Though the Bible teaches that every member has a responsibility in the church, it also indicates that local churches are to be under the leadership of a plurality of qualified elders. Terms like elder, bishop, overseer, shepherd, or pastor are used interchangeably to refer to the same office (Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Peter 5:1-2).
Since the Bible refers to elders as a group, we believe that all elders should work together to lead the church—even if their individual gifts and responsibilities vary (Acts 14:23; 20:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14). The Bible reserves this position of leadership for men who desire the position, are above reproach, and are able to teach and defend doctrine (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Below is a list of the elders at FBBC.
Bruno Araiza
Bruno and his wife, Dora, live in Whitter and have one son currently in college. Bruno started attending FBBC in 1987 and has been in the electrical field for 25 years.
Derek Bustos
Originally from El Paso, Derek came to southern California in 1988 after graduating from 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.
Luis A. Cardenas (Jr.)
Pastor Luis began attending FBBC at a young age and currently serves on staff overseeing areas of preaching and administration. He earned his M.Div from The Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, CA. He and his wife, Veronica, have one son and two daughters.
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 grandkids.
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.