MEET OUR TEAM
Pastors John & Jenny Reeve
Lead Pastors
John and Jenny were married in 2004 and have three children, Nevaeh, Cohen, and Eliana. A few months after getting married, they helped John’s parents, Pastors Bob and Sherry Reeve, plant The Cause (Community) Church in Brea in January 2005. John was the first staff member hired to serve alongside his parents, where he and Jenny led the youth ministry for several years. As the church grew, John’s role did as well.
He became the Executive Pastor, helping his parents oversee the Staff Team, ministries, and the direction of the church. In January 2019, Jenny left her full-time position at Azusa Pacific University and joined the staff as the Children’s Ministry Director.
Together, John and Jenny served as the Family Pastors until Pastor Bob graduated to heaven in February 2021. A few months later, in May 2021, Pastor Sherry transitioned into the role of Founding Pastor and commissioned John and Jenny as the new Lead Pastors. The greatest honor of their lives was serving alongside Pastors Bob and Sherry for 16 years, learning from their teaching and example, and now leading and shepherding God’s people at The Cause.
Pastors Bob & Sherry Reeve
Founding Pastors
Pastors Bob and Sherry founded The Cause Church in January of 2005. Currently, Pastor Sherry serves as Founding Pastor. Sherry graduated from Azusa Pacific University where she met and later married her husband, Bob. They were married for over 40 years before he graduated to Heaven in February of 2021.
Sherry has her M.A. in Education, was the founder of Jubilee Preschool and Elementary School, and operated a learning center for behavioral problems and learning disabilities. and is an experienced teacher who ministers to both adults and children. She has written curriculum for preschool and elementary children and has worked with children who have various learning disabilities, behavior problems, and ADHD.
Sherry is a gifted, anointed, powerful teacher of the Word of God and is practical and humorous. Sherry has traveled internationally speaking to large and small groups about marriage, family life, parenting and educational challenges. She also wrote, produced, and co-hosted a local cable television program entitled, "Encouraging Word."
Bob met the love of his life, Sherry, during their college years at Azusa Pacific University while he played baseball and majored in Biblical Literature. He wisely got "Smart" and enjoyed being married to Sherry for over 40 years.
He was a proud father of two sons, John and Joshua, and one daughter, Shannon, and even prouder grandpa to his nine grandchildren. He served God wholeheartedly in ministry for 25 years at Faith Community Church in West Covina before fulfilling God's call to lead The Cause Church in Brea for the last 16 years of his life. He traveled internationally with Sherry to speak to large and small groups about marriage, family life, and parenting, yet poured his heart and soul into his family. His honest yet humorous approach to teaching made you laugh and learn about yourself and pointed you toward becoming a fully functioning follower of Jesus.
Pastor Bob's "Legacy" Library
You are invited to explore this “Legacy Library” honoring the life and teaching of Pastor Bob Reeve. Here you will find a collection of powerful messages, small group teachings, and resources and books which will help you know the Lord and become a fully-functioning follower of Jesus. Pastor Bob served the Lord in ministry for over 45 years and taught thousands of people about knowing and obeying the Lord, living a life of purpose, being filled with the Holy Spirit, marriage, family, and parenting, and many other topics from the Bible. We hope that you will enjoy and grow from this valuable resource in your Christian walk!
Find it below on our dedicated site and learn from all of Pastor Bob's great teachings!
PASTORAL STAFF
Pastor Chris Garrigue
Executive Pastor
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Pastor Chris began volunteering to run sound for the children’s ministry in junior high. Decades later he is still serving the Lord with the gifts and talents God has developed in him. Pastor Chris attended Citrus Community College where he received an A.S. degree in Behavioral Sciences.
After Citrus, he attended DeVry University where he received an A.A.S. in Electronics and Computer Technology, and then went on to also achieve a B.S. in Technical Management with honors. He married his wife Lorraine in July of 2003, and is now a proud parent of 4 children, Tyler, Sarah, Seth and Katelyn. While God has blessed him with the knowledge for technical things, it is the people that he has brought around him that truly make things happen. He loves working with other volunteers and seeing them grow and develop a hunger to know and serve God.
Pastor Judy Walker
Associate Pastor
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Pastor Judy is a Texas-transplant who moved to California in 2004. She has been attending The Cause since its first days in the movie theater and joined the staff in 2016. She graduated with honors from Liberty University with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Religion/Foreign Language).
Overseeing the Next Steps and international Missions ministries, Pastor Judy is passionate about helping people grow in their relationship with the Lord, connect to other members of His family, and live out His purpose for their lives.
