The San Francisco Theological Seminary Board of Trustees will add three new members during its regularly scheduled fall meeting Oct. 4-5 in San Anselmo. The group brings valuable experiences to the board, ranging from an SFTS graduate to a Southern California pastor to a Presbyterian with Bay Area roots.

“There is a unique sense of anticipation about this October’s meeting of the Board of Trustees,” said SFTS Interim President Dr. Laird J. Stuart. “There is a great deal of energy and commitment being expressed every day.”

The Board of Trustees provides governance oversight of the historical Presbyterian seminary, which dates to 1871. The three new board members bring the SFTS board membership to a total of 36, plus two life trustees. Each trustee serves no more than two consecutive five-year terms.

SFTS welcomes back former student Rev. Juan J. Sarmiento, who earned his Master of Arts in Theological Studies in 2001 from the SFTS Southern California campus. He is U.S. director of PM Internacional and supply pastor to Lancaster Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Calif. The native of Venezuela has been assigned to the student recruitment committee.

Rev. Dr. Lynn Cheyney is pastor at Westwood Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. She earned a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary. One of her calls included serving as associate pastor at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, which is adjacent to the SFTS Southern California campus. Her husband, Rev. Dr. Gary Sattler, is an adjunct professor for SFTS/SC. Cheyney will serve on the faculty and curriculum committee.

Tom DeMund is an author and real estate investor who earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Stanford. His interest in SFTS stems from the many interns the seminary has sent to Sausalito Presbyterian Church, where he has been a longtime member. DeMund will serve on the audit, budget and investment, and facilities committees.

“It is important to fill Presbyterian churches with pastors who will be successful and lead our denomination upward instead of backward,” DeMund said.