Rev. Dr. Larry Grounds, Senior Pastor

When an ankle injury during a high school basketball tournament sent me to the hospital, I made a deal with a vaguely known deity. In order to make good on my side of the bargain, I attended church, intending only a single visit. On that Sunday I met Jesus Christ and entered my lifetime home. My unmistakable call into pastoral ministry came at age nineteen.

I met my wife, Claudia, when we were students at Fuller Seminary. I have spent my 30 ordained years in pastoral ministry, mostly in San Diego. Claudia currently chairs the Marriage and Family Therapy Department at Seattle Pacific University. One of our three children is still in college and the oldest works in politics in Washington D.C. Coffee Grounds, our 14-year-old dog, is the only dependent left in our Redmond home.

I seek to love the One who loved me first; To express the love of Jesus Christ to the people my life touches; To study, teach, and honor Holy Scripture in my life and ministry; To share God’s grace and forgiveness for our universally broken and needy humanity; To encourage others to take seriously their discipleship to Jesus Christ; To promote the Spirit’s transforming work in society and popular culture; To live with hope, sincerity, and humor as my constant companions.

My Style of Pastoral Leadership

I think that process is as important as the final result. Therefore I’m very concerned about how we treat each other in getting to a goal.

I consciously err on the side of grace. Mercy routinely overrides my judgment. I look for areas where I can reach common understanding rather than allow my differences with another define our relationship.

I aim at freeing people to make decisions for themselves. Therefore I encourage people to take full ownership of their faith in Christ rather than asking them to buy into my theology or the views of another.

I have a high regard for Scripture.Therefore the Bible is taken very seriously in my preaching and teaching and plays a central role in shaping my ethical values.

I will use negotiation and compromise for the sake of unity. Therefore, unless vital issues are at stake, I seek a way for all to be included.

I believe the most important personal quality I can offer in my leadership of the congregation is to genuinelylove the people. Therefore my decisions and actions should be governed by this standard.

I am in pastoral ministry solely because of Jesus Christ. Therefore I seek to make him central in my work and passion in daily life. My ministry will intentionally and persistently point to him.

My journey at Redmond Presbyterian has been exciting, transforming, and personally satisfying. This is a healthy congregation where I feel supported and respected in my role. Hopefully a congruence is visible between my actual practices as pastor and the ideas I have shared on this page. What does God think of my leadership? He seems to be saying: "You are a work in progress." I am grateful for the wonderful ways this church has responded to my leadership.