A calling is not just a pull toward one career path. It can be the catalyst for the way you live your life. Called to serve his community, build a family, and mentor students, Freddy Rivas ’99 worships God by devoting his life to ministry. Following his vocation to be a pastor, Rivas went from being a new believer at Azusa Pacific University as an undergraduate student, to sharing the Gospel through his words and actions for the past two decades.
Originally from Los Angeles, Rivas gave his life to the Lord as a junior in high school. He had been attending Arcadia Friends Community Church and fell in love with God’s goodness and salvation. As a freshman at Citrus College, Rivas joined his church on a Mexico Outreach trip in collaboration with APU. Rivas served as an interpreter and felt the Holy Spirit calling him to pursue pastoral ministry. Leaning on God’s grace, Rivas transferred to APU as a biblical studies major. “My professors invested in me and encouraged me during a season of formative transformation,” Rivas said. “As a student, my confidence grew immensely in an environment that upholds spiritual growth.”
Rivas’ undergraduate years were fruitful for many reasons. The classmates Rivas met have turned into lifelong friends, and some are even colleagues he waves to in the halls everyday. He met and proposed to his wife, who also attended APU. “APU’s impact continues to pour into my life on and off campus,” he said.
Rivas went to Princeton Theological Seminary, which provided him space to discern where God was leading him. After graduating in 2003, he returned to Southern California. Giving back to the church that first planted the pastoral seed for Rivas, he served at Arcadia Friends Community Church for a few years. Then he shepherded a Spanish language church in Pico Rivera, where he got to engage with believers from across Central America.
In 2008, Rivas applied to be a pastor mentor at APU, initially planning to stay in the part time role. Never having planned to work in an academic setting, Rivas developed a love for guiding students as they discern their callings in pastoral ministry. His many years of experience as a pastor have allowed him to equip students with the perspective and encouragement to see their journey through God’s lens of grace and favor.
Rivas now serves as the director of mentoring and formation within the Center of Vocational Ministry. He wears many hats, as his role not only includes mentorship, but also entails supporting grant funded initiatives by building relationships with churches and ministry leaders in the community. Rivas also leads the Vocāre program (a five-year Bachelor’s to Master’s in Pastoral Studies program at APU).
When he’s not at APU, Rivas spends time serving and planning sermons for the church he and his wife planted in 2016, Living Hope Church in Temple City. “Pursuing our dream of church planting has been both a stretching experience and a way for us to witness God’s handiwork,” Rivas said. “Getting to be there for people along their spiritual journeys, no matter what stage they’re at, has tapped into why I felt this call years ago as a college student.” Rivas still implements a lot of what he learned in his Bible classes in the 90s when speaking to his church community.
Looking back at where he started and where he is now, Rivas recalls Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25. “I want to continue stewarding the skills and resources God has blessed me with,” he said. Rivas attributes his life’s direction to God faithfully and consistently leading him along a straight path. “I’m humbled and thankful to be where I am at APU and with my church and family. God’s goodness truly does prevail.”