A Little About Us

  • We Are Jesus-Centered.

    We recognize that "Jesus-centered" can be a loaded term. Our community is committed to reimagining and reclaiming both language and faith. We believe Jesus is at the heart of everything we do and how we live.

    We welcome diverse interpretations of who Jesus was—whether the Messiah, Teacher, God, Son of God, or all of the above. Regardless, we find Jesus profoundly relevant today and shape our church around his teachings: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself—simple, yet deeply challenging.

  • We Are Reimagining Inclusion.

    We recognize that many church spaces don't allow for diverse Christian perspectives without labeling someone a heretic. At SHOC, we strive to be a home for spiritual refugees and outcasts. Reimagining inclusion means creating space for those who haven’t fit into traditional church settings. This includes, but is not limited to, centering the voices and experiences of women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and Disabled folks.

  • We Value Resting, Restoring, Belonging, and Becoming.

    Many of us at SHOC have experienced the toll of burnout culture in ministry. As a result, rest is one of our core values. You may notice that we don’t hold Sunday services every week—this is intentional, to prevent burnout and prioritize the well-being of our church community. Instead, we offer weekly rhythms like small groups, dinners, and hangouts that foster rest, restoration, belonging, and growth. Our goal is to create a healing space, not a harmful one.

Statement of Faith

Meet our Pastors

Part of reimagining faith and church is reimagining leadership. While you’re about to learn more about our pastors and get a glimpse of our culture, we want to emphasize our commitment to shared leadership. Our church is not centered around one pastor, individual, or “inner circle,” but around the collective leadership of everyone who makes up Safe Harbor. With that said, here’s a little about our pastors.

Meet Donna.

Donna (she/her) is the Lead Pastor of SHOC.

She’s not your traditional pastor. Growing up attending public school, Donna found herself connecting most with people outside the church. She always had one foot in and one foot out, navigating the tension between both worlds. Donna also faced the challenges of being a woman in ministry, spending much of her life housing- and financially-insecure in Orange County, CA.

Her practical theology comes from experiences in campus ministry, teaching middle and high school, and earning degrees in English, Education, and Communications. One of her greatest passions is creating a community within the church for historically marginalized people who have felt unknown, unloved, and unseen in traditional church spaces.

Shared leadership is central to her approach, and she believes the future of the church is collaborative, not competitive. Donna is passionate about reimagining church and faith, and she is honored to do that work with SHOC.

Pictured is Donna with her partner Charles (not pictured are their son James and their three cats, Benji, Archie, and Evie).

Meet Dottie.

Dottie Oleson (she/her) is the Teaching Pastor at SHOC.

Since Dottie was a kid, she has loved the Church and people. Over the years—through working in different affirming churches and earning her M.Div. from Boston University—her vision of church has expanded into a warm, eclectic, intercultural, and queer place of belonging. This includes finding creative ways to teach and experience “church” beyond traditional spaces. With 13+ years working in ministry and extensive research in psychology, Dottie uses a cross-disciplinary approach to offer pastoral care and reimagine liberated church communities.

Dottie also serves as a co-pastor of Harbor Online Community.

Outside of ministry, you’ll find Dottie wrangling her beloved rugrats, Beckham (3) and Bradley (1)—and on the best days, adventuring outdoors, whether at the beach or camping.

Meet Stephen.

Stephen (he/him) is the Worship Director at SHOC.

Growing up in the church, Stephen (he/him) didn't start playing guitar and leading worship until quite late into high school. He never thought it would become a career for him but always felt drawn to the communal aspect of church music. He ended up getting a degree in music and immediately started working as a church worship director. That experience later propelled him into reforming his perspective of church/worship and reimagining what it looks like to create an inclusive space for those who have been hurt and marginalized by churches.

Nowadays, Stephen is a musician that has his hands in multiple things: leading worship at multiple churches (including SHOC), teaching guitar to kids, and producing music for artists in the Rnb/Hip Hop music industry.

When he has free time, he loves to stay active (whether walks, hikes, or working out at the gym), watch tv shows/movies, and try different foods/drinks with friends (he is a self-proclaimed foodie with an endless list of bookmarked restaurants on Yelp).

Meet our Board

  • Jacob Sutherland (he/him) - Secretary

    is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Irvine, where he studies formal and informal local-level political institutions. His professional background includes operations management and post-secondary education. Jacob strives to further SHOC’s mission of fostering inclusivity through his current work on the board and his past leadership within Haven.

  • Phil Calvert (he/him) - Treasurer

    has been an engineer for an EV automaker since moving to SoCal in 2022.  Prior to that, he spent nearly 30 years in the Detroit auto industry.  He has been married to his best friend, Kristin, for 30 years and they are proud parents of three adult children. Phil spent almost his entire life in conservative religious spaces, and is excited to have found a home at SHOC where he can challenge his previous beliefs, learn new things, and form new friendships with many who have been historically excluded from the church. In his free time, he enjoys all things puzzle-y, from the daily NYT Crossword to the annual MIT Mystery Hunt.

  • Avery Jean (she/her)

    is a college student majoring in sociology with a minor in political science. Her major/passions run parallel with her role in Student government. She holds the position of Chief Diversity Officer at CSULB, she serves as chair of the Presidential Cabinet, including facilitating the weekly board meetings, developing and distributing the meeting agenda, supervising and assisting members of the President’s Cabinet in advocating for their respective communities through programming and policy changes. Through her job at CSULB and her job as a barista, she strives to be an effective member of the community she identifies with. She also fills in her love for event planning and organizing by assisting in the event planning of SHOCS bi-weekly events. She regularly attends SHOC and has co-led our Haven small group.

  • Maddy Spangler (she/her)

    is a writer and digital marketing specialist currently working at a Southern California nonprofit organization. Her professional background includes elementary and middle school education, web design, copywriting, and social media management. She graduated in 2021 from California State University, Long Beach with a BA in Comparative World Literature with an emphasis in Cultural Studies. Madalyn regularly attends SHOC and assists with digital communications. She lives in Long Beach, CA with her wife and their two cats. In her free time, she enjoys diving into historical nonfiction books and a variety of creative projects with friends.

  • Matt Kim (he/him)

    has been a follower of Christ since the age of 16. He has led worship all around the world with different ministries. Matt went to school for music but has been in construction management for the past 15 years. Currently, Matt is in the process of applying for long term disability. Matt regularly volunteers at SHOC assisting with audio-visual equipment for worship services.