our pastor

     Kalesita was born on the Island of Tonga, but at the age of ten her family migrated to the U.S. and has resided in the Bay Area since. She graduated from both high school and college in the Bay Area. She is the mother of five and grandmother to Jeremiah and Kaleia with another grandchild expected by the end of the year. Her youngest son is a high schooler who will be a junior this fall.

     Professionally, she has been an Insurance Claim Examiner for a private family business. This is where I began to hear and felt the pain of families losing their property and loved ones. At times, clients just needed a listening ear and compassion. Over the years, she began to develop an inner passion to serve people better.

     Kalesita grew up in a time of challenges and lived in a poor neighborhood until she married, so she is familiar with family struggles and challenges. As the insurance business began to downsize, it forced her to step back and rethink her journey. When she returned to work, following her 19 years in the insurance business, she began working in a senior living facility. Here she continued to learn that to be patient and compassionate was an asset. She is leaving behind her work as a substitute administrative secretary at the Hayward Unified School District.

     Ministry wise, she has been an active laity at Hillsdale UMC. Participating in choirs, Sunday schools, committees, and prayer groups. This led her into participation with the United Women in Faith where she served as both a member of the Nomination Committee and stepped up to serve as the Chairperson. An opportunity also opened up for her to serve as an Assistant Dean of Mission u (associate with Methodist Women) and has served as Dean of Mission u  for the past three years. She has been a member of the Conference Committee of Nomination for last few years.

     During Covid, Kalesita was picked to serve as the Secretary for the Lay Servant Ministry in Tongan, a cross conferenced led program that catered to equip and support laity in local churches. She started to preach the good news in local churches. Opportunities from this program led her to Chicago, Nashville, and Hawaii for further faith growth.

     She says her training to be certified for Lay Minister was captivating and fruitful, and the realization of spiritual gifts to be shared was obvious. Currently, she serves on a National Pacific Islander Ministry team that is administered by the General Board of Global Ministry.  This team reviews grant requests by local churches and organizations throughout the UMC. Last fall she entered the Pacific School of Religion for Seminary and also served at the Conference Office as an Interim Lay Servant Ministry Coordinator.

     She has had many joyous and valuable journeys in her personal, professional and spiritual life, which makes her feel very grateful and blessed.