Meet The Pastor
Pastor James Harleman
After my first decade in ministry, my wife and I came to Refuge in 2013 on a sabbatical simply to worship and attend, and we were loved so well we decided to answer the call when a new pastor was needed! I've been married to my wife Kat since 1999 and ordained since 2005. We have a Corgi named Shelley and in our spare time enjoy cinema: in fact, I love to use the stories of film and the messages in movies to point people to the greatest story ever told.
I've served in large and small churches contexts and learned I prefer a family-sized environment, but the MOST important thing is a church family seeking to define our love and community in terms of fidelity to God and His Word! With our elders, deacons, and members we enjoy bringing both the ancient and contemporary to our services, Puritan poems and movie clips, so it's a blend of timeless truth with contemporary expression.
As a wise minister once told me: "check it out for 2-3 weeks and if it's not for you, I can suggest some other Bible-believing churches in the area that might also serve you". There's only ONE church, but I'm blessed to be part of THIS local chapter.
Soli Deo Gloria,
James Harleman