David Holcomb joined the HOPE Christian Fellowship family in September of 2011 as Lead Pastor. David and Carolyn Holcomb have been married for 18 years, and are the parents to three children: Stevie (5), Naya (3) , and Elijah (2). He was previously serving as the Pastor of Small Groups and Young Adults at Oak Hills Church, in Folsom, California.
David grew up in Mexicali, Mexico where his parents served as missionaries. He attended the University of California, San Diego, graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. It was at UCSD in 1992 that David and Carolyn met at an InterVarsity small group. They were married in August of 1993, two weeks after Carolyn’s last final exam. Though they came from very different backgrounds – Carolyn grew up in Mission Viejo and David in Mexico - they were drawn to each other because of a common passion for missions, and for all the other regular reasons too! After graduation they stayed in San Diego for several years, where David worked in the engineering field while Carolyn waited to be accepted into nursing school.
In June of 1995, David was given an opportunity to serve as Pastor of Student Ministries at Oak Hills Church, so David, Carolyn and their dog Jamie moved to Folsom, a suburb east of Sacramento. David served as the Pastor of Student Ministries there until 2001, during which time Carolyn finished nursing school and worked as a pediatric ICU nurse. During that time David and Carolyn’s desire to serve overseas as missionaries remained, and finally, in 2001, they felt God telling them it was time to go. In the summer of 2001 they moved to Albania to serve as church planting missionaries with Pioneers International. David and Carolyn served three years ministering to the Muslim communities of Eastern Albania and Kosovo. David was on a church planting team that determined and implemented strategies for church planting, leadership development, evangelism, and discipleship of Albanian nationals. He learned the Albanian language, taught and preached in the church plant, was active in personal evangelism, and networked with other ministries, missionaries, and churches for overall impact in Kosovo.
In 2004, David and Carolyn felt God leading them to return to the States. Back in the Folsom area, Carolyn returned to pediatric nursing and David worked as a substitute teacher while waiting on God regarding next steps in ministry. During that time they were able to adopt their first child, Stevie. In June of 2005, Oak Hills Church invited David to join the staff as Pastor of Small Groups and Young Adults. David rejoined the staff there, where he has been serving for the past six years. During this time, he earned his Masters of Divinity degree from Bethel Seminary. At the end of 2005 Carolyn left nursing to stay at home. In 2007, they adopted their daughter Naya, and then a few months later their youngest son, Elijah. Carolyn has been active in the Sac-County Foster Care system, and the Holcombs have hosted a number foster children.
As a member of the senior leadership team at Oak Hills Church, David helped determine the overall ministry philosophy, strategy, direction and emphasis for the church. He was responsible for overseeing 25 small groups, pastoring the group leaders, developing curriculum, starting new small groups, establishing systems for assimilation of new visitors into small groups, and implementing strategic plans for increasing the value of community in the church. David was also responsible for integrating young adults into the life of the church, and working with other staff to develop strategies and systems for creating age diversity in their ministries. He has mentored and developed young leaders in a variety of ministries within the church. He has partnered with the senior pastors at Oak Hills Church to implement church wide strategies and curriculum for spiritual formation and evangelism. As a member of the worship planning team, David assisted in developing the overall theology of worship and in planning the weekly worship services. He was also a part of the Oak Hills preaching team, and his preaching and teaching ministry was affirmed by both leadership and the larger Oak Hills family.
David believes God has shaped him for and called him to pastoral ministry, and this calling has been affirmed by his spiritual leaders and those he has served alike. David is described as “a pastor through and through”, “a shepherd at heart”, and someone who “loves his family, loves the church and loves Jesus”. He is seen by those who know him as a man of integrity and exemplary character “who has pursued his formation into Christ-likeness with great passion and intentionality.”
David is considered exceptional in his ability to relate easily to people of diverse ages, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. He has shown himself to be a strong team builder, a visionary and a strategic thinker whose leadership gifts have been evident. David’s heart for mission and outreach, along with his passion for discipleship are among the many assets he brings to ministry.
