Valley Forum: The legacy of Pastor Rich Gantenbein

Note: Pastor Rich Gantenbein of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Sonoma passed away suddenly on Saturday, April 27, his 68th birthday.

Rich Gantenbein’s vision for local and international missions was a key in helping others enhance their faith. His ability to see those in need helped develop the foundation of St Andrew and its many years of serving the Sonoma Valley as well as the world.

Since 2009, St. Andrew has embraced a tradition of “don’t go to church,” closing its doors for one Sunday each year to serve the Sonoma Valley. This year we celebrated our Sunday of Action on May 5, one week after losing Rich.

We had over 140 volunteers serving the schools, cemeteries, elderly homes and other local nonprofits.

Other local mission works of St. Andrew are in support of the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, Brown Baggers, Sonoma Overnight Support, FISH, Angel Tree, the Christmas shoebox project, YoungLife and our youth group caravans. Rich also was instrumental in sharing the St. Andrew Church facility with two Hispanic congregations, for worship services and fellowship. Each one of these are a tribute to the vision of one soulful, kind, humble man.

At the heart of St. Andrew’s mission work is the 12-step foundation of healing, which Rich had a talent for weaving into his sermons and led to the founding of the Thursday night Hunger for Healing Group. The lives that have been transformed from his leadership are countless and his legacy will live on in many residents of Sonoma Valley.

Rich’s legacy lives on not only in missions, but in the lives that he touched. Below is the story of Tracy, a long-time resident of the Sonoma Valley who has attended St. Andrew for many years with Rich as her pastor.

“I first came to St. Andrew at the age of 14. My girlfriend had been killed in a car accident and her memorial service was held at St. Andrew. Pastor Rich had only been the pastor for six months, and walked his congregation through the difficult process of grieving the loss of a child. I found the church a safe place to ask questions, and to be angry with God. Pastor Rich came alongside me and offered to walk through the uncertainties of it all. Little did I know at that time that St. Andrew would become my home church and has remained such for 38 years. I joined St. Andrew’s youth group, was recruited to volunteer at the annual Vacation Bible Camp, and even had the opportunity to teach a second grade Sunday School class while I was in high school.

When my eldest daughter felt called to mission work as a teenager, I was afraid of sending her into the world. Rich sent us both to Romania as leaders of the mission to provide a Vacation Bible Camp to the Roma children! Five years later, we are still traveling to Romania twice a year. Our church visits the remote villages, where we deliver coats, boots, schools supplies, and provide flour to make bread through the winter. During the summer we lead a camp, complete with healthy meals and a Godly message of love and acceptance. Mission work, even though it serves others, also rewards those who serve.

I am who I am today, in such a large part, because of St. Andrew, Pastor Rich, and the congregation that has always loved me and my family. Together they have taught me to keep life simple: to connect with God, grow in community and serve the world. It’s not just a mission statement, it’s who I have become.”

Eric Van Cleave is a member of the St. Andrew Church.