Rev. Matthew Beham assumes new responsibilities; Oscar Palin to join RPC staff as Director of Youth

As we continue to prepare for the transition of our our senior pastor to a new role in ministry, Rev. Matthew Beham, RPC Pastor of Children’s and Youth Ministries, will assume new and expanded pastoral leadership duties at Redeemer. After preaching on Easter Sunday, RPC Senior Pastor Tom Gibbs will go on sabbatical in preparation for his transition to the presidency of Covenant Theological Seminary. He will return on May 24^th, and his last Sunday in the pulpit at RPC will be June 20^th. As Pastor Gibbs begins his sabbatical, Pastor Beham will assume ongoing responsibility for the structure and logistics of the Sunday morning worship service.

Pastor Beham will still oversee youth and children’s ministries, but this expanded leadership role will require him to step away from his day-to-day role as leader of our Youthies. This change creates space for new leadership in our Youth Ministry. Redeemer is pleased to announce that Oscar Palin will join the RPC staff in April as Director of Youth Ministries.

Oscar Palin’s addition to our staff ensures the growing Youth Ministry will continue to receive the leadership and attention it needs to thrive. His first day on the RPC staff will be April 26^th. He is a native of Valparaiso, Indiana, and a 2018 graduate of Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. Oscar has been serving as Assistant Director of Student Ministries at First Presbyterian Church of Rome, Georgia, and is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Tabitha, a Georgia native, have been married for six months.

Oscar says his call to youth ministry emerged from his own thanksgiving for a faithful student ministry he benefitted from as a high school student.

“I wanted to impact students in the same way that my youth leaders impacted me,” he says. “Also, in light of the way Jesus has impacted my life, I want to give back to the church however I can. I’m excited to meet and get to know students and their families most of all. Working with students is a great joy of mine, and I am thankful that the Lord is gracing me with an opportunity to do that.”

Pastor Beham says he first met Oscar at a Reformed Youth Ministries training in Nashville two years ago, and while he was not at that time thinking of future leaders for the Youthies, he is thrilled to have Oscar come to San Antonio at this pivotal moment for youth ministry at Redeemer.

“I was immediately impressed by Oscar’s wisdom and maturity and appreciated how he thought about youth ministry from the beginning,” Beham says. “I can’t wait to have him as a member of our team. It will be really sad not to do the day-to-day work of youth ministry, but I am also excited for the future of the ministry. The reason I got into youth ministry is because I want to see the next generation grow up in the faith, so I am excited to help Oscar and the youth staff grow in their leadership at Redeemer.”

Please continue in prayer during this time of transition in the life of Redeemer. We give thanks for Pastor Beham’s leadership of the Redeemer Youthies these many years and hope you will give him your prayer and encouragement in his new responsibilities. Please also join us in welcoming Oscar and Tabitha to Redeemer and San Antonio.