Mary Glenn
City Catalyst

Growing up in San Francisco, diversity was a part of Mary's day-to-day up-bringing. She valued the richness of her childhood environment. Her closest friends came from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Yet Mary was aware that not everyone valued this diversity. She witnessed racism and hatred first hand. Still Mary was passionate and idealistic, full of hopes and dreams. At the age of 16, she was introduced to Jesus. Mary knew things in the world were not as God intended; injustices and darkness seemed to be intensifying. She wondered what role she might play as a bearer of God's hope in the world.

While in college at San Diego State University, Mary attended Skyline Church, under the leadership of Pastor John Maxwell and she served in the college department on ministry staff. This season provided Mary with invaluable ministry leadership training and opportunities for her to be mentored by seasoned ministry leaders.  Mary graduated from San Diego State University in 1992 with a Bachelor's of Art degree in Political Science. She believed her call was in law and politics, however, God was leading her to full-time church work. She worked in various churches throughout California as a youth pastor and she spent ten years leading summer camps including creating and directing a day camp in 1996 (that served as an outreach to local neighborhood kids) in Vancouver. She spent over three years ministering in Canada and received her credentials as a Licensed Pastor with the Baptist Union of Western Canada in 1996.

While living in Canada, there was a mass migration into Vancouver from Hong Kong due to the impending return of Hong Kong to China from British rule in 1996. This transition resulted in a quick change in the ethnic make-up of Vancouver creating an environment of prejudice and misunderstanding among people. God was stirring in Mary's heart. She studied these issues and how the Church could be a catalyst for understanding and reconciliation in our diversity. Her thesis project was entitled: Youth, Racism and the Gospel of Christ. Upon her graduation from Regent College (Canada) in 1997 with a Masters in Christian Studies, she accepted the call to be the Minister of Students at Alhambra True Light Presbyterian Church where she served as youth pastor for seven years. During this time, received her Masters in Divinity with a concentration in cross-cultural studies from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2003. From 2003-2006 she served as the Minister of Community Outreach at Alhambra True Light Presbyterian Church.

She currently serves in the Community of Alhambra as a member of the Alhambra Rotary Club and as one of the Founding Coordinating Chaplains for the Alhambra Police Department  in which she has served since 2001. She is also the Co-Coordinator of Area-C (Police) Chaplains providing partnership and training for the 8 surrounding Cities Police Agencies’ Chaplains.

Mary grew up in the Catholic Church and has participated in Protestant Churches since she was 16. Mary has been ordained as a pastor by the International Ministerial Fellowship, which credentials those who are called to be bridge builders among many Churches rather than being ordained by one particular denomination. She is a Doctoral student at Bakke Graduate School with a concentration in Transformational Leadership in the Global City.

Mary is currently serving as the Alhambra City Catalyst with Kingdom Causes. Mary loves learning about cities. If Mary was not serving as the Alhambra Catalyst, she would be working as the local city tour guide. Mary is committed to seeing the Church partner with the City. She believes God is calling us together to pray for God's Kingdom to come and God's will to be done in Alhambra as it is in Heaven. 

To contact Mary, please email at:                                                                                                        Mary@KingdomCauses.org

Esther Siu

Mental Health Liaison