Staff of First Congregational Church
Rev. Dr. Tim Burnette
Tim is serving as Bridge Minister at First Congregational Church Santa Barbara. He writes and teaches in philosophy, theology, cosmology, and decolonial mysticism. He earned his doctorate from Claremont School of Theology, where he studied process metaphysics and compassion. He has hosted the Theopoetics Podcast and also currently curates Way Collective, which is a contemplative community for love and liberation in the Disciples of Christ tradition. He is a husband, father, musician, athlete, and avid reader. He agrees with Kurt Vonnegut that you can see all kinds of things from the edge that you can’t see from the center. Although…sometimes it helps to be centered out on the edge as well.
Dr. Pascal Salomon
Pascal Salomon is a multi-culture musician and a concert pianist. He has served as Music Director at First Congregational Church since 2013, leading music for worship services and directing both the choir and the handbell ensemble. His versatile repertoire embraces everything from classical masterpieces to folk melodies, lively jazz, and Broadway tunes. He holds degrees from both the Paris and the Geneva Conservatories of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from UCSB. Pascal Salomon is also Vice-President of the SB branch of the Music Teachers Association of California. Active as a music coach and an interacting colleague in the music circles of Santa Barbara, he also travels for concerts, competition adjudications and collaborative works.
Cara Burnette
Cara Burnette is the Administrative Assistant here at FCCSB. She graduated with her BA in Sociology, and is a wife and mom to three wonderful kids, while also working full-time as a TK aide at a local elementary school. She has years of experience in church administration, and loves serving in her role to provide organizational support for the congregation!
Shane Lopes
Shane grew up in Santa Barbara where he attended Santa Barbara Christian School in elementary school and later married his “high school sweetheart” whom he met at Dos Pueblos High School. They now have three children.
Shane has been the Head of Middle School at Laguna Blanca since 2018, Building Manager for FCCSB since 2022 and is also licensed by the state of California as a Real Estate Salesperson. Shane also serves as Board Director for Open Minds, which is local non-profit organization that specializes in providing accessible, insurance-based mental health services for adolescents and young adults.