calling and the desire to serve Christ and His church.

After accepting the fact that she was called to ministry, realizing it was alright for a pastor’s spouse to respond to the call, she came to love and appreciate our church more deeply during her studies toward ordination. Through her theology courses, she became more deeply aware that Wesleyan Holiness Theology brought the entire Word of God into alignment as the truth which points humanity toward life with Jesus Christ and truly impassioned the desire she had since high school for others to enter the kingdom of God.

Debie still has a deep desire that “none be lost” and to assist our ministers in becoming well prepared to serve effectively in the work of the Kingdom of God.

Daniel Deida

Hispanic Ministerial Studies Coordinator

Rev. Dr. Daniel Deida has served on the district board of Ministerial Studies, the Credentials board, and as Hispanic District Education Coordinator. He desires to motivate, inspire, and advise in the decision making that may impact the district’s future. He is a graduate of Southern Nazarene University with a master’s in ministry and of Nazarene Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity. He has also obtained a Doctor’s in Theology.

Daniel has devoted his life to God in serving as pastor/teacher in the Church of the Nazarene for over 40 years. Currently mentoring and coaching new pastors in the CCD for awareness in holiness and to bring edification. His early pastorates included churches in Texas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Daniel, also served for 3 years at South Central Ohio as District Hispanic director for Course of Studies. In the present time Dr. Deida pastors the church in Sanger.

Daniel and his wife, Maria, have five adult children and thirteen grandchildren. He enjoys creating Comic Bible Stories and playing board games.