Meet Pastor Sam

Rev. Samuel Pullen was born in Minnesota and grew up in Iowa, where his parents provided an ecumenical Christian upbringing as members of Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and United Church of Christ congregations. Since his teenage years, Sam has been putting his faith in action and seeking justice as a student activist, labor & community organizer, and now as a Christian minister. Sam is fluent in Spanish and plays violin with mariachi groups, where he is commonly known as
“El Mariachi Gringo.” 

Pastor Sam shares about his spiritual journey in his own words: 

“The seeds of my spiritual leadership began to sprout while I was living at “The Burning Bush,” an intentional Christian community based in Echo Park. After a successful, yet stressful career as a labor and community organizer, I made the decision to prioritize my spiritual development by attending retreats, practicing Centering Prayer, and working the 12 steps in multiple recovery programs. I started listening to the Spirit and asking for guidance from my Higher Power, which led me to enroll in seminary at Claremont School of Theology. During this time I became a “member-in-discernment” at First Congregational Church of Pasadena, where I helped cultivate the contemporary worship community of (a)Spire Ministry. I was blessed with the opportunity to serve as a ministry assistant at Woodland Hills Community Church from 2012-2013. I  graduated from seminary in 2013 with a Masters of Divinity degree emphasizing social justice organization.
 
I was ordained by the United Church of Christ in August of 2013 to serve as the “Minister of Health Justice” with an interfaith organization called “LA Voice.” After that, I had the privilege of serving as the pastor at Los Alamitos Community Congregational United Church of Christ for nine years. Throughout this time I have been active with Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), and in 2020 our coalition in Los Alamitos was awarded an Architect of Justice Award for our efforts defending immigrants and defeating an anti-Sanctuary ordinance. In 2024, I discerned that the Spirit was calling me to a new ministry setting. I was recently blessed with the opportunity to serve as the sabbatical pastor at Immanuel Presbyterian church, a multicultural congregation located in Koreatown.
 
One of the greatest blessings in my life is being married to Elizabeth González, who works as a dual language teacher at a public school in Culver City. Together we tag-team in raising our spirited daughter, who currently loves fairies, elves, and all things princess related. 

My ministry celebrates the intersection of spiritual community, soulful music, seeking justice, and cultivating future generations. I am now very excited to serve at Woodland Hills Community Church, where the contemporary worship, spiritual practices, collaborative leadership and youth programs provide the foundation for a flourishing progressive Christian community. No matter who you are or where you are on your life’s journey, you are welcome here! I look forward to meeting you and learning about your life and spiritual journey.