About Us

Ross Adams

• Ross Adams joined First Baptist when he moved to Los Angeles from Chicago in 1956. He became an active church member and commuted to services every Sunday even when his growing family moved their home to Glendale in 1963. Over the years, Ross served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Deacons, and at one time or another “did about every job there was to do other than preaching” at the church. Although he was invited to take part in Baptist ministry, Ross felt strongly that he could most effectively support the church as an engaged layman. Ross became a founding Board Member of the Baptist Service Corporation and was one of the key individuals involved in the Vista Tower project. Now 95 and no longer able to attend services at the church, Ross continues to serve on the BSC Board to the best of his ability and provide the value of his 67 years of dedicated service and experience to the church he has loved since he moved to California. 

Rev. Dr. Scott T. Arnold 

• Scott is a representative on the BSC of First Baptist Church of Los Angeles, as Senior Pastor. He manages the BSC website and brings strengths in long term planning, strategic thinking, neighborhood assessment, and connecting theology to urban missiology. Dr. Arnold has served American Baptist churches in pastoral ordained ministry since 1984, in Chicago, Boston, Providence, Rhode Island, cities in Michigan, and now in Los Angeles. He was part of the “Journey Team”, a missional think tank of the American Baptist Churches. Scott has written five books on ministry and theology and has written “Soul Fruit: Bearing Blessings through Cancer” that explores the “fruit of the spirit” he developed as a cancer patient and survivor. Scott is a painter, designer, and visual artist. He plays guitar and leads and writes praise songs. Pastor Scott has also been a chaplain in hospitals and senior care facilities. Scott has been married 40 years to his wife Marilyn, and they have three adult sons. Dr. Arnold is a graduate of the Fine Arts at Delta College, a graduate of Michigan State University in Urban Planning, a graduate of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, a graduate of the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education, and a graduate of Luther Rice University with a doctorate degree focused on the Great Commission and discipleship. 

Dr. Walter Clarke 

• Walter Clarke graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the City College of New York. Walter earned two masters’ degrees from Pepperdine University -Master of Science in Urban Planning and Development and an MBA in Business Systems. In 2021, he earned his Doctor of Divinity in Christian Theology from the Sacramento Theological Seminary and Bible College. International work experiences have included assignments with Crossroads Africa and Opportunities Industrialization Centers International in Ghana, West Africa and Kenya, East Africa. Walter’s military experience involved Army training with the 82nd Airborne Division and a tour in Vietnam as a Combat Infantry Officer. Walter later served for 25 years with the City of Los Angeles in a variety of management positions culminating as the Division Chief for the citywide Multifamily Rehabilitation Program. For 3 years he served as the principal of the Panorama Baptist elementary school and then for several years as an administrator and Headmaster of the Los Angeles Baptist Middle and Senior High School. Walter has helped in the development of two nonprofit corporations for the Panorama Baptist Church. He is the former President of the Board of Directors of the American Baptist Churches of Los Angeles, Southwest and Hawaii (ABCOFLASH), and is now an Emeritus Board Member of ABCOFLASH.  He is a Board Member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee of Human Good, successor to ABHOW (American Baptist Homes of the West) and is the former Chairman of the Finance Committee and Vice President of the Panorama City Neighborhood Council (elected position) Walter is a longtime member of the Vista Towers Board, now the Baptist Service Corporation. He has been married for 37 years, with four children, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Gerald Gubatan 

• Gerald G. Gubatan is an urban planner who has served elected officials at Los Angeles City Hall and the State Capitol in Sacramento and in public agencies including the Los Angeles City Planning Department, the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Department, and the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles.  He is founding board president of Fil Am Arts, Inc., and co-editor of the anthology, “Filipinotown:  Voices from Los Angeles”.  He is Moderator and a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Los Angeles.  A graduate of UCLA, Gerald completed graduate studies in urban and regional planning at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. 

James Johnson 

• James Johnson has extensive experience in facility management and the maintenance of the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles. He is an ardent advocate for urban mission, evangelism, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ cross-culturally. 

David McFadden 

• David McFadden has been on the Baptist Service Corporation Board since July 2004 and first served as President in July 2008.  He has been a member since the board oversaw Vista Tower senior housing and into its transition as a community service organization. David was raised in Ontario, California and joined First Baptist Church of Ontario as a child when he accepted Christ and was baptized in the mid-1960's.  He joined Temple Baptist Church when he moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and was a member and leader there until April 2003 when he joined First Baptist Church of Los Angeles.  He has held various leadership positions at FBCLA including moderator, vice moderator, clerk and treasurer.  He also teaches Sunday School and assists with worship.  Professionally, David is a law librarian.  He received his B.A. from Westmont College in 1978 and his Master’s in Science in Library Science from the University of Southern California in 1981.  He has worked in law libraries in commercial law firms, a public interest law office, a county law library and since August 1984 at Southwestern Law School.  He participates in and has held leadership positions in Southern California, California, regional and national library, and law library associations.  He is also on the board of the California Supreme Court Historical Society having served as president, vice president and secretary since 2002.  

Bill Rosenberger

• Bill Rosenberger is an audit partner with JLK Rosenberger, LLP where he leads a national insurance practice. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) holding a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University Northridge. He has served on the board of Baptist Service Corporation since 2010. Bill also serves as a board member with St. Monica Academy, a school for kids in grades one to twelve, located in Montrose California.