Sam Salerno

Born and raised in Monterey, Sam came to know Christ at an early age and grew up serving in youth and music ministry at Cypress Community Church. After graduating Monterey High School in 2009, he completed a year of leadership and discipleship training at the Joshua Wilderness Institute at Hume Lake — where he realized his creative passions could be used to glorify God in the context of the local church.

Sam took his passion to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, to study communications in 2012. But after three years (and BRUTAL winters!), he returned home to recover from burnout, severe anxiety, and deep depression. Even through the darkness, however, God worked in Sam's life to draw him into a deeper, stronger relationship with Him; and by God's providence, he continues to recover and now has a platform to minister to believers struggling with mental health.

Since 2016, Sam has worked in a variety of environments—from Director of Music and Media at Cypress Church to a Content Marketing Specialist and Podcaster with Medallia. Through it all, however, he's never lost sight of his true passion: helping the people of God see and experience the great work that Christ is doing through His Church. 

 He married his wife, Caroline, in May 2023, was affirmed by the congregation as a Pastor in May 2024, and is currently pursuing his MDiv with an emphasis on executive leadership at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His primary responsibilities include overseeing finance, facilities, children's/youth ministry, and communications.