Dr. Pete Ramirez serves as Executive Director of the California Southern Baptist Convention. Elected in 2022, he leads the Convention’s work in church planting, church matters, evangelism, missions, business services, and communications. His passion is helping churches reach the 35 million Californians who don’t yet know Jesus.

Before stepping into this role, Pete served as Associate Executive Director and led the Evangelism and Missions Team. A former pastor, his ministry experience spans multi-language congregations across Southern and Northern California.

Pete holds a bachelor’s degree from Biola University, a Master of Theological Studies and a Doctor of Ministry from Gateway Seminary. Known for his energy, warmth, and his ability to unify diverse leaders around a shared mission, Pete is committed to equipping churches and encouraging leaders statewide. He’s married to Anabella, and they have two daughters and one grandson—who might just be his favorite of all.

Wilburn is an experienced denominational leader, church planter, and pastor based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Port focuses his leadership on equipping, connecting, and expanding church planting initiatives across the state. In addition to his statewide role, Wilburn serves as the Executive Director of Missions for the Bridges Bay Area Association, where he acts as a strategic guide for local churches. He also ministers as the Missions and Replant Pastor at Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship in San Pablo, California.

Anne is a native Californian and has lived in the small community of McCloud in Siskiyou County for 45 years. She earned her Master’s Degree from Pacific Oaks College and has recently retired from her teaching job at the College of Siskiyous in Weed. Anne has been involved with WMU in her local church association and on the state level for many years. She currently serves as one of two International Mission Board Representatives to California

Kendrick is a former Marine who after 13 years of service, resigned his commission to serve a faith-based organization serving in closed and hazardous locations around the world. In 2013 Kendrick accepted a call to be an Executive Pastor in San Diego and connected with CSBDR where he also served as a San Diego Police Chaplain. In 2017 Kendrick became the lead pastor at Calvary Church West Hills. In 2023, the Executive Board elected Kendrick as the new Director for California Disaster Relief.

Kendrick has a Master of Arts and Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, VA and is currently working on his DMin through Gateway Seminary. He and his high school sweetheart, Melissa, have been married for 21 years, and they have three children, Isaac, Selah, and Max.

James Westbrook serves as the Send Network City Missionary for the San Francisco Bay Area working with local churches to plant healthy, Christ-honoring churches amongst people of all ethnic groups in the Bay Area. Westbrook is the Founding Pastor of a Biblically-faithful, Gospel-proclaiming, Jesus-centered local Church representing fifteen different ethnic groups, diverse generations, and socioeconomic groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a graduate of Gateway Seminary and is currently obtaining his Doctorate. James and his beautiful wife Desiree' have been married for over twenty years and together they have three fun-loving children. **Please keep the Westbrook family in prayer as they live with, serve, and share The Gospel with the nations across their community.

Hughes is a mother of five, and the president of the California Woman's Missionary Union. She serves as Children's Ministry Director at Mt. View Baptist Church in Lake Isabella, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Educational Leadership at Gateway Seminary. A former high school English teacher and published poet, Hughes loves to write and to talk, especially about missions. She inherited her love for ministry and for communication from her father and mother, Randy and Carol Bennett.


Louie and Twyla Castro spent extensive terms deployed as career Southern Baptist missionaries. They are most noted for their multi-year assignments coordinating local church growth and community outposts in Southeast Asia, including extensive operations in Indonesia. When stateside, they frequently tour and collaborate with local congregations—such as Northpark Baptist Church—to present localized ministry strategies and encourage domestic sponsorship of global compassion initiatives.

Joshua and Su-Jean serve as long-term IMB church-planting missionaries, focusing on cross-cultural gospel engagement, theological training, and planting multiplying local faith communities. When returning stateside on missionary leaves, they actively tour local SBC networks and state conventions to share local field updates, advocate for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and raise localized prayer support for global missions.

The Lopez’ initially deployed to Puerto Rico, serving as part of the Send Relief Journeyman program. While stationed at Send Relief's three ministry centers in Puerto Rico, they focused on community outreach, poverty alleviation, and gospel-rooted volunteer work. Following their impactful term in Puerto Rico, they relocated to California to continue their missionary deployments at the Send Relief Ministry Center in Los Angeles.