Scott Thornton
Lead Pastor
I grew up in a Christian home, but walked away from the Lord during my high school years. In my senior year of high school, on March 6, 1976, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord as a result of the prayers of youth and adults in my church.
The day I went to college, I drove to my local home church and prayed in the parking lot. I told God that I would do anything God wanted me to do. I would be a pastor, a missionary, a businessman but God just needed to tell me or else I would go that day and sign up to study and become music teacher to make a positive impact upon students for Christ.
Well God didn’t tell me anything different. I began to study to become a band director. While at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, God blessed my life in many ways, and of course, the greatest blessing was meeting, dating and eventually marrying Cathy.
The spring of 1979, before we were married, I contacted churches to work with their youth and music programs in the summer. God called us to Findlay, Ohio but I knew it would be a commitment that required more than just a few months in the summer. As a result of that call, I transferred to Bowling Green State University to finish my Music Education degree.
It was during those years at Findlay that God was shaping me to enter into full time Christian service. Upon graduating I knew that God was calling me to not be a music teacher but to serve God as a minister in the local church. Since that time I have had the opportunity to serve in eight different churches as a youth and/or music pastor, associate pastor, family pastor and as a lead pastor at two different churches as well as attend the Nazarene Theological Seminary and Point Loma Nazarene University to do graduate work.
In August of 2003 God called us to East Valley Church of the Nazarene as the lead pastor. I never dreamed of living in the desert, but we love it here. It is easy now to look back and see how God was working everything together for good in our lives to bring us to this point and place in our lives.
Cathy and I have been married since 1979. Cathy is a Mesa School teacher and helps and teaches children in our church. Our daughter, Jacquie, is married to David. Jacquie, David and their three children live in Lincoln, NE where David is the Operations Pastor at Lincoln Berean Church. Our daughter, Janine, is married to Deacon and lives in Mesa, AZ. Besides being a full-time mom to 5 kids, she is a health coach and Deacon works at GoDaddy and is an auctioneer. Tyler is married to Vallerie. Both of them are graduating from Olivet Nazarene University in May of 2019. Tyler is graduating with a Pastoral Ministry degree and Vallerie with a Psychology degree. Vallerie has already finished her classes and in January - May of 2019 will be in officer training for the Army and then her orders will take them to Fort Lewis Military base in Tacoma, WA.
God is still in the business of calling. God is calling you to enjoy God and God’s good plan and purpose for your life. I encourage you to follow God’s call. I guarantee you that you’ll never regret it! I invite you to our church. You’ll find a group of loving people, like you, discovering the good things of God and encouraging others to respond to the call of Jesus Christ to come to Him to have life in the fullest possible way.
The day I went to college, I drove to my local home church and prayed in the parking lot. I told God that I would do anything God wanted me to do. I would be a pastor, a missionary, a businessman but God just needed to tell me or else I would go that day and sign up to study and become music teacher to make a positive impact upon students for Christ.
Well God didn’t tell me anything different. I began to study to become a band director. While at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, God blessed my life in many ways, and of course, the greatest blessing was meeting, dating and eventually marrying Cathy.
The spring of 1979, before we were married, I contacted churches to work with their youth and music programs in the summer. God called us to Findlay, Ohio but I knew it would be a commitment that required more than just a few months in the summer. As a result of that call, I transferred to Bowling Green State University to finish my Music Education degree.
It was during those years at Findlay that God was shaping me to enter into full time Christian service. Upon graduating I knew that God was calling me to not be a music teacher but to serve God as a minister in the local church. Since that time I have had the opportunity to serve in eight different churches as a youth and/or music pastor, associate pastor, family pastor and as a lead pastor at two different churches as well as attend the Nazarene Theological Seminary and Point Loma Nazarene University to do graduate work.
In August of 2003 God called us to East Valley Church of the Nazarene as the lead pastor. I never dreamed of living in the desert, but we love it here. It is easy now to look back and see how God was working everything together for good in our lives to bring us to this point and place in our lives.
