The Gilroy Presbyterian Church added a new member to its staff
last month. The Rev. Pete Cantu, Assistant to the Pastor, is a
clergyman with extensive experience and boundless enthusiasm.
The Gilroy Presbyterian Church added a new member to its staff last month. The Rev. Pete Cantu, Assistant to the Pastor, is a clergyman with extensive experience and boundless enthusiasm.
He was raised as a Greek Orthodox while growing up in New York City and Detroit . When his mother divorced his father and married a serviceman in the U.S. Air Force, they moved to Yuma, Arizona, and various locations in Southern California.
Cantu attended Biola College, a non-denominational university in La Mirada, California and majored in Bible, Speech Communication, and Drama. While an undergraduate Cantu spent four years testing his vocation by working with youth in juvenile halls, then with terminally ill patients.
Pastor Cantu continued his studies at the Talbott Theological Seminary, affiliated with Biola, and began working with Young Life in Whittier. This was the beginning of a series of staff positions with the noted non-denominational ministry which serves approximately one million youth in all 50 states and 45 countries.
Upon graduation from Talbott with a Masters of Divinity degree he was licensed as a Baptist minister and continued working with Young Life in Southern California and the San Jose area. He was responsible for raising funds, recruitment and training of staff, but the aspect of Young Life he enjoy most was “hanging out with the kids.”
When Cantu’s marriage to his first wife ended, he left Young Life and began a series of ministries with Presbyterian churches in Rancho San Bernardo, Salinas, and the South Bay. Most of his work has been in the areas of youth ministry, singles ministry, and divorce recovery. His area of expertise and passion is small groups, “because they are the key to relationship; God’s design is the family, and these groups can become family-like.
Cantu currently lives in Hollister with his wife, Debbie, who owns a medical billing company; they have a blended family of three grown sons (one of whom is autistic) and a grown daughter. For several years he has directed an independent ministry for disabled teens called Cross the Line. He says some people view disabled children as “mistakes,” but he sees them as “miracles” because of the way they can radiate God’s love.
Currently a candidate to be ordained to the Presbyterian ministry, Cantu has recently completed additional theological course work and will be taking three ordination exams in September.
At Gilroy Presbyterian Cantu will serve in many capacities: overseeing the small groups ministry, preaching, and other pastoral duties as necessary. He loves Gilroy and has many ties to the community already from his previous involvement in Young Life. He calls Senior Pastor Bruce Rowlison “kind and compassionate” and looks forward to working with him in service to the Gilroy congregation.
In describing his style of ministry Pete Cantu says he tries to be “real and transparent so people can sense the grace and acceptance of Christ.” He believes that “people believe in Jesus
Christ because someone has believed in them; God sends people with changed lives to change others.”
For more information about Gilroy Presbyterian Church or the Rev. Pete Cantu call 842-3000.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School. Write him c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, CA 95021.
