Our Staff

Pastor Darren is a Bakersfield native and grew up at Olive Knolls. His experiences have led him to minister to people in the inner-cities of Orlando and Oklahoma City, as well as shepherding a church in Kaneohe, HI.  The Lord then brought his family back to Central California where he led the Church of the Nazarene in Tehachapi.  
Then in 2015, God brought him back to Bakersfield to serve in his home church, Olive Knolls.  Darren has a passion for teaching the word and discipleship… not to mention a strong cup of coffee and road cycling.  He is married to Julie, and together, they have 6 children.  Darren’s vision for his life can be summed up in two words: Transformed Lives!

Brent comes to Olive Knolls with a over 25 years of ministry experience. He has served in a variety of roles including Youth Pastor, Family Life Pastor, Teaching Pastor, Children’s Pastor, and Church Planter. He grew up in Southern California and has his undergraduate degree from Point Loma Nazarene University as well as a Masters Degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary. He has a passion for students and watching the Holy Spirit transform lives as they grow in their relationship with Christ. Brent enjoys spending time with his wife, Lori, and three children. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, graphic design, and cheering on the Dodgers, Rams, or Bruins!

Born and raised in Bakersfield, Moe Smith has called Olive Knolls his home for the last 32 years.  He considers this church family, as many of the men and women here have shaped his spiritual growth over the years. Moe attended Nazarene Bible College, where he felt the call to youth and young adult ministry. Prior to his position as a youth pastor at Olive Knolls, he served as the College Pastor at our sister church, Ridgeview Church of the Nazarene. Moe married his best friend and partner, Tara, and they have two kids. Moe has a passion for all things outdoors, and his ultimate goal in youth ministry is to lead and equip young people to live out their purpose and be victoriously united in Christ.

Debbie has been part of the Olive Knolls Church family for most of 25 years. Her passion is to help  others to know Jesus as their Savior, grow in intimate fellowship with Him, learn His Word, and be transformed into Christlikeness. Debbie felt a call to full time ministry, first serving at Ridgeview Community Church as the children’s pastor for almost two years. She was called to return to Olive Knolls as Children’s Pastor in June, 2008, and has transitioned to Outreach. Debbie and her husband Curt have been married for 15 years and have a blended family of five children and six grandchildren.

Mariah has been serving in children’s ministry for over 10 years in a variety of capacities. She has a passion for sharing and cultivating the love of Christ with children and their families, while equipping them with tools to share that message with people in their lives. Mariah has lived all over California, from the desert to the mountains. She and her husband David have a blended family of six kids, with the two youngest attending school right here at Olive Knolls Christian School. 

Paula has attended Olive Knolls Church for 22 years. During that time, she served as a lay youth leader for 10 years and worked in Children’s Ministry for the last six years. Paula and her husband Bruce are a blended family of six adult children and three grandchildren. Her many responsibilities as Children's Ministry Coordinator are broad. Paula is blessed to be a part of the amazing team at Olive Knolls!

Donna Alsop and her husband, Richard, have four grown children and have been attending Olive Knolls since 1992. She began her tenure here as a bookkeeper for both the church and school in 1998. In 2001, she became the church receptionist, then moved to her next position as Communications Secretary. She is currently the Office Manager and has recently taken the leadership of Lifegroups. In addition, she facilitates a Ladies Bible Study in her home. Donna’s vision for her life is “God revealed,” and her mission is “to know God and make Him known.”

As the Facilities Manager, Richard oversees the team whose jobs are to make sure our church and school campus are safe and well maintained for our visitors, staff, and children. He and his staff also oversee special events ranging from 10 to over 600 people hosted on our campus by other local organizations. In addition to managing our facilities, Richard assumes the Human Resources roll. Richard and his wife, Tiffany, and family have been part of the Olive Knolls family for over 19 years.