Riverbend Community Church welcomes new senior pastor

Ormond Beach Observer
Neighbors

Riverbend Community Church welcomes the “Cowboy Preacher” as their new senior pastor.

This week Scott Menez and his family travelled across the country with one destination in mind: Ormond Beach.

After spending most of their time as church planners in the rural areas of California, Nevada and Oregon, Pastor Menez and his wife, Gina Menez, decided it was finally time to settle down.

“Well we were looking for a church that was a Christ-centered and held to the scripture,” Menez said. “We told the Lord we would go anywhere, and we narrowed our search to four different places: Palm Springs, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Florida. We were actually in the final stages with the church in Wisconsin but Riverbend kept coming up. So we said stepped out in faith and accepted the position.”

For the past 30 years of their faith-based careers, Menez and his wife have

been starting churches and reforming existing ones that have hit a rough patch. His last position was at Grace Bible Church in Hollister, CA, where he spent six years turning them in the right direction after they had undergone some leadership troubles.

“I knew we were only supposed to be there for a period of time,” Menez said. “Then we started to look for a new ministry, and I knew this would be the last one where we stay and retire. The goal has always been to settle down.”

Menez’s theological training came through several schools in California, including The Master’s College in Santa Clarita and the Cornerstone Seminary in Vallejo, where he received a divinity degree in pastoral ministry. He has recently served as a board member and instructor at the Cornerstone Seminary, and has spoken at pastors’ conferences in Russia, India, Mexico and the Philippines. He and his wife have four sons, and three of which are staying on the west coast to attend college.

With his experience being focused on helping churches become more “Christ-centered,” Menez says he’s excited to go to a church that is already very established in that.

“We don’t see a lot of the usual issues in Riverbend,” Menez said. “So we’re excited to get up and run with them. I’m looking forward to working with a developed pastoral staff; men with great discernment. I love working with men like that.

Menez will be the 10th senior pastor in the 59-year history of Riverbend Church. He replaces Dr. Roy Hargrave, who served more than 25 years in that role before resigning for health reasons.

Menez begins in his new role Sept. 20.