Our Leadership
Brett Stroud
President
In 2010 Brett graduated from the Torrey Honors College, Biola University’s “Great Books” program for undergraduates. He went on to earn his Law Degree from Pepperdine University in 2014. After teaching at Trinity Law School and practicing real estate law in Los Angeles, Brett moved to Bakersfield in 2018 where he began practicing water rights law at Young Wooldridge, LLP. He met his wife, Lydia, while they were both students in the Torrey Honors College and they have been married since 2015.
Chad Vegas
Vice President
Chad is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church. In his early career he taught High School Government and he also served on the Kern High School Board of Trustees. After completing his M.A. in Theology at the Talbot School of Theology, and being the high school pastor at RiverLakes Community Church, Chad was called to plant a church in Bakersfield. He is also the founding board chairman of Radius International, an organization that trains people to plant churches among unreached language groups. He has been married to Teresa since 1994, and they have 2 children.
Charles Ernst
Treasurer/Secretary
Charles is a local business owner in Bakersfield. His business, PSIS, was founded to help business owners take back control of their health insurance plans for their employees. He has been married to Joanna since 2009 and has two children.
Jason Faber
Director
Jason is one of the original four men whom God called to co-plant Sovereign Grace Church of Bakersfield. He attended Biola University for two years while studying philosophy, biblical studies, and participating in the Torrey Honors “Great Books” program. He went on to graduate from Fresno Pacific University in 2006. In 2019, he received his M.A. from Westminster Theological Seminary. Jason has been married to Christin since 2011 and they welcomed their son Benjamin into their family in 2017 and their daughter Charlotte in 2020.
Brandy Vencel
Director
Brandy is stay-at-home mom who began homeschooling her children in the classical tradition over a decade ago. She is the writer of Afterthoughts Blog, host of the Scholé Sisters podcast, and serves on the Auxiliary Board of AmblesideOnline, a Charlotte Mason homeschool curriculum. Brandy is an alumna of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary. She has been married to her husband, Si, since 2001 and they have four children.
Becky Skaggs
Director
Becky is a mom of four and has been married to her husband, Curtis, for almost 20 years. She is a lifelong educator and has served as a high school math teacher, a high school counselor, a charter school teacher, and a homeschool mom. Her goal as an educator and homeschool mom is that her students would learn to glorify God with their lives.
