Pastor Manuel Retamoza III is senior pastor at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in San Diego, CA. Pastor Manuel is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and is a first-generation Mexican American. Being raised in California means his family history includes the US/Mexican border-crossing with his family for generations. This family history and experience informed his call to ministry as he guides several border education experiences for groups from across the country and in his own congregation each year. In addition to serving as senior pastor at St. Andrew’s, Manuel is Program Director for the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza and serves as VP of American Indian and Alaskan Native Association of the ELCA Board. He is Co-director of the Western States Youth Gathering 2023 and serves on the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary advisory board. Manuel spends time with his family camping in their teardrop, hiking, bike riding, and working on home projects.