Pastor & Leadership
Interim Pastor – Pastor Darryl
Pastor Darryl W. Kozak grew up in Southern California in a family with several Lutheran pastors. He received his schooling, from Kindergarten through college, in Lutheran educational settings, including graduating from Lutheran High School of Orange County and Concordia University in Irvine. His family roots were in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod tradition, but as an adult and with concerns about biblical, theological interpretation, and social justice issues, Pastor Darryl joined the ELCA. Shortly thereafter, he attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and served his internship/vicarage at Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church, New York, NY, and simultaneously worked for the Lutheran Office for World Community at the United Nations. After graduation from seminary, Pastor Darryl’s served his first call in the Metropolitan New York Synod, where he served a congregation in Brooklyn, NY.
Since returning to his Southern California roots, Pastor Darryl has specialized in intentional interim ministry, serving churches in San Diego and Orange Counties. He is a very strong preacher, and has interests in the Lutheran liturgy, youth and adult education, and spiritual formation. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in theology from Concordia University, Irvine, CA, and his Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA. He is presently pursuing his Doctorate of Education in transformational leadership from Concordia University, Portland, OR.
In addition to being an Ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament, Pastor Darryl is a certified life coach and is an ELCA coach.
Director of Music Jared Jacobsen
As Director of Music at First Lutheran, Jared is has an incredibly wide knowledge of sacred music within the global church. He takes time to teach and motivate as well as direct and lead our volunteer choir. He is an awesome organist and pianist and understands how much music contributes to worship.
Jared is a native of western Pennsylvania who began his keyboard study at age 5 at the historic Chautauqua Institution in New York, where is he is now Coordinator of Worship and Sacred music each summer.
A life-long protégé of the internationally known concert pianists Ozan and Patricia Benkman Marsh, Jared holds degrees in keyboard performance from Westminster College and the University of Arizona. He has served churches in every major denomination.
His concertizing has taken him throughout the United States, and to England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. In 1988, Jared was invited to the Vatican by Pope John Paul II to be an American delegate to the historic First World Congress on Church Music.
Jared also frequently shares his talents with the San Diego community as guest performer on the Spreckels Organ in Balboa Park, the largest fully-outdoor instrument in the world. Whether you are a concertgoer or visitor to First Lutheran, we think you will agree that Jared creates a sense of awe and worship through his musical gifts.
2018 Church Council
- Dick Krueger, President
- Frank DeLouise, Vice President
- Carol Schultz, Secretary
- Kathryn ‘Kem’ Taylor, Treasurer
- Anke Hartung, Financial Secretary
- Joe DeMers
- Jeremy Kaercher
- Melinda Person
- Marjorie Wahlsten
- Susan White