The summer rays are here, and with them the amazing purple, orange, pink sunsets we get on the Central Coast. Enter Emily Cortez, our new Generations Pastor. Our church family could not be more excited to have her join our faith community! Hailing from Riverside, CA, Emily will be ministering to an audience ranging in all ages. We sent Emily a few questions to get to know her better, and we think you’ll agree, Emily is what we need in SLO.

What are you looking forward to most as you interact with the SLO Adventist Church?

I’m looking forward to when we can all meet together! Community is such a big part of church and church life and while we’re distanced physically we don’t have to be distanced socially! I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you and hopefully get some good coffee (or tea!) with you too.

What would you change if you could make the world better right now?

I think I would change how we understand the use of language. Language and how we say things is incredibly powerful. How we speak to people is a form of that power too. If we could shift the understanding that words are not just words but rather a way that could tear down or uplift people I think we could be in a far more caring place. 

Who has had a major influence in your spiritual growth?

My grandparents for sure. My dad’s parents were incredibly active in their church and constantly encouraged me to continue to pursue ministry. I’ve had incredibly mentors at both Burman University in Canada and at La Sierra University that also pushed me to grow as a person and think deeper about ministry, spirituality, and theology. It really was people like Dr. Kendra Haloviak-Valentine and Pastor Chris Oberg who paved the way for me.

What do you like to do for fun? (What makes you laugh?)

I love to play board games and tabletop games! I also really like to cook and bake for my friends. 

Speaking of games, what board games would you like to play with church members (post-pandemic)?

A great group game is Dixit! You get a set of seven cards and you say a phrase, hum or sing a song, or even a title to a movie and the people playing with you use their own cards to try and find something that fits what you described. People are trying to guess which card is yours and score points for tricking others to pick their card. It is so much fun! 

If you could travel anywhere with anyone from history (past or present), where would you go and with whom?

Jane Austen! I’d love to go with her to Bath, England and see the museum there with her. I think it would be pretty remarkable to show her how her writing has impacted so many people over the years. 

Favorites:

Foods, including desserts

Mexican food for sure but you can’t go wrong with home cooked Filipino food. Any Filipino dessert! They’re all really good. It’s hard to pick just one favorite dessert! 

Color

Blue! The dark blue with hints of grey in it, like the ocean in the morning with it’s still overcast. 

Sports teams or players

Truthfully it’s whoever my dad likes, I grew up cheering for the San Diego Chargers (Now LA Chargers) so probably the teams out of San Diego? 

Books

This is a tough one, I don’t think I have a favorite single book. I have favorite genres like high fantasy or theology but I also really like reading books about different ways to approach literature. I think Inspired by Rachel Held Evans is my favorite book currently. 

Films and TV shows

Another tough one! For films I seem to always go back to Star Wars or Pride and Prejudice (2005). Can’t go wrong with the Star Trek reboot either. For TV shows I seem to revisit West Wing often or The Good Place! 

How do you describe God's influence in your life?

Probably “big” or “obvious”. At least that’s how it’s felt like, especially the last couple of years. There were many times where I felt like I wasn’t going to achieve my goal or that I would be set back and my plans would fall through but each and every time God has had my back. God truly got me through some tough situations and has brought me here to this amazing community. I’m so excited to see what is in store for me.