Pastor Cindy Ousterhout
Life Care and Hospitality Director
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Cindy fell in love with Jesus at the age of 15, and has been running after Him ever since
then, along with her high school boyfriend, David, who became her beloved husband of
53 years. Cindy and David built a life completely devoted to the Lord. They had and
raised four amazing children; Dave, Dan, Jana and Tim, who are all serving the Lord. In
addition, they have nine incredible grandchildren, who also love and follow Jesus.
When the Lord began a ‘new work’ in Brea, the family jumped at the chance to assist
Pastors Bob and Sherry Reeve in starting The Cause Church. Cindy began working for
The Cause in 2008, before the church moved into its current building. It has been the
fulfillment of a lifelong dream for her.
She has experienced the magnificent touch of God on her life through miracles and
wonders. It is her joy to share the goodness of the Lord through teaching and prayer.
Finally Cindy considers herself to be the most blessed of all people, and sees every day
as a new opportunity to love and serve the Lord.
Pastor Tony Salerno
Pastor
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Tony Salerno began his ministry to youth and families after graduating from Vanguard University. From a local youth ministry, he went on to be the founder of an international youth organization, which led to his work today with an emphasis on providing media resources and materials for kids and families. Tony is the recipient of numerous awards including 8 Grammy® nominations and five Dove awards, with recordings that have Gold and Platinum status.
Tony serves in the capacity of an advisory and helps role to various areas of the church, with a focus on the children’s and youth department. His desire is to see this generation have a hunger for God and His Word. He and his wife, Kathy, have one son, Anthony.
Pastor Julie Valenzuela
Children's Pastor
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Julie has been serving youth and their families for 30+ years in the performing arts industry. For approximately 25 of those years, she and her husband were entrepreneurs of a Christian performing arts school with two locations and six satellite locations located in preschools, elementary schools, and high schools throughout Southern California. In these locations, she mentored teachers, developed traveling ministry outreach teams, ran arts camps, wrote and developed large scale productions, activated kids of all ages in ministry, discipled children, youth, and adults in the Word of God, and trained people of all ages to use their gifts to glorify God.
Julie is happily married to Joe. Together they have four kids: Danny, Linda, Jordan, and Joey. She considers her family her greatest treasure! Julie has an Associate’s Degree in Christian Ministries from The King’s University with plans to further her education in the area of Christian counseling.
Pastor Brett Sturgill
Small Groups and Spiritual Growth Director
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As the Director of Spiritual Growth, Brett joined The Cause team in February 2023. Brett’s career has shifted from business to ministry and back again several times. As a serial entrepreneur, Brett has started four companies in various industries. Operating in legal services, consulting services, online retail, sporting goods, and land development, his business career has been varied. Beginning in 2005, Brett stepped into bi-vocational ministry as a youth pastor at The Rock Church in Anaheim. For 13 years Brett held various roles, including overseeing Pastoral Care, Marketplace Ministry, and Discipleship. In 2015, he stepped away from ministry to concentrate on business and began consulting for various companies and began working on his MBA at Liberty University.
In 2023, Brett felt the call to come back into ministry at The Cause, his home church. Brett’s enthusiastic approach to ministry offers encouragement to those wanting to grow in knowledge and intimacy with Jesus Christ. Brett strongly believes that God is moving in new and powerful ways at The Cause and looks forward to seeing the fruit of changed lives that occurs when people immerse themselves in the word of God. Brett has been married to Sandra for 31 years and has three children, Carson, Bryce, and Berea.
Pastor Ernie Benavides
Facility, Spanish & Men’s Ministry Director
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He was born into a Catholic home and raised by parents who modeled a sincere faith. At 19, he recognized that he didn’t truly know Jesus and invited Him into his life. By age 21, he fully dedicated his life to God and began serving at International Christian Fellowship, where he also sensed his call to pastoral ministry.
He graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Design, married, and moved back to California. He and his wife raised three daughters while he began his career in architecture. After moving to Glendora, he became part of Glendora Friends Church, volunteering in the youth ministry and on the worship team. Recognizing his pastoral gifting, his pastor encouraged him to apply at Diamond Bar Friends Church, where he was hired as Associate Pastor.
He later served as Senior Pastor at Pico Rivera Friends Church. During that season, he met Pastor Bob Reeve at a men’s conference and was soon invited to join the pastoral team at Faith Community Church as an Associate Pastor. When Pastor Bob launched The Cause Church, he asked him to help design the church facility.
