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Our Team

Meet our pastor, staff, and church officers who provide servant leadership for our church family.

Senior Pastor

Gunnar Tesdahl

Pastor Gunnar joined SYVPC in May 2025, bringing a deep passion for God’s Word and a heart to serve the church and reach the community. Raised in Spokane, WA in a Christian home, Gunnar first sensed God’s call to ministry in high school after coming to faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He holds a degree in Speech Communication with a minor in music from Whitworth University and completed his Master of Divinity at Knox Theological Seminary. He was ordained into the ministry at Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church in Gig Harbor, WA.

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Gunnar is married to his beloved wife Aimee, who holds a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and works as a mental health counselor. They are blessed with two beautiful daughters, Kennedy and Brooklyn.

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Gunnar and his family are excited to seek God’s leading as they join the Santa Ynez Valley community and look forward to what God has in store for the Pres.

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Ministry Staff

The staff at the Pres want to help you get plugged into ministry! Please reach out with any questions or how we can support you in your walk with Jesus.

Church Officers

SYVPC is led by a team of elders– the servant leaders of the church– who form a board called the Session that seeks to discern the mind of Christ together and oversee the vision and ministry of the church (1 Peter 5:1-4). Under the Session, our deacons–the lead servants of the church– are commissioned to care for the felt needs of our church family (Acts 6:1-6).

Session Elders

The Session is composed of the pastor and elders who are elected by the congregation to serve terms on the board.

Dennis Hartman

Greg Millikan

Cherie Bonazzola

Rob Wolf

Jim Richards

Karin Aitken

Bill Gnekow

Board of Deacons

The Deacons each serve regions of our community, called parishes, as well as provide for various needs in the church.

Pam Gnekow

Vikki Angel

Debbie Jones

Pat Tieken

Jackie Gruendyke

Cindy Hartman

Mary Kestenbaum

Paul Kimes

Helen Kimes

Janan Massey

Sherry Gasch

Carol Donati

Rob Vander Veen

Anneke Vander Veen

Church Office Email

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CONTACT US

Phone: 805-688-6323

Fax: 805-693-0094

office@syvpc.org

ADDRESS

1825 Alamo Pintado Rd.

Solvang, CA 93463

 

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