Meet the Staff

Rev. Scott Hamilton Adams serves as the current University Pastor at California Lutheran where he provides spiritual leadership and pastoral care to students, faculty, staff and administrators. His primary focus is to create safe and empowering spaces of belonging for spiritual growth, service to neighbor and building strong interpersonal relationships towards the realization of Beloved Community. Rev. Scott is committed to a progressive interfaith, multicultural and intergenerational approach to ministry and strives to promote an openness to difference and diversity, and a deep respect for the distinctiveness of every human being. 

Rev. Scott formerly served as Senior Pastor of Heritage United Church of Christ. While at Heritage, he provided transformational leadership to enrich the congregation’s Scriptural and theological knowledge, growth, and development for holistic wellness and spiritual formation. He diligently worked alongside members to inspire and expand the congregation’s worldview in the areas of diversity, equity and belonging, and to practically apply knowledge to do justice, love mercy and continue to build upon Heritage’s rich legacy of community service and social equity.

Rev. Scott also served as the Assistant Director of Interfaith and Ecumenical Ministries at Loyola University, Maryland where he led the university’s interfaith initiatives towards cultivating empowering spaces of diverse faith and non-faith beliefs by educating the campus community in religious diversity, and providing co-curricular experiences that complemented and contextualized Loyola’s Jesuit values and principles. Rev. Scott was also responsible for developing, supporting and affirming Loyola’s Protestant Christian community through worship services, programming, spiritual development and education.

Rev. Scott received his second Master’s Degree (ThM) from Duke University's School of Divinity. He has also completed his course of study to become a Certified Executive Coach from The University of Texas. He holds a Master’s degree in Theology from St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from James Madison University. He also has completed significant coursework in Clinical Pastoral Counseling at Loyola University in Maryland, and Clinical Pastoral Education as a hospital chaplain at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Rev. Scott believes that his greatest gift in life and his first ministry is in his role as husband and a father. He and wife Tanya are the proud parents of two sons, Ray and Scotty.

Rev. Scott is also a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.

Jessica was born and raised in Ventura and grew up attending the rehearsals and concerts of her musical parents.  She earned her BA in Piano and Oboe from Cal Lutheran in 2004, studied Piano Accompanying at Westminster Choir College from 2006-2007, and recently graduated with an MM in Choral Conducting from California State University, Los Angeles.

When not making music all over town, she enjoys quilting, playing video games, seeing live theater, and cuddling with her cat, Olivia Benson.