Arbor Christian Fellowship Officially Affirms Pastor Jonathan Dignadice as Senior Pastor with Unanimous Vote
With hearts full of gratitude and eyes fixed on the future, the church enters a new season under Pastor Jonathan’s leadership.
In a significant and joyful milestone for Arbor Christian Fellowship, the congregation voted unanimously today to affirm Pastor Jonathan Dignadice as the church’s next Senior Pastor. The vote took place following the morning worship service, marking the official and final step in a months-long process of prayer, discernment, and preparation.
This momentous decision—reached with full unity among the members—is only the second unanimous Senior Pastor vote in the church’s history, the first being the selection of Pastor Danny Daniels.
After the results were announced, Pastor Jonathan and his family—his wife Ruth, sons Levi, Isaiah, and Sammy, and daughter Rudie—were brought into the sanctuary to a warm and heartfelt welcome. In a powerful display of churchwide support, the entire congregation stood, came forward, and laid hands on the family in a time of prayer and celebration.
"This is an exciting new chapter," said Liles Cobb, Deacon of the Pastor Search Committee. "God has shown us such kindness, patience, grace, and mercy throughout this process. We are so grateful for how He has led us to this moment."
A Proven Leader and Shepherd
Pastor Jonathan is no stranger to the Arbor Christian Fellowship community. He has served faithfully as Interim Pastor and Counseling Pastor, bringing with him over 20 years of ministry experience. He holds a Master of Divinity from Gateway Seminary and a Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling from The Master’s University. He is also a certified biblical counselor through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).
Deeply committed to biblical truth and compassion, Pastor Jonathan and his wife Ruth have been actively engaged in the life of the church for many years. Their family is woven into the fabric of Arbor’s history—having been part of the original international congregation at El Toro Baptist Church (Arbor’s original name) through Ruth’s father, founding pastor Rudy Diamsay. The Dignadice family has long been a faithful presence in international ministry, children’s programs, family outreach, and youth discipleship.
Grateful for God’s Provision
Today’s unanimous vote reflects not only confidence in Pastor Jonathan’s leadership, but also the unity and spiritual discernment of the congregation. This decision marks the culmination of a year-and-a-half-long journey—one filled with both sorrow and grace—as Arbor Christian Fellowship walked through the final season of Pastor Danny Daniels’ life and the early, faithful presence of Pastor Jonathan.
When Pastor Danny could no longer preach due to illness, Pastor Jonathan stepped in—without compensation—to faithfully deliver the Word each week and help care for the church through a time of deep uncertainty. But what touched Pastor Jonathan most was not just the pulpit—it was the people.
In his remarks today, Pastor Jonathan shared how deeply impacted he was watching Arbor Christian Fellowship care for Pastor Danny, his wife and daughter: delivering meals, tending their yard, driving them to appointments, sitting with them in hospitals, walking with them through hospice, praying and continuing to provide for them through and after Pastor Danny’s passing. It was, he said, a testimony of true Christian love.
“This church didn’t abandon its pastor when he could no longer serve—it ministered to him. And in doing so, it ministered to me,” Pastor Jonathan reflected. “You set a precedent. You showed what it means to be the Church.”
As Arbor Christian Fellowship now embraces this new season under Pastor Jonathan’s leadership, we do so with full hearts—grateful for God’s provision, humbled by His presence through the process, and confident in the future He is shaping. What began as a season of loss has become a witness to God’s faithfulness—and to a congregation that loves well, finishes well, and welcomes what’s next with open hands.
