The Bible indicates that each local church is to be under the leadership of qualified elders (Acts 14:23; 20:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14). These leaders work together to lead the church — though their individual gifts and responsibilities may vary. The Bible reserves this position of leadership for men who have a godly character and are able to teach and defend doctrine (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).
The Elders of FBBC
Bruno Araiza
Lay Elder
Derek Bustos
Lay Elder
Luis F. Cardenas
Lay Elder
Luis A. Cardenas
Staff Elder
Alex Mata
Lay Elder
Mario Pineda
Lay Elder
Richard Valdivia
Lay Elder
Mike Zieman
Lay Elder
Bruno Araiza
Bruno and his wife, Dora, live in Whitter and have one son, who is currently in college. Bruno started attending FBBC in 1987 and has been in the electrical field for over 25 years.
Derek Bustos
Originally from El Paso, Derek came to southern California in 1988 after graduating from Texas A&M University. He has been working in the architecture and construction industry for over 30 years. Derek and his wife, Sara, live in Whittier. They have two grown children and one grandchild.
Luis F. Cardenas (Sr.)
Luis and his wife, Mikki, came to FBBC in 1987 with their three children. Originally from Guatemala, Luis retired after working over 35 years as a service engineer for a printing company. He and Mikki love spending time with their nine grandkids.
Luis A. Cardenas (Jr.)
Pastor Luis is the regular preacher at FBBC and oversees administration. He has attended FBBC since Kindergarten. After graduating from Cal State Fullerton, Luis earned his M. Div from The Master's University in Sun Valley, CA. Luis joined FBBC staff as a pastor in 2015. He and his wife, Veronica, have one son and two daughters.
Alex Mata
Alex and his wife, Diana, have lived in Pico Rivera since 1990. They have two adult sons. Alex is a Christian life and leadership Coach with The Navigators Church Ministries. They have been FBBC members since 2006.
Mario Pineda
Mario came to California at a young age from El Salvador and began attending FBBC in the 1990s. He lives in Downey with his wife, Amy, and two sons. He currently works in hopsital administration.
Richard Valdivia
Richard began attending FBBC in 1977. He and his wife, Beatrice, live in Whittier. They have four adult sons and love being grandparents. Richard retired after working over 30 years as a plant engineer for the phone company.
Mike Zieman
Mike began attending FBBC in 1971 and is now retired from his career at a consulting engineering firm. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Whittier and have two grown daughters and three grandchildren.