Staff

Lead Pastor
Pat Stark
p.stark@genesis-church.com

Pat has been married to his wife Karen for 21 years and has three kids: Josh-17, Sarah-14 and Ben-11. He has been the Lead Pastor at Genesis since March 2003, when God gave him the vision to "plant" Genesis out of Paradise Valley Community Church. Pat is passionate about people coming to know and follow Jesus, and loves the relationship that God has given him with those who are unconvinced about Jesus and the Church. He is a lively communicator and enjoys speaking about what it means to live in the way of Jesus.

After graduating from the academic powerhouse, Washington State University, he went on to earn a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Seattle Pacific University, and finished his Masters of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary. Pat has been in full time vocational ministry since 1988 and has served in three churches including Genesis.

Though Western Washington is where he is from, Arizona has become his home state after living here for over 14 years. Pat loves to date his wife, hang out with his kids by the pool, and get pulled behind a boat. As a U2 fan since 1982, the "Joshua Tree" album and the song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" impacted Pat in a big way as it punctuated the mindset of the unchurched people he enjoyed talking with. You can find Pat most days in his local Starbucks sipping on a French press or an Americano (with room please) prepping a message, answering email or chatting with his Sbux family.

Pastor of Children and Families
Carrie Stephens
c.stephens@genesis-church.com

Carrie and her husband, Alan, have been married for 22 years and have two kids: Taylor – 17 and Bryan – 14. Carrie and Alan both grew up in the Midwest, but met, married, and have lived in Arizona for the last 25 years. They met on a volleyball court and still love watching the game when their daughter, Taylor, is playing. When not in the gym, they are in the stands of the football field watching Bryan play football. Carrie and family love to be outdoors camping, backpacking, hiking or hanging out in the backyard. They also love to cook—all four of them—and can be pretty creative in the kitchen. Some of Carrie's favorite things to do in her leisure time are getting out with family and friends, laughing and lounging with Alan and the kids, spending time with God at sunrise, and digging in her herb and flower gardens.

Although Carrie is new to Genesis Church, she is not new to Children's Ministry. She has worked the last few years in Christian and charter schools, but before that was the Director of children's ministry in her last church for several years. Prior to serving children, she was the Director of women's ministry. Carrie loves to be in a Bible study with women, children, or small groups. To truly know God and to make Him known is the passion of her heart. God has given Carrie a deep desire to help each person take their next step in a deeper relationship with God—whether it is a baby trusting the arms of a loving servant in the Nursery, a child figuring out for the first time that God is real, or a parent looking for a different approach in Godly parenting. Carrie believes that strong marriages and strong families build strong churches that, in turn, can bring powerful messages of God’s love into the world.

Interim Worship Arts Leader
Tom Jacobs
tomjacobs@cox.net

Administrative Assistant
Kristen Shores
admin@genesis-church.com