Leadership
Our Leadership
Lead Pastor: Tim Lee

Tim was born in Chicago but raised in the Bay Area. He earned a BA in Music with an emphasis in Jazz Voice, along with a minor in math from SFSU, and a MAR in Biblical Studies from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He married his high school sweetheart, Yumi, in 2005 and they now have two children, Emi and Aki.

Pathway started when Tim was in high school. After serving as a worship leader through college, he came on staff as a half time director of worship, adding the title of youth pastor the next year. He served as the youth and worship pastor for 16 years before transitioning into the lead role in 2020.

His favorite foods are his wife’s homecooked Japanese food, Choco tacos (perfectly engineered for every bite to be a balanced dessert experience) and the Thai food that Pathway's ministry friends cook when short term teams are sent to serve in Thailand. Some of Tim's favorite scriptures are Philippians 3:10-11 and Isaiah 58.
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Family Ministries Pastor: Matt Kwan

Matt and his wife Brandy were married in 1991 and now reside in Livermore, CA. They are parents to 7 beautiful children. They also provide a home for mini-horses, goats, dogs, chickens, ducks, leopard geckos, turtles, budgies, fish, and a snake. The Kwan family has called Pathway Community Church their home since 1997.

Matt graduated in 1989 from the Art and Design program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA. In 1992 he Co-Founded Sandbox Studio, a commercial photography studio headquartered in San Francisco, CA. In 2015 Matt sold his stake in Sandbox Studio and committed full time to ministry and family.

From 2011 to 2015 Matt attended Western Seminary, San Jose, CA. In 2014 he accepted his first vocational ministry role as the Adult Ministries Pastor at Pathway Community Church of Pleasanton. His current role there is Family Pastor and he also serves on the Pathway Elder Board.

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Youth Pastor: Austin Ying

Austin was born and raised in the Bay Area. He majored in Comparative Religious Studies in San Jose State University and then went on to receive a MA in Ministry and Leadership from Western Seminary. In his free time, he likes to exercise, play games, listen to music, practice card tricks, and take power naps.

Austin enjoys any and all kinds of food except for dishes with excessive green onions. Among the countless awesome Bible verses, his top three favorites are John 19:30, Hebrews 4:16, and Romans 8:11. After being in ministry for some time, Austin believes that living life comes down to serving like Christ by being, giving, and doing his best.
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Children's Ministry Lead: Brandy Kwan

Brandy and her husband Matt have been married since 1991 and have 7 children. They live in beautiful Livermore, Ca., on a small ranch nicknamed the “ Kwanderosa." There they raise an assortment of animals including: mini horses, goats, geckos, dogs, turtles, chickens, a snake, and Brandy’s beloved ducks. Pathway Community Church has been the Kwan family’s home since 1997.

Brandy started assisting one of the founders of Pathway, Gina Owyoung, in children’s ministry in 1998. In 2015 Brandy assumed the role of Director of Gforce, followed by the Director of Children’s Ministry role in 2020. She maintains that there is no place more fun than a children’s classroom on a Sunday morning and feels a little bit bad for those of you that have to go to “big people” service.

To relax, Brandy likes to watch Netflix, do ranch chores, and look on the internet for duck jokes.
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FOUNDERS: Brian and Gina Owyoung

Pathway Community Church was founded in 1997 after Brian and Gina Owyoung felt called to start a new church in Castro Valley. A handful of families began meeting in in the Owyoung's living room before eventually moving to Creekside Middle School in Castro Valley. In 2007, Pathway moved to San Ramon for 5 years, then to Dublin for 5 years, and have since settled into Pleasanton, CA.

Brian and Gina retired from ministry in 2015 after faithfully serving at Pathway as Senior Pastor and Children's Ministry Director for 18 years. They leave behind a legacy of an exciting children's ministry, a vision focused on loving Jesus and sharing his compassion to the world, and a culture of empowering and training new leaders to serve God. They have, along with their 4 daughters and 3 sons-in-law, have left an amazing imprint of love driven by faith in Jesus Christ.
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