Our
Pastors
Jeff McCrory l Tom Cramer l Carolyn McOwen l Emily McColl
Dr. Jeff McCrory Jr.
Pastor, Head of Staff
(949) 837-4765, ext. 212
jmccrory@genevapres.org
Dr. Jeff McCrory joined the Geneva staff as Senior Pastor in 2002. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Old Testament Studies from Claremont Graduate School. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA since 1980, Pastor McCrory has served churches in San Diego, CA; Boulder, CO; and Washington DC before coming to Geneva.
Pastor McCrory’s theological background makes him an insightful and dynamic presence in the pulpit, but Genevans are equally inspired by his musical gifts. A musician since his youth growing up in Tennessee, Pastor McCrory plays the guitar, mandolin and autoharp. He also inspires others through his role as an adjunct professor in Old Testament Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary where he regularly teaches extension courses.
Married for over twenty years, Jeff and Barbara McCrory, a licensed occupational therapist who works with autistic children, have two children of their own. Son Hal is an industrial designer working in Irvine, CA and daughter Cate attends Seattle Pacific University.
Tom Cramer
Pastor for Family Ministries
(949) 837-4765, ext. 212
tcramer@genevapres.org
In his nineteen years of ministry, Pastor Tom Cramer has provided a warm and visionary presence on Geneva’s pastoral staff. His ministries have included children’s and youth ministries, community outreach, global missions, equipping ministries, and adult education. Tom’s friendly personality is infectious, but his true passion lies with helping others discover their own unique gifts and encouraging them to make a difference in their families and communities.
A graduate of UC Berkeley and Princeton Theological Seminary, Tom brings extensive educational and pastoral experience to his ministry with families. Along with Geneva’s fulltime directors for youth and children, Tom leads a cadre of volunteers who help families stay spiritually connected in an increasingly stressful society.
Pastor Tom is just as comfortable on the putting green as in the pulpit. He's a life-long athlete who loves to read, golf, travel, and meet each day with a sense of adventure. Tom lives with his wife of 20 years, Jan, his daughters Emily (15) and Rachel (12), and their three cats and yellow lab.
Carolyn McOwen
Pastor for Congregational Life
(949) 837-4765, ext. 226
cmcowen@genevapres.org
When Carolyn McOwen graduated from Fuller Seminary last year, those who joined her in celebration were greeted at the door by a poster-sized photo of her doing a cartwheel on the beach. It described her perfectly—exuberant!
Born in Southern California and raised in Pasadena, Carolyn is a woman who has worn many hats. She majored in physical education at UC Santa Barbara with a minor in sociology and met husband Scott when she was a senior in college while he was at American Baptist Seminary. They married right after her graduation 36 years ago, and she taught high school in El Monte and coached volleyball and modern dance.
Three years later, when their first baby was six weeks old, they moved to San Clemente and remain in the same home today. As a business partner to her husband, Carolyn was able to be a stay-at-home mom to their two daughters, Kimberly and Kristin, while involving herself in their lives as soccer coach, as well as coordinating talent shows and directing their junior high school musicals.
Involved at their church, San Clemente Presbyterian, Carolyn was asked to head Women’s Ministries and later was named Director of Lay Ministry.
One day she came home and found that her husband had downloaded the application to Fuller Seminary for her, filled it out, requested her transcripts and had even written the letters, which she signed. Amazed, she wrote the required essays and, in the year 2000, began a new spiritual voyage. Their daughter, Kimberly, was in Carolyn's first class at Fuller, and husband, Scott, was in one of her last classes—this is a family that supports each other! During her seminary years, she also became a grandmother three times.
On April 2, 2006, Carolyn was ordained and installed as Pastor of Congregational Life at Geneva.
“I am filled with lots of emotions,” she said. “I’m amazed and in awe, excited, scared and comfortable at the same time. As the job is unfolding, I am finding that I’m in my area of passion and calling.”
Welcome, Carolyn!
Emily McColl
Pastor for Caring Ministries
(949) 837-4765, ext. 210
emccoll@genevapres.org
Pastor Emily was called and loved into ordained ministry as a second career through the Village Presbyterian Church in Rancho Santa Fe. She and husband Duncan both followed God's call into the pastorate after the sudden death of their youngest child. While at Princeton Theological Seminary, they and their four other children lived in a gymnasium --how fitting! -- and cherished small town life. Emily won the Rentschler Prize for Speech at graduation in 1996.
Her vision for ministry is to model loving God and serving others, discovering new gifts and new friends along the way. She has a tender heart for those who have doubts and questions and for those who are suffering and at the 'edges' of life. Her favorite words come from Romans 8 "...we are God's children...the Spirit helps us in our weakness...who can condemn (criticize)...we are more than conquerors through God....nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus."
Emily grew up in Colorado, Maryland and California and majored in sports medicine physical therapy at Stanford University. It is there that she met Duncan McColl, now Associate Pastor at Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church. Their oldest son is a mechanical engineer in Silicon Valley, and their daughter is finishing college there as well. Two other boys are in college; one is finishing up at the United States Naval Academy, and the youngest is studying architecture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Their nest is not 'empty' however. Duncan and Emily are "owned by one dog and three cats.” When given the opportunity, the McColls go to San Diego to play and rest with a very large extended family.
