Pastoral Team
Rev. Rebecca Stringer
Renewal Pastor
Rebecca grew up as a missionary kid in the Philippines and came to live in the United States during college. She attended Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, TX, and received her Bachelor of Music from Wheaton College near Chicago, IL. She then served as a worship minister for 9 years on O'ahu before receiving her Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. Rebecca also completed 5 units of clinical pastoral education (CPE) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. She loves to study, preach, develop leaders, and listen for God at work. Her hidden talents including speaking Tagalog and making pork adobo!
Rebecca is married to Dan, an ordained pastor in the ECC and a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Hawai’i’s graduate schools. Together they have three children (2 on earth, 1 in heaven) who love the ocean, dim sum, and family field trips.
Pastor Cheryl Takabayashi-Foo
Pastor of Community Life and Care
Born and raised in Hawaii, Cheryl graduated from Punahou School and went on to pursue undergraduate studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, completing a Double Degree in Political Science and Japanese Language and Literature. She then went on to Santa Clara University School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctorate, and thereafter returned home to Hawaii to raise a family and also to help with elderly family members. Her interest in people and emotionally and spiritually healthy relationships led her to pursue a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University while she practiced law. Currently, Cheryl is bi-vocational, feeling called to practice law in the area of Estate Planning as well as serving on the Pastor Team here at Wellspring. While Cheryl’s journey began by simply dedicating time and attention to the church in various ways and ministries, her call to pastoral ministry has evolved to pursue a seminary education. She continues to be open to deeply meaningful ways to serve and be present to her church family and the community.
Cheryl is married to Nathan Foo, and they have three daughters and one son. Cheryl enjoys herself by spending time with family and friends, attempting to read and actually finishing a book, eating, and also carving out time to relax. Newly discovered joys include traveling and studying again!
Educational Experience: University of Washington, Seattle Washington, 1983-88. (Bachelor of Arts Double Degree, Japanese Language & Literature; Political Science). Santa Clara University School of Law, Santa Clara, California, 1988-1991 (Juris Doctorate). Argosy University, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2009-2012 (Masters Degree, Marriage & Family Therapy)
Rev. Dan Stringer
Pastor of Theological Formation
What in the world does a Pastor of Theological Formation do? Well, that’s a really fancy way of saying Pastor Dan helps connect our beliefs and priorities with everyday life (and vice versa) as we follow Jesus together. Dan was born on O’ahu and grew up in Mililani, DR Congo, Nepal, and the Philippines as a child of medical missionaries. He met his future wife Rebecca in the 10th grade when they were classmates in the Philippines (ask him about it sometime, it’s a long but cherished story).
Dan is also a Campus Minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, reaching out to graduate students and faculty at the University of Hawai’i. He is ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church and an alum of Wheaton College (BA), Fuller Seminary (M.Div), and UH’s School of Social Work (MSW). Go Bows!
When he’s trying not to be so serious, Dan enjoys playing basketball, collecting baseball cards, and learning super easy songs on the ukulele. He also likes bringing his boys outdoors on family field trips. Dan is currently writing a book with InterVarsity Press about how to cultivate a healthier evangelicalism, expected to release in 2021.
Rev. Yumiko Nakagawa
Pastor of Kingdom Connections
Born and raised in Japan, Yumiko became a Christian in Japan and was baptized at Suita Gospel Church, Osaka in her early 20s. After finishing Doshisha University, Kyoto, Yumiko continued her studies at Amherst College, MA, and then moved to Hawaii to work at a foreign policy think tank in Honolulu. After a few years in Japan and central Asia, she moved back to Boston for schooling at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where she discovered her joy in serving at a Christian Church. After earning Master of Divinity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Yumiko made a lifetime commitment to serve as an ordained minister of the Evangelical Covenant Church. It was with great surprise she connected with Wellspring Covenant Church in 2020 and she has been enjoying getting to know the Wellspring Ohana!
Staff
Val Arakaki
Operations Manager
Val grew up in Manoa and graduated from Punahou School. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington with a double major in Zoology and Psychology. She then moved to California to earn a Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education at San Francisco State University and a teaching credential from Santa Clara University. She worked her way through graduate school as a barista at Starbucks, sparking her joy of connecting with people over a cup of coffee or afternoon tea.
After returning to Hawaii, Val earned her MBA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has been part of the Wellspring community since 2006 and prior to joining the Wellspring staff, was a Marketing and Communications Manager and a Project Manager in the Healthcare and Information Technology sectors. She is also a certified Project Management Professional. In her role as Operations Manager, Val implements and manages initiatives that support Wellspring’s operational and community needs.
Val enjoys traveling, supporting local businesses, cheering for her sports teams and watching home organization shows. One of her goals is to organize her home using the Home Edit system, which occasionally conflicts with her hobby of collecting Starbucks, Disney and sports teams memorabilia.
Patrick Pai
Director of Media and Technology
Pat was born and raised on various parts of Oahu, from Hawaii Kai to Waipahu. He graduated from Iolani School and studied electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Washington, U.C. Berkeley (B.S.), and UCLA (M.S., Ph.D.), specializing in integrated circuit design and digital communication systems. During and after his studies, he’s worked at Silicon Systems, Western Digital Corporation, and Broadcom Corporation in California.
Since returning to Hawaii in 2002, Pat has been involved in photography, independent films, and digital media. He’s worked with crews in the US, Canada, Europe, and Africa. Pat has been a member of Wellspring Covenant Church since 2002, and he has served on staff for technical and audio/video support, as well as a member of the Servant Leadership Council.
Pat is married to Donna Pai, and between them they have five children who are loved very much. He has a passion for endurance sports, training and racing in triathlons and marathons. Pat and Donna love to travel and are regularly dreaming of their next trip together.
Servant Leadership Council
This elected group of servant leaders is responsible for building, maintaining, and overseeing the spiritual welfare of Wellspring, as well as for directing and overseeing all her ministries and business affairs. The SLC works with the Pastoral Team to co-createthe mission and vision of Wellspring.
Current Members
Carin Iha - Chair
Stacey Breshears - Secretary
T.J. Breshears - Financial Officer
Faye Furutomo
Debbi Hazama
Michael Lomuscio
Keith Sawamura