Pastor Fil Nesta
Lead Co-Pastor
Fil believes that the Holy Spirit will continue to help and empower believers to boldly witness and reach more people for Christ. Fil is grateful for God’s faithfulness to him and his family, and desires to serve Him faithfully as well. Fil enjoys traveling and exploring places with rich culture and history.
Fil was born in Zacatecas, Mexico and came to the US when he was one year old. As a 20-year-old university student, he made a first-time decision to follow Jesus. He has never looked back.
Fil is a graduate of Cal Berkeley and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. He is ordained with the Evangelical Covenant Church and has served in various pastoral and church planting capacities for 20+ years. He currently serves as Latino Ministries Director with the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Fil has been married to Juana for 25 years. They have three beautiful daughters: Noemi, Hannah and Victoriah.
Life verse: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Pastor Juana Nesta
Lead Co-Pastor
Juana has a pastoral heart that longs for justice and mercy. She is a social justice advocate with a desire to mobilize the church in awareness, action, and advocacy on behalf of the oppressed. Juana enjoys reading, traveling, and admiring the beauty of God’s creation.
Juana was born and raised in Los Angeles, a daughter of immigrants from Mexico City. She made a first-time decision to follow Jesus as a university student in Berkeley where she also met her future husband Fil.
Juana is a graduate of Cal Berkeley, Chapman University, and Saint Mary’s College. Juana and her husband Fil have planted three churches and served side-by-side as co-pastors during 25 years of marriage. Juana has also worked in education for 20+ years and now teaches first grade in Pittsburgh, California.
Juana currently serves as the President of ALIPE (Asociación Latina de la Iglesia del Pacto Evangélico), the Association that serves the Latino/a pastors of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Life Verse: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8
Sandy Rau
Office Administrator
Sandy is a Stockton gal at heart and has attended Stockton Covenant Church since she was a child. She and her husband, Tim, have raised five amazing children and are continually delighted by their five ‘joy-sparking’ grandchildren.
Sandy enjoys keeping the rhythm at Stockton Covenant Church. She loves connecting with people, both those who already attend StoCo or are from the surrounding community and beyond.
When Sandy is not working as office admin, you can find her curled up with a good book, shopping for treasures (bargains), or her favorite pastime, spending time with friends and family.
Rachel McGehee
Children’s/Systems Director
Rachel began attending Stockton Covenant as a college student, and Stockton Covenant has remained “home” ever since! Rachel and her husband Justin have two young-adult sons, and the whole family has served at StoCo in a variety of ways over the years.
In addition to planning our Sunday Kids’ Church program, Rachel works to develop and streamline systems of the church organization. She gets to do all kinds of fun things, from implementing software to leading science experiments.
When Rachel gets a chance to sit down while at home, there’s usually a cat on her lap and a hot tea next to her.