Jacob Perez’s spiritual journey has been a delightful evolution spanning a handful of Christian traditions. From being raised in a Pentecostal denomination to leaving that movement shortly before college, Jacob credits his call to rooted and progressive leadership to his undergraduate studies under the mentorship of Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi of the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities program at San Francisco State University. Reading the works of Edward Said, Mahmoud Darwish, and Mitri Raheb catalyzed a spiritual awakening inspiring him to wrestle out a new articulation of faith. Abdulhadi spoke often of justice-centered learning. PSR introduced him to justice-centered theology.
Currently, Jacob is the Youth Education Coordinator of First Christian Church in Concord, CA where he has been since the spring of 2020. He has also been invited to be a guest preacher at churches from Monterey to Sacramento since graduating. His sermons focus on how the Bible might speak to us in this time of social upheaval and pandemic recovery. Additionally, he has led small group discussions at his church on issues of racial equity and social justice.
Jacob’s career path developed while at PSR, outside of vocational ministry. A longtime Director of Marketing for a family-owned restaurant chain in Sonoma, Jacob has recently launched a boutique digital advertising and marketing agency, VOLUME Branding. He discovered that many of the conversations that shareholders and business owners have with him go beyond metrics and strategy—people are hungry for authentic spiritual connection and to work through issues of diversity and inclusion. PSRs education prepared him for these conversations.
Jacob serves on the Alumnx Council because of the impact that PSR had in his life. He believes in the mission of PSR to form spiritually rooted leaders for ministry both in vocational positions at churches as well as leaders in the workforce. He says, “PSR leadership recognizes the moment we are in as evidenced by the recent rebranding of the school, and I wish to continue the journey alongside PRS in discovering what it means to be unafraid in this unfolding present.”
