Born to Salvadoran immigrants in Los Angeles and raised in Santa Rosa, Sergio Caishpal is a proud Californian. Growing up, he teetered between career possibilities. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a physician, a psychologist, or a pastor,” he said, adding that a scholarship at Pacific Union College for theology majors encouraged him to declare the major while still experiencing uncertainty.
Yet, his uncertainty was soon gone. “I felt God affirmed me to ministry, and I was really, really grateful,” he remembered. During those years, he spent days seeking diverse perspectives.
“I would go to one professor and ask a question, and then I would go to the professor next door and ask the same question but get a different perspective,” he shared. “I would do that the whole day. That was really, really formative for me to see things from different perspectives, and that really helped shape my identity.”
In college, Caishpal interned at Santa Rosa and Ventura churches and served Rohnert Park Korean church as youth pastor. After graduation, he spent two years as associate/young adult pastor at Santa Monica church. He began pastoring at Northridge church, where he currently serves, in 2022.
At the ordination service, John H. Cress, Southern California Conference (SCC) president, recalled the “delight” SCC leadership experienced engaging in biblical conversations and ministry conversations with Caishpal during the ordination process.
Royal Harrison, SCC executive vice president, charged Caishpal to love God’s Word, God’s people, and God’s ways. “God already knew that He’d called you,” he affirmed. “Today we celebrate with you, and we acknowledge the fact that God’s anointing is upon you.”
Caishpal thanked all who were part of his journey. “Ministry is something we do together, not something I can do by myself,” he said. “I hope that we can continue to work together and that we can all be reunited together one day in the physical presence of Christ.” ●
