Hi!  My name is Christof Weber. I have served as the pastor of Rockland Community Church in Front Royal, VA since November 1, 2007.  Prior to coming to RCC, I was on staff for several years at Cornerstone Community Church in Utica, New York. I completed a Master of Arts in Theology through Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA in 2005.  I was ordained at Cornerstone Community Church in early 2007.

I didn't set out in life to become a pastor.  Growing up as the son of missionaries (and the grandson of missionaries), I was frequently asked if I was going to be a missionary when I grew up.  I would always respond that I wasn't.  I was proud of my parents and grandparents, but I didn't want to be a missionary.  I was usually then asked if I was going to be a pastor.  I would respond even more emphatically that I wasn't.  Well, God has a way of sometimes changing our plans.

After graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science and Latin American Studies and then a year later with an M.A. in Latin American Studies I was unsure of what I was going to do with my life.  I had considered the diplomatic core.  I had thought about international business.  I had even considered going to Law School to study international law.  But then, after working at the UCLA Latin American Center after graduating, I was offered a great job with Trust Company of the West, a money managment firm.  I worked at TCW for over 10 years, most of which I served as the company's Latin American Economist.  It was a great job in many ways and gave me the opportunity to travel to most of the major cities in Latin America and to learn much more about a region of the world that I love.

But somewhere along the way I came to the conclusion that I needed to do something else whith my life.  I was also very frustrated with Church.  So I decided to enroll part-time at Fuller Theological Seminary.  I still had absolutely no desire to become a pastor, but I thought the coursework would do me some good.  And I think it did.  At the very least, it began to give me a new sense of hope for the Church and a sense that I might have something to offer.

In 2003 we decided to move from Los Angeles to Westmoreland, NY to care for my aging grandfather.  This was a tough decision but one that we knew we wanted to make.  At first, we thought it would mean forfeiting my job at TCW, but my boss graciously allowed me to telecommute.  This lasted for about 9 months (long story, but the end result was positive).  I then went about completing my Theology degree by taking courses wherever I could (back at Fuller, by distance learning, and at Biblical Seminary, Northeastern Seminary, and Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.  I also completed two pastoral internships at Cornerstone.  It was during my time at Cornerstone, and, in particular, when I was asked to come on staff part-time when one of our pastors went on leave, that I really sensed that I should consider entering into full-time pastoral ministry.

I pursued ordination and set about looking for a church that was willing to give me a chance to serve as their pastor.  My search took me to Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, New York, and Virginia.  In the late Summer of 2007 I was asked to pastor Rockland Community Church in Front Royal, VA.  We moved to Front Royal just over a month later!  It took us nearly two years to sell our homes in NY and to buy a home in Warren County, VA, but we now feel like we are really sinking our roots into this community.

People sometimes refer to me as Reverend or Pastor or Preacher or Minister.  I prefer to just be called "Chris" or "Christof"  -- just not "Christoffer" since that's NOT my name! ;-)  I've had very few nicknames in my life.  I liked "Spidey" (the whole 'web" thing, I guess).  And I hated "Crisco" (I still don't like being associated with lard very much). There was another nickname (rhymes with Christof) that I never liked very much either.

No, I never played in the NBA.  That is Chris WeBBer.  I can't jump and my freethrows are atrocious.  I grew up playing soccer in Latin America. While I was never a great player, if there is a sport that I'm passionate about it is Futbol!  And in case you were wondering, my family is not related to the Webers of bread, carburetor, or bbq grill fame; nor to Max Weber (the famous sociologist and political economist), nor to David Weber (the science fiction author) -- but my Dad's name is also David Weber (he's a linguist and a Bible translator).

Lori and I have been married since 1990.  We have three wonderful children (Katelynn, Jonathan, and Bobby).   Pastoring is the most difficult job I've ever had.  I know many people think that pastors only work for 20-30 minutes on Sunday mornings, but that is just not the case.  In fact, I sometimes struggle to know when I'm not "working."  Were it not for the loving support and patience of my wife and children I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it.  I appreciate the sacrifices they have made (and will make) so that I can continue to pursue this thing we call "full-time ministry."

I'm also grateful to the people of Rockland Community Church who were gracious enough to offer this young kid (I was 37 at the time) a chance to be their pastor.  I have a lot to learn when it comes to pastoring and the people of Rockland are helping to school me!  I hope to do whatever I can to help us as a church to become a more meaningful presence in the community around us.  I pray that we will be increasingly known for living lives that radically and tangibly reflect the truth, beauty, and grace of the Gospel of Jesus.