Leadership

Pastors & Staff

Keith Jacobson

Lead Pastor

My military father introduced me to the mobile family life.  It has continued for me in ministry.  My family has enjoyed a variety of communities before coming to Carmichael: Eugene and Portland, Oregon; Spokane and Puyallup, Washington; Napa Valley and Redding in Northern California; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Lincoln, Nebraska.

With more than 30 years in ministry, I currently serve as lead pastor at Carmichael where it is my joy to serve with dynamic staff members who have a deep love for Jesus and people.  I look forward to our weekly times for worship, and I thoroughly enjoy the various opportunities to open scripture.

I am blessed with a wonderful wife who has shared so many adventures with me. Kari and I have been married for 29 years, and each year opens a new chapter of exploration rich with memories to be made!  We have two children, Zach and Karissa, who as young adults are exploring their futures, shaping their careers and they still enjoy time at home!

The location of Sacramento matches our love of the outdoors.  Bike rides along the river trail, sailing our Snipe, hiking, camping, snow skiing, and any time at the coast!  It is a real pleasure to live so close to so many natural adventures!

The greatest joy is Jesus-He came to this earth so that we might have a more abundant life.  I am blessed to be sharing this abundant life with family and friends while growing in ministry here at Carmichael.

Benji Ferguson

Student Pastor

I was born in Colorado, but consider myself a native Californian.

I graduated from Pacific Union College in 1999 then spent a year as a Youth Pastor in Orange County, California. I then returned to California in 2012 after spending 12 years at the Minnetonka Church in Minnesota.

I have a passion for student ministries and especially developing student leaders. That is why I pursued an M.A. in Transformational Leadership from Bethel University. I love working with students and especially enjoy seeing new faces come to our church programs. I’m in charge of our Jr.High and High School programs.

I enjoy most sports, including golf, tennis, skiing and surfing. I also enjoy time with my family. My wife Stephanie is my partner in ministry and we are the proud parents of of Dylan, Holly and Liesl and our Goldendoodles Belle and Rey.

Melissa Howell

Family Life Pastor

I was born and raised in Glendale, CA but later went to Phoenix, AZ for High School at Thunderbird Academy. From there, I traveled to Union College, and Andrews University, and picked up my husband Greg along the way, in Greek class of all places.

We have a family of four children: Caleb, Toby, Wyatt and Brooke. Having been a stay-at-home mom for almost a decade, I accepted the position as the family life pastor of the Carmichael SDA Church, in June of 2015 and returned to full-time ministry. I’ve worked as an Academy Dean, a High School Bible teacher and through those experiences I’ve also been able to publish several books geared towards Teens and Young Mothers. I currently hold a BA in Theology from Union College, and an MDiv from Andrews University.

My passion is for the families in our church to grow organically in their love for Jesus, and I am constantly looking for ways to help parents introduce and enrich their childrens’ spiritual journeys. My other passions are cooking, and writing and if you want to check either of those out give me a call, or check out my blog at www.rainydaywritings.com.

Pedro M Trinidad

Discipleship & Outreach Pastor

I like to say I am "Imported from Detroit." My formative spiritual heritage comes from a deeply rooted Christian family. I never thought I would be a pastor until my early twenties through a series of events and circumstances.

Upon graduating from Andrews University in 1998, I was whisked away to the Greater New York Conference to serve as a Bible Worker for two churches. Soon after, I had my first district as pastor. Greater NY was good, but California called. I came to the Sacramento Central church to serve as Youth Pastor. After 2 1/2 years at Central, I went back to Andrews to complete a Masters in Divinity degree.

In 2005, I arrived in Lodi to serve as the pastor of the Lodi & Concord Spanish church district. After redistricting and restructuring, I became the pastor of Concord International SDA Church. Fourteen years later, I have the opportunity to serve as the discipleship and outreach pastor at Carmichael SDA Church.

In addition to the above, I serve in the US Armed Forces as a Chaplain in the US NAVY (Reserves).