Following Jesus we connect, care, grow and serve
Values that Shape Us
Worship & Prayer Saturated: We acknowledge the sovereignty of God in every moment of life and look to God alone for purpose, wisdom, and guidance. We believe in the power of prayer to bring change, healing and new life in Christ. Worship is not limited to the kinds of things we do when gathered together, but our very lives are an act of worship as we seek to glorify Christ in all things!
Biblically Grounded: We love God’s Word and want every child, youth, and adult to have an opportunity to respond to the gospel in order to become a flourishing disciple of Jesus Christ. We strive to be a community who celebrates God’s faithfulness by telling the stories and teaching the theology of our Biblical, Christian, and Reformed heritage.
Disciple Making: Covenant partners seek to personally grow in Christ, receive mentoring, intentionally spur one another on in love and good works, and invest in the next generation of Christ followers.
Community Focused: At the heart of the church and its calling is the commandment of Christ to love the Lord with all our hearts and all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are a church where together people of every generation experience Christ-centered community and transformation through life in Christ.
Missional Living: We strive to be ambassadors for Christ, emulating Jesus in every situation and relationship where we live, work, and play. We want to use our unique gifts and resources to participate in God’s redemptive purposes both locally and globally.
Our Story
We are a congregation who seek to love and glorify God the Father, Maker of Heaven and Earth, to affirm the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s only divine Son, our Lord, and to acknowledge the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We covenant together to follow Jesus as we connect in Christian community and engage in the mission of God here in Santa Barbara county and to the ends of the earth.
The church’s roots date back to 1870, when a few families held Sunday School and services at Montecito Union School. Officially organized in 1887 with 25 charter members, the congregation built its first church in 1888, replaced by a new sanctuary in 1932 during the Great Depression. Over the years, the church expanded its facilities to support growing ministries, including a Christian Education Building (1957), a Parish Hall, classrooms, and a remodeled sanctuary completed in the late 1990s, designed in a cruciform style to reflect the cross.
leadership team
Rev. Tom Haugen Ph.D.
Pastor
Pastor – Rev. Tom Haugen Ph.D.
At the age of eighteen, under the starry, summer sky of North Carolina, at a Young Life camp called Windy Gap, I put my trust in Jesus Christ. I am a graduate of the University of Georgia (BA, Speech Communications,1994), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (MDiv, 1999), the University of Edinburgh (ThM, Homiletics, 2000), and Middlesex University (PhD, Homiletics, 2022). My introduction to ministry began with Young Life both as a volunteer and then with a full-time church partnership. My wife and I have served at churches in Zurich (Switzerland), Atlanta, and Boston’s North Shore. I met my wife, Lauri, while we were studying at Gordon-Conwell. She also has a MDiv and currently serves as the Assistant Pastor to Families right here at El Montecito Presbyterian Church. I am blessed to have a wife who shares a love for ministry! We have three amazingly, awesome daughters: Melia, Annie, and Jocelyn.
From 2013-2019 I served as the Chaplain of Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. I have a PhD in homiletics through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and The London School of Theology. I am passionate about relational ministry, pastoring and teaching God’s Word in a way that connects biblical truth to people’s lives.
It is a joy and privilege serving the Lord at El Montecito Presbyterian Church as we continue the rich heritage of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, teaching God’s Word, and serving the needs of the local and global community.
Rev. Lauri Haugen
Assistant Pastor to Families
Assistant Pastor to Families – Rev. Lauri Haugen
As a student at Westmont College, I would never have dreamed God would bring me back to beautiful Montecito to serve at El Montecito Presbyterian Church. It’s truly a joy to be here, and I look forward to meeting you and growing together in Christ. I’ve been involved in ministry among kids, youth, and college age students for 20+ years as a teacher, youth pastor, family pastor, and adjunct lecturer at Gordon College.
I completed my Master of Divinity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and served at churches in Seattle, Atlanta, Boston’s North Shore, and Zurich, Switzerland. I also hold a California multiple subject teaching credential and ordination with ECO (A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians). It is my hope and prayer that children, youth, and families encounter Christ personally, grow in Christ, connect and engage in the life of the local church, and live out faith in their communities and beyond!
Mary Hurt
Worship Director
Worship Director – Mary Hurt
Mary is excited to join the team at Elmo! She has extensive experience teaching music, leading worship, and playing and singing professionally in the Santa Barbara area. A graduate of Westmont (2006), one of the joys of her life was being the Preschool through 6th grade music teacher for El Montecito School (now Providence) for 10 years.
She has a heart for inter generational worship and pursuing biblically grounded music to aid in that goal. She is happily married to Taylor, and they have Ella (6), Thaddeus (4.5), Benjamin (2) and a new baby due in February.
Brad Catron
Facilities Manager
Brad Catron
Facilities Manager
Brad was born in Indiana, attended Indiana University, moved to The Bay Area in 1987, started a licensed painting contracting business which turned into 20 plus employees for 30 years, and utilized those resources to start flipping homes in the Orinda, CA area.
He has 3 grown, happy children, enjoys, the beach, fly fishing, cooking, golf, snow skiing, and his motorcycles. Coached 22 youth sports teams, Scout Master for 7 years with his boys, and involved with many volunteer services. He is very professional and takes time to do things right the first time, and has learned that patience is often the key to his success. Brad moved to Montecito in 2020, what he says was “a calling” to serve God in paradise under his guidance, has fallen in love with the area, and looking forward to be at service to the entire congregation.
Ashley Olsen
Office Administrator
Ashley Olsen
Office Administrator
Ashley Olsen serves as the Office Administrator at El Montecito Presbyterian Church. With a background in business operations and administrative support in higher education, Ashley brings organization, care, and creativity to the daily life of the church office. She enjoys helping things run smoothly so ministry can flourish.