Lancaster Adventist Church welcomed Edward Sammons as senior pastor September 2010. We appreciate the talents he brings to our church and our community.

Ed is skilled at bringing people together. Using his gifts of kindness, patience, respect, humor, and understanding he guides his parishioners to overcome obstacles, address and resolve conflicts, and work well as a team. Blending spiritual and personal growth makes us stronger as individuals and as a church. As one of his former parishioners put it, “Ed led us to change, and helped us to grow when we didn’t even know we needed it.”

Ed received a Bachelor of Divinity at Newbold College and a Master of Systematic Theology through Andrews University. While living in Wales, he completed a postgraduate diploma in Practical Theology from Cardiff University. He is a certified chaplain and is currently completing his Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Theological Seminary. He views his education as a means of strengthening his leadership and his ability to guide people into a personal, growing relationship with God.

Born in northern England and raised in Wales, Ed has traveled extensively throughout Eastern and Western Europe. Before coming to Lancaster, Ed served as senior pastor of 3 churches in west Wales. Additionally he served as youth director for the Adventist Church in Wales, planning national and local youth activities and events, and leading service oriented trips to Lithuania and Poland. The past two and a half years he has served as associate pastor in Santa Barbara.

Ed demonstrated his versatility recently when he was invited to be a speaker at a youth conference in the Netherlands. He arrived at his parents’ home in Wales for a brief visit en route to Amsterdam. The day before his flight all air traffic in most of Europe was halted due to the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption. Travel from Wales to Amsterdam by land, air, and sea wasn’t an option. With 48 hours to go till his speech, Ed arranged to give his presentation to the conference over the Internet via Skype.

Moving to Lancaster is a bit like coming home for Ed. His wife, Shana, was raised here, and they were married in the Antelope Valley. He’s spent a lot of time in Lancaster through the years, including a summer internship at our church while studying for his MA. We are pleased to have Ed and his family in the Lancaster Adventist Church.