Cathy and I have been married since 1979. Cathy is a Mesa School teacher and helps and teaches children in our church. Our daughter, Jacquie, is married to David. Jacquie, David and their three children live in Lincoln, NE where David is the Operations Pastor at Lincoln Berean Church. Our daughter, Janine, is married to Deacon and lives in Mesa, AZ. Besides being a full-time mom to 5 kids, she is a health coach and Deacon works at GoDaddy and is an auctioneer. Tyler is married to Vallerie. Both of them are graduating from Olivet Nazarene University in May of 2019. Tyler is graduating with a Pastoral Ministry degree and Vallerie with a Psychology degree. Vallerie has already finished her classes and in January - May of 2019 will be in officer training for the Army and then her orders will take them to Fort Lewis Military base in Tacoma, WA.
God is still in the business of calling. God is calling you to enjoy God and God’s good plan and purpose for your life. I encourage you to follow God’s call. I guarantee you that you’ll never regret it! I invite you to our church. You’ll find a group of loving people, like you, discovering the good things of God and encouraging others to respond to the call of Jesus Christ to come to Him to have life in the fullest possible way.
Frankie Fugate
Children's Pastor
I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home. My parents saw the value in teaching their children at a young age the importance of knowing who Jesus is, having a personal relationship with Him, and meeting together with other believers. Church was never an option but an opportunity to learn about Jesus, grow closer to the Lord and to build lasting relationships with other Christians. I came to love Jesus at an early age.
At the age of seven I attended a Children’s Camp in Calera, AL where I accepted Jesus Christ as my Personal Savior. At the age of twelve I attended Junior High Camp in Prescott, AZ where I gave my life completely to the Lord
and accepted a call to be involved in ministry. I didn’t know it at that time but this was when my training for Children’s Ministries began. I became actively involved in the children’s department and continued throughout my teen and young adult years.
I have been a Children’s Pastor in the Church of the Nazarene for 27 years, I was ordained as an Elder in May of 2003. It is my desire to lead children to Christ, to watch them grow and develop into strong men and women who love the Lord and use their talents in sharing the Love of God with others.
Together my husband, Doug, and I have seven children ranging between the ages of 13 years old to 35 years old. We have one grandchild. Doug works for the City of Mesa as an Administrator. We assist and support each other in our ministry endeavors, whether it be children, youth, adults, or missions.
At the age of seven I attended a Children’s Camp in Calera, AL where I accepted Jesus Christ as my Personal Savior. At the age of twelve I attended Junior High Camp in Prescott, AZ where I gave my life completely to the Lord
and accepted a call to be involved in ministry. I didn’t know it at that time but this was when my training for Children’s Ministries began. I became actively involved in the children’s department and continued throughout my teen and young adult years.
I have been a Children’s Pastor in the Church of the Nazarene for 27 years, I was ordained as an Elder in May of 2003. It is my desire to lead children to Christ, to watch them grow and develop into strong men and women who love the Lord and use their talents in sharing the Love of God with others.
Together my husband, Doug, and I have seven children ranging between the ages of 13 years old to 35 years old. We have one grandchild. Doug works for the City of Mesa as an Administrator. We assist and support each other in our ministry endeavors, whether it be children, youth, adults, or missions.
Lynnette Buck
Office Administrator and Associate Pastor
I was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, and have attended East Valley for most of my life. I have served in many different areas of the church. Some areas include Sunday School teacher for various age groups, Sunday School Superintendent, Church Board Secretary, and now Office Administrator and Associate Pastor. I am now in the ordination process and have completed courses for a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry through Nazarene Bible College.
My husband, Dan, was born and raised in western New York and moved to Mesa in the early 1990s. He is employed at Honeywell Aerospace in Phoenix.
Dan has served on the church board and runs the sound system on Sunday mornings, works in all the audio/visual areas of the church, and does most of the technical support and much of the maintenance for the church.
We have been married since 1997 and have two adult children.
My husband, Dan, was born and raised in western New York and moved to Mesa in the early 1990s. He is employed at Honeywell Aerospace in Phoenix.
Dan has served on the church board and runs the sound system on Sunday mornings, works in all the audio/visual areas of the church, and does most of the technical support and much of the maintenance for the church.
We have been married since 1997 and have two adult children.