Meet our People

Pastor Jaime Torres, Pastor

Pastor Jaime Torres joined us January 14, 2024.  He brings a new energy to our church, starting the service with praise songs on guitar and organ.  In addition to getting acquainted with our church members and traditions, he is looking to establish an Hispanic ministry at Bardsdale, and we are so welcoming this new direction.  He has initiated a Coffee House for youth at Starbucks at 11:00 a.m. on Fridays and participates in our Food Share program.

 

Cristina Ramos, Office Manager

Cristina has been our Office Manager since April 2023, keeping the day-to-day church administrative functions running. A mother of two wonderful boys, she graduated from Oxnard High school.  Her educational background includes a Dental Assistant Certificate from Career Care Institute. She is currently looking to further her education in Theology at Moorpark college.  She is fluent in Spanish. Outside of the office she is committed to the children’s ministry at La Promesa de Jesus and The Walk to Emmaus. Serving God is one of her many passions. She also enjoys exercising, and spending time with family and friends. Cristina is in the office Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.  She will be happy to assist you with any of your church related needs.

 Joy Asenas, Pianist

Joy is our Worship pianist and local piano teach extraordinaire.  She began piano studies at age 5, studying privately with prominent teachers. After high school graduation, she entered California Institute of the Arts, earning a BFA in piano performance.

On graduation from Cal Arts, Joy began private teaching, maintaining an active studio in Fillmore and Camarillo.  She taught formally at the Thatcher school, where students participated in recitals and other performance opportunities.

Joy is a member of the Music Teacher’s Association of California, holding offices in the past of president, secretary, treasurer, and chairing various local festivals. She has also participated in the Piano Guild and National Federation of Music Teachers.

Joy has adjudicated many festivals for students such as the Certificate of Merit, Bach Festival Federation, Guild Bach Festival, and Holiday Festival.  She has performed in many recitals, festivals, ensembles, and as accompanist for church music and junior choir.

Marcia Heerema, Bell Choir Director

Marcia has been directing our bell choir, the Orange Pealers,  since 1992. The choir has attended many bell ringing events  She and the bell ringers play most Sundays and for special events.

 

 

 

Susan Johnson, Lay Leader

Susan Johnson has been the lay leader since 2015, when Pastor Bethany Carpenter came to Pastor Bardsdale Church and subsequently served Pastor Lupita Alonzo Redondo and Pastor Jaime Torres.  She is trained as a Christian Story Teller and loves to do the children’s sermon on Sunday morning.  She has taught Sunday School since 2005 when she came to Bardsdale Church and has participated in Vacation Bible School since 2007.  You can find her in church most Sundays accompanied by her little Chiweenie Dog, Lamy.

She is the former Agricultural Commissioner in Ventura County and is now retired after almost 40 years of public service.  She has an undergraduate degree in Agriculture and a graduate degree in Public Administration.  She has lived in Fillmore since 1997, when she came here from the Central Valley to take a job with The State of California.  She later transitioned to the Ventura County Ag, Department where she worked for about 15 years., finally retiring in 2019.

Her passions are agriculture, affordable housing and social justice.  Her hobbies are singing barbershop music, gardening, collecting Wizard of Oz items and books and exploring the scriptures through Bible Study Groups. She is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Ventura County area Housing Authority, Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the One Step al la Vez Teen Center in Fillmore, Member at Large for the leadership team of RiverOaks Chorus in Sherman Oaks and Membership Coordinator for the International Wizard of Oz Club.

Laura Shaw, Bible Studies Leader

Laura is a Certified Lay Speaker and leader for our Bible studies. Laura began studying the Bible when she was at Wartburg Lutheran College, sister college to Cal Lutheran.  She has a Master’s Degree in Social work and a background in teaching. She loves to read, especially the Bible, and studies about the Bible.  She was actively engaged with her children in church and Christian events as they were growing up, teaching Sunday School for 15 years.

She and her husband, Richard, led the Bethel Series at Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks for six years before joining Bardsdale UMC in 2017.  She has been leading our Bible studies for four years with very diverse topics.