VCC Board
Jake Swader
Lead Pastor
Jake is a native of Northern Illinois and is passionate about the Word of God and making disciples for Jesus Christ. In 1997, while pursuing a degree in Journalism, he felt the distinct call of the Lord on his life for ministry. Jake studied Ministerial Studies at the Hampton Master’s Commission and Bethel Bible College in Hampton, Va. It was there that he met his wife, Laura. They were Married in August of 2000 and now have 4 children: Jeremiah, Mackenzie, Kaleb, and Nathan. As a family they enjoy the outdoors and love to hike and camp.
Jake began his full-time ministry as the Youth and Children’s Pastor at the Ohio Valley Christian Center in Wheeling WV, and in 2001 the Lord shifted his focus to Discipleship Training. In October of 2001, Jake founded the High Desert Master’s Commission in Victorville CA. He directed the Discipleship training center there until 2006 when his ministry focus shifted again, this time into church planting.
In 2006, Jake joined the Launch Team for, what was to become The Grove Fellowship in Poplar Grove IL. Jake served as the Executive Director of Ministries, and the Director of the Talmid Discipleship Training Center at The Grove until April of 2010, at which time he returned to the High Desert as the Associate Pastor at Jubilee Community Church in Victorville Ca. In 2011. Jake entered a season of bi-vocational ministry, serving at the Grove Fellowship as a Teaching Pastor while also maintaining a career as a Manufacturing Leader at General Mills. In 2021, after much prayer Jake stepped away from his manufacturing career to shift his full focus back to ministry. In October of 2022, Jake joined the pastoral team at Valley Community Chapel as the Associate Pastor and In April of 2023 was ordained as the Lead Pastor.
Jeff Huntington
Executive Pastor / Music Ministry Director
Jeff grew up in Yucca Valley, California and made his decision to follow Jesus at age 17. He was born again, through a simple tract with a sinner’s prayer on it, left by a friend at his house. While growing up in the family plumbing business he always had a passion for music and Christian ministry. He volunteered as a worship musician and then leader from 1991 until 1997 and then transitioned to a full-time worship pastor, schoolteacher, church tech, and graphics guy from 1997 until 2006 at Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel in Yucca Valley. Jeff joined the ministry of VCC in 2007 as the associate pastor and music minister. Jeff’s title changed to executive pastor of the ministry when the administrative tasks of the ministry were added to his duties.
Jeff has a variety of church backgrounds that were formative, beginning with a Church of Christ in San Luis Obispo, to Church On The Way in Van Nuys, The Vineyard in Venice Beach, and Calvary Chapels. Jeff studied at Joshua Springs Bible College while on staff and enjoys deep expository study of the Bible and apologetics. He is blessed to minister alongside his family at VCC including his wife Denice, his sons Daniel and Joshua, and his daughter-in-law’s Crystal, and Samantha.
Jeff enjoys all types of music but has a specific passion for worshipping God through music with his wife Denice. He has enjoyed living through the development of Christian Music from the late 80’s through today. He has a joy in still loving and singing old-school worship while embracing new expressions and styles of modern praise and worship. Jeff’s favorite hobby is playing with both his grandkids born in 2022.
Tom Mauer
Corporate Treasurer / Bookkeeper
Tom is a Southern California native, born in Van Nuys and raised in downtown Los Angeles’ Echo Park district within walking distance of Dodger Stadium (a lifelong love of baseball followed). Tom confessed faith in Jesus at the age of nine during a summer camp ministry of Golden West Christian Church. Baptized a couple of years later at Berean Baptist Church, he has been part of a church family ever since.
Tom pursued his bachelor’s degree at Pepperdine University before completing college studies at Los Angeles Baptist College that included studies in Bible, theology, and church history. He completed additional graduate work in Denver before a working career managing call centers and customer service teams for T. Rowe Price, Founders Funds, Insight for Living and Evangelical Christian Credit Union in Orange County.
Following early retirement in 2015, Tom joined the family at Valley Community Chapel. Since joining VCC, Tom has taught a couple of home group bible studies and facilitated a short class on evangelism. In 2021, he was asked to take on the bookkeeper responsibilities for the church. Since 2016 Tom continues to serve as a board member and bookkeeper for The High Desert Pregnancy Clinic.
Tom loves reading American and church history, science fiction, and political/legal thrillers, visiting friends and family in the Northwest and Midwest. He often combines these trips with visits to stage plays, museums, concerts, aquariums, and national parks.
Dave Brady
Board Member
Dave grew up in Orange County where his family first attended a nearby denominational church. While in kindergarten, his simple faith began at a “Good News Club”. As a teenager, a local “Jesus People” home Bible study, and changing to a Bible teaching church, brought Dave into a deeper faith and full dedication to following Jesus. Dave had the pleasure of leading singing, by guitar, for his church high school and college groups.
Dave graduated from Biola University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Communications in 1978. While there, Dave made the team: A six-person Gospel Team, which provided contemporary Christian music for local churches, and which toured out of area annually. Dave and his wife Judy were introduced through Dave’s sister following a snow-skiing outing, and they married in 1980. They eventually adopted three children.
Dave’s early career included Regional Manager for companies offering contract support-services to hospitals, Area Vice President for a national company providing therapy services to nursing home residents, and Director of Ancillary Programs for a nation consulting firm serving post-acute care providers. Job opportunities resulted in the family to experiencing the San Francisco Bay Area, Western Washington, and Eastern Pennsylvania.
The Brady family, in 2000, moved to Yucca Valley, where Judy grew up. Dave opened his current small business that provides leadership recruiting services to operators of nursing homes. Jeff Huntington became Dave’s mentor in worship leading. Dave has been blessed to lead a Sunday morning worship team (13 years), and to later lead at evening services. He’s also helped at a local ministry to the homeless. Dave enjoys golfing, hiking, fishing, ice-hockey games, the Central CA coast, and other fun family outings.
Denice Huntington
Corporate Secretary / Women’s Ministry Director / Ministry Coordinator
Denice is the wife of Executive Pastor and worship leader Jeff Huntington. They have been married since 1992, have two grown, married sons who serve alongside them here at Valley Community Chapel and they have two grandchildren.
Denice has been serving at VCC since 2007 on the worship team, as Director of Women’s ministry and ministry coordinator. Raised bicoastal between NYC and the Los Angeles area Denice spent most of her educational time studying music between the two cities. It was only after she came to the Lord in 1989 that she understood why God had given her the gift of music and musical education. From that moment on, Denice chose to serve the Lord full-time in the music ministry as a worship leader, choir director, and music programs director while simultaneously serving as consultant to over 25 ministries providing counsel and direction with their planned giving and estate planning.
Denice is an avid “prophecy buff.” She studies the Bible daily and listens to a variety of pastor’s and Christian educators to expand her understanding of God’s Word. She also loves to listen to podcasts on chemistry, biology, physics and philosophy as they all demonstrate the glory of God and prove the truth of the Biblical world view.