Reverend Matt Hardin
Pastor/Head of Staff

The Reverend Matthew Hardin began his ministry at Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church in January of 2021. After graduating from George Mason University in 1999 with a degree in Philosophy, Matt worked for two years in the Internal Affairs Division at the US Customs Service in Washington, D.C. Following his heart and a sense of call, he then attended Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He was ordained in the PCUSA in 2004.

Matt’s first call was as a solo pastor of a small church in North Carolina where he served until accepting a call at Tokyo Union Church in Tokyo, Japan in 2009. He most recently served as the Associate Pastor at Westwood Presbyterian Church (in Los Angeles) before joining the Pali Pres family.

Matt is currently pursuing his Doctor of Ministry degree in the field of men’s spirituality, an area of special interest to him since being introduced to the work of Richard Rohr in 2010. Matt serves as the Los Angeles Region Coordinator for Illuman SoCal, a global not for profit organization committed to supporting men who are seeking to deepen their spiritual lives.

His hobbies include traveling, jogging, eating chocolate, and all things baseball. Matt is married to Mary Fish Hardin who is a middle school teacher at Brentwood School. Together they have two amazing boys, Joshua (6 years old) and Luke (4 years old).

The Reverend Dr. Grace Park is a native of Southern California, born at St. John’s in Santa Monica, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Political Economics, with studies abroad in both the U.K. and Japan.

After a brief foray into the business world, then teaching severely emotionally disturbed (SED) high risk youth in Pacoima, she graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity in 1993, focusing on multicultural studies and pastoral counseling. She holds a doctorate of ministry from New York Theological Seminary, and her dissertation focused on clergy self care through interfaith dialogue and community.

Pastor Grace was ordained in the PCUSA in 1996, and has served in many different roles in the church as a children’s pastor, youth pastor, and associate pastor. She has had the blessing of doing urban missions with focus on the homeless as well as short-term missions in both Mexico and in Central America.

When she is not at church, she works as a hospice chaplain with Apguard Hospice, serving those who are making their transition from life to death. She also serves at Cedars Sinai Medical Center each week as a chaplain intern in their Clinical Pastoral Education program. Recently, she sat on the Board of New Theological Seminary of the West and served on the Leadership Council of Angel Interfaith Network. She is also a member of the National Charity League and she and her husband support scholarship efforts for first generation college students.

Grace enjoys water sports, travel, yoga, is an avid reader, a fond patron of the arts, and a devout foodie. She has been married for 30 years to Charles, a physician, and they are the proud parents of four adult children: Elijah, Hannah, Joshua and Jubilee, as well as three rambunctious dogs.

It is her deepest honor to be a part of the Pali Pres family!

Reverend Dr. Grace Park
Associate Pastor

Lucy Garcia
Director of Children and Family Ministries

Lucy Garcia is a Southern California native with international experience.

She was born in San Fernando, raised in Pasadena, moved to Mexico as a teen, then returned to Los Angeles, where she became a Christian at the age of 25. For the entirety of her walk with God, she has served either as a volunteer leader or paid staff member for various non-denominational Christian organizations both in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in Latin America.

As a community organizer, Lucy has worked as Director of Development for the Arthritis Foundation and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in various communities throughout Los Angeles. Before becoming a committed Christian in 1997, Lucy worked in the entertainment industry in TV and Film Production, Public Relations, Artist Management, and Record Label Artist Development. She loves listening to music and attending as many concerts as possible.

Lucy’s multicultural experience includes being invited as a keynote speaker for international women’s and missions conferences in Europe, Australia, Asia, Latin America, and major cities in the United States. She is bilingual and multicultural. Most recently, Lucy served as a Director of Charities for the International Women’s Club of Mexico City, where she co-led the English and Tutoring Programs for two displaced young women’s homes; a haven for girls in dire situations. She is passionate about elevating the role of women in the church and raising children in the love of God. Lucy considers being the mother of her two grown children, Carlos and Andrew Mejia, as her greatest accomplishment.

Julie Baczewski
Preschool Director

Julie Baczewski graduated with a BA in Speech Communication, Psychology, and English from Cal State LA; and from Pepperdine University with a Masters Degree in Education with a specialty in Early Childhood Development. She worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for twenty years – starting as a Mommy and Me facilitator, then as a substitute teacher, and finally was Director at Little Village Nursery School, a parent cooperative nursery school in West Los Angeles. Julie began as Director at Palisades Presbyterian Nursery School in July of 1999.

Lynda Park is the Assistant Director at Pali Pres Preschool. She is originally from Mexico and was raised and educated right here in the Palisades. She has worked at various preschools in West LA. and has a range of experience as a teacher and administrator. Lynda’s background has provided her with a love for learning about different cultures and religions and has encouraged me to keep an open mind to new things.

Her husband, James, works at Cedars-Sinai and they have two children, Hailey, who is 15 and Ethan who is 1 years old. They also have an adorable dog named Bailey. They love sports and are Rams and Dodger fans. They also enjoy going to the movies.

Lynda Park
Preschool Assistant Director

Anthony Wamble
Contemporary Worship Leader

Anthony Wamble is a native Pacific Islander, multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, worship leader and teacher. He has a major in Graphic Design with double minors in Music and Psychology.

He has led his marching band drum line to national championship finals, spends some time recording as a studio musician, and performs live with his own music.

He teaches curriculum music to elementary and middle schools in the Los Angeles area teaching instrumentation, theory and preparing them for school musicals and performances. He also teaches curriculum STEM-STEAM-Technology Integration in the top ten L.A. based middle schools. Anthony’s passion for teaching technology and music has led him to open two locations of his learning center ATAM – Academy of Technology Art and Music where he teaches students of all ages and skill ranges.

Dr. Long-Tao “Pierre” Tang oversees the instrumental ensemble program, directs the orchestra and wind ensemble, and serves as the conductor for the annual musical theater and opera productions at Pepperdine University. Selected presentations of his scholarly research include the Oxford Conducting Institute International Conference in Sydney, Australia, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Prague, Czech Republic, and the California All-State Music Educators Conference in Fresno, California.

Raised in Hong Kong, he is a sought-after guest conductor and clinician for instrumental and vocal ensembles internationally. Tang teaches annual conducting workshops and directorship seminars in Hong Kong, including the most recent one focusing on orchestra as an operatic accompaniment. Tang also served as the Director of Music at St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Newbury Park, California.

Before his orchestral pursuits, Tang completed master’s degrees in both wind conducting and choral music, and specialized in piano performance at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His principal teachers include Donald Schleicher, Andrew Megill, Chester Alwes, Linda Moorhouse, Stephen Peterson, Dennis Helmrich and Julie Kuok, and has participated in masterclasses led by Joseph Flummerfelt, H. Robert Reynolds, Jerry Junkin, Larry Rachleff, Osmo Vänskä etc.

As a vocal coach, collaborative pianist and period keyboardist, Tang has worked with such renowned musicians as Joseph Flummerfelt, Roberto Abbondanza, Alois Glaßner, Jacques Mauger and Eric Aubier etc. Recent performances as keyboardist include St. Michael's Church in Vienna, Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center in New York, Chicago Symphony Center, and in the Krannert Center as continuo organist for the Illinois Bach Academy led by Andrew Megill, Nancy Wilson and Robin Leaver.

Pierre Tang
Director of Traditional Music

Will Saunders
Office & Operations Manager

Farrah Mikail
Church Business Administrator

Natasha Perez
Church Accounts Coordinator

Enrique Portillo
Facilities Manager

Dennis Moran
Head Custodian