The Pastorate Podcast Incubator Sessions: Darren Rouanzoin on Preparing for What’s Next by Disrupting Comforts, Identifying Compromise & Consecrating Oneself
Darren Rouanzoin on Consecrated Leadership, Covenant Community & Risky Obedience
Darren Rouanzoin, founding pastor of Garden Church in Long Beach, California, joins our Incubator cohort to share his story and the convictions shaping his leadership today. From a radical encounter with Jesus in college to planting a church in a city marked by deep need, Darren reflects on what it means to build a church around presence, mission, and obedience.
In this heartfelt conversation, Darren unpacks why the church needs consecrated leaders—those living holy, humble, healthy lives—and how Garden Church is cultivating a leadership culture rooted in character over charisma. He also explores the call to covenant community, the tension of leading through crisis, and what it means to follow the Spirit in faith that costs something.
Whether you’re discerning a fresh step of obedience or navigating leadership fatigue, Darren’s story offers clarity, conviction, and hope for pastors in every context.
Key Takeaways:
What defines a Spirit-filled church in today’s context
How personal holiness shapes healthy leadership
Building covenantal, mission-minded communities
Darren’s vision for the next generation of anointed leaders
Biography
Darren Rouanzoin lives in Long Beach, California, with his wife Alex and their two boys, Ezra and Amos. Darren is the founding pastor of Garden Church, a community in the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the US. He is passionate about leading people to know and experience the extravagant generosity of God and the abundant life Jesus brings here and now.
Sponsors
Thanks to the Canadian Bible Society for supporting this episode. Learn more about their Bible Course here.
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Guest Notes
Show Notes