Today, he considers it a joy and a blessing to serve at The Cause Church alongside such gifted and Spirit-filled leaders. He looks forward to all God has in store in this new chapter.
Pastor Deanna Knickerbocker
Director of Celebrate Recovery
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Deanna has been serving God’s kingdom through Celebrate Recovery since 2009. The Lord met her powerfully in a residential treatment center in 2009 while she was building her life from homelessness, addiction, and complete despair. She met her amazing husband, Peter, in recovery, and has been happily married since 2012. They have two young daughters, Madison and Makayla, and get to break generational curses off of their family by raising them in the house of the Lord.
Her life is now fully devoted to bringing others to Christ as she speaks in jails and institutions, in rehabilitation centers, as well as domestic violence shelters to share the hope she has found in Christ. Deanna has her Master's Degree in Christian Leadership through the School of Theology at Grand Canyon University.
She is thrilled to take the next step towards God’s immense calling on her life, to set the captives free.
MINISTRY STAFF
Shannon Reeve
Director of Finance
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Shannon graduated from Biola University with a B.S. in Business Administration, an emphasis in accounting, and a minor in Biblical Studies. She worked for a “big four” accounting firm, KPMG, for six years and joined The Cause full-time in January 2013. Shannon has served in youth ministry, women’s ministry, and is now overseeing the finances of The Cause.
Shannon is married to Jonathan Hurst and has one son, Dracien.
Sarah Hernandez
Worship Director
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Sarah and her husband are proud parents of three beautiful boys. Sarah holds a B.A. in Music Theatre and Education from UC Irvine and an M.A. in Education from Hope International University. She has been part of the worship ministry at The Cause since 2012 and has been the Worship Director since 2017.
Outside of ministry, she loves spending time with her kids, sharing great meals with her husband, playing golf, and enjoying movies or concerts. Sarah’s passion is to see people encounter Jesus through worship and grow closer to Him through the power of His presence.
Gary Tung
Music Director
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Gary serves as The Cause Church’s Band Director and helps lead the church in worship through this role. If you want to laugh, spend a few minutes with Gary, whose light-hearted approach to life will result in comical thoughts. Gary and his wife, Esther, are proud parents of two boys.
Chris Costello
Youth & Young Adults Director
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Chris Costello grew up in a Christian home. When Chris was 20 years old, he moved from the small town of Bishop to Tustin where he pursued his dream and passion for Mixed Martial Arts. Shortly after moving, Chris had an encounter with God that led to him recommitting his life fully to Jesus. With a new passion and love for God, Chris found his walk with Christ to be difficult and discouraging without a community to fellowship with and learn from.
One night as he drove back home from his job at a pizza place in Brea, he broke down and cried out to God. "I can't do this alone" he said. "I need other people to help me. A bible study, a worship night, a church, I just need other people." The next day Chris went to work and had his first delivery. When he arrived at the address with the pizza, he found himself at The Cause Church. He was invited to a young adult service that day and from then on, The Cause Church was his home church. Chris went on to compete in MMA professionally while serving as a youth leader at The Cause. Chris later became the High School Director at The Cause and then stepped down to answer God's call to full time youth ministry with The Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In June of 2017 Chris met his beautiful wife, Esmeralda.
They soon after married in January of 2019. Esmeralda, who also has a strong calling on her life to ministry, became a youth leader alongside Chris. Together they share a great vision for what God wants to do in and through this generation of young people.
Pastor Rick Tansey
Director of Inner Healing Ministries
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Rick Tansey was born in Southern California and committed his life to Jesus in high school on March 5, 1971. He earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Southwestern Bible College and spent the 1970s–1980s serving in several growing ministries, including roles as Director of Outreach, Staff Evangelist, College/Youth Pastor, and Senior Pastor.
In the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, Rick served as U.S. Ministry Director for Latin America Mission, leading fundraising efforts, training new missionary recruits, and coordinating more than 700 short-term missionaries. He later completed an M.A. in Social Science with an emphasis in Human Resource Leadership from Azusa Pacific University.
From the mid-1990s to 2008, Rick worked with Church Resource Ministries, consulting and coaching pastors and church leadership teams in spiritual formation, renewal, and leadership development. He also trained leaders nationally and internationally and co-authored training materials used across 30+ denominations.
Rick owned a Cereset neuro-technology franchise from 2008 to 2021, working with more than 2,000 individuals dealing with trauma and authoring a coaching manual used nationwide.
Today, Rick remains passionate about raising up Spirit-empowered leaders who will advance God’s Kingdom in the church and the harvest field.