Pastors & Staff
Bob Mooney, Senior Pastor
Hi my name is Bob Mooney and I am the Senior Pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda, a growing church that is passionate about developing followers of Jesus Christ. Messiah is one of the largest Evangelical Lutheran Churches on the west coast and we take your spiritual, emotional, and personal growth and development very seriously.
It is important for me to bring humor, warmth, and personal vulnerability to my messages and to my everyday encounters with people. As a native of Southern California, I am familiar with the challenges and issues that many of us face in this fast-paced Orange County culture. My vision is to create a welcoming community for people to share the struggles and joys that we all experience throughout the journey of life and faith.
Recently, I have discovered a passion for the people of Uganda and the realization that we are all interconnected to the lives of others in this world. I continue to look for ways that we can all understand what it means to be a brother and sister to those in our neighborhoods, communities, and those halfway around the world.
I grew up in Torrance, California and attended El Camino Community College, California Lutheran University, Wartburg Theological Seminary, and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Prior to joining Messiah in 1985, I worked in parishes in Englewood, Colorado, and Scottsdale, Arizona.
I love the outdoors, have completed six marathons, and enjoy backpacking and climbing mountains. My favorite activities include working out at the gym, long walks on Balboa Island, and going to the movies. These activities are always better when I am in the company of my wife Jeannie and our two kids, Ty and Tessa Joy.
A life of joy is what I hope to share with you. Please come by some time! Check us out and say hello.
Ron Baesler, Pastor of Spiritual Growth
Thanks for stopping by our website! My name is Ron Baesler and I am Messiah’s Pastor of Spiritual Growth. My job is to keep us focused on Christ’s call to discipleship. Through prayer, retreats, workshops, classes and conversations, we seek to deepen our faith and commitment to God’s mission in this time and place.
My faith journey has covered many miles! I was born and raised on a small farm in North Dakota. I attended the University of North Dakota where I met Lin, my wife of 35 years. After getting a degree in Physics, I studied to be a pastor in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1976, I began my ministry at Peace Lutheran Church in Fargo, North Dakota. In 1981, Lin and I were called to be missionaries in Brazil. We spent 11 years in three different ministry settings in that wonderful country. Our experiences there helped shape our understanding of the world and its people. In 1992, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America invited us to do graduate work in the United States. We completed that work in 1995 and then spent three years in Puerto Rico where I taught at the Seminario Evangelico de Puerto Rico and Lin was the Director of Community Life at Second Union Church.
We came to Messiah Lutheran late in 1998. During my time here, I have worked to deepen our congregation’s understanding of God’s worldwide mission, deepen our congregation’s appreciation of God’s passionate love for a sinful world, and deepen our commitment to following Christ in faithful service to a hurting world. The challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning here continue to motivate me.
I am a proud father of four children, humble husband of a great wife, amateur gardener, avid reader, and mediocre softball player. I would love to talk to you in person and hear your story!
