Staff

Pastors are called to serve our church so it can reach our community with the love of Jesus in ever-increasing ways.

We would love to connect and meet with you (seriously, we really would!) so feel free to email us to connect with someone from our leadership or if you have any questions about the Arvada Vineyard.

Jay Pathak

Founding Pastor & National Director of Vineyard USA

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Jay Pathak

Jay Pathak is the Lead Pastor of the Mile High Vineyard, a family of neighborhood churches. He and his wife, Danielle, planted the church in 2001. Jay strategically guides the mission and vision of the churches as a whole and is the main teaching pastor. Over the last 20 years, he has spoken nationally and internationally for Vineyard and other church networks.

Committed to engaging and impacting those outside the church, Jay co-wrote the book, The Art of Neighboring, with Dave Runyon. His passion for sharing his faith with the people around him is at the center of his calling. Jay is a humble, empowering leader who is passionate about raising up leaders around him; his strengths, in particular, lie in strategically placing people on teams where they thrive. Additionally, he regularly thinks of ministry in the city and developing relationships and partnerships in the city, government and across denominational lines.

Jay has a BA in Philosophy from The Ohio State University and is a graduate of the Vineyard Leadership Institute. He served on the Vineyard executive team for 5 years and helped lead the ReOrg team for the Vineyard. He is currently serving as the national director for Vineyard USA. Jay met his wife, Danielle, in high school and they were married in 1998; they have two beautiful daughters, Jasmine and Sofia. Whenever possible, you’ll find him on the golf course, hanging out with his friends and family or enjoying a nice scotch. Maybe all together!

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Becca Knudsen

Executive Pastor

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Becca Knudsen

Becca Knudsen serves as the Executive Pastor for all our Mile High Vineyard churches. Knowing every staff role, she creates timelines and plans that hold the whole structure together and she feels most at home when she cues others to play their part and shine. Becca has helped to establish structure and culture in our churches which create space for our staff to operate from a deeper place of peace and margin. Becca and Chris also planted one of our neighborhood churches, the Northwest Vineyard in 2016.

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Becca moved to Colorado in 2005 to pursue a Master’s in Music at the University of Colorado. While finishing her Masters, she realized and embraced her desire to do ministry. Her education in classical music has equipped her to hold the tension of planning, executing, and being disciplined all while creating a beautiful work of art. This translates into ministry better than she ever could have imagined when applied to the intentionality required to lead teams and people, while also pulling out of them the beauty that God designed.

Becca and her husband Chris, whom she met in middle school, were married in 2004. They have two children, Eloise and Soren. In her free time, you might be able to convince her to belt out a little opera, catch her reading a book, lifting weights or spending time with her family and friends.

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Anabeth Morgan

Worship Pastor

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Anabeth Morgan

Anabeth Morgan is a worship leader, songwriter and one of the staff pastors at the Mile High Vineyard neighborhood churches since 2011. Anabeth has been an integral part of Vineyard Worship as a leader, artist and writer, serving at Vineyard churches in Houston, Columbus, and Kansas City. She also currently serves as associate pastor for the Arvada Vineyard.

She is deeply passionate about God’s presence and loves to lean into the Spirit of God in worship and prayer. Her ability to listen to the Holy Spirit, whether leading worship or groups of people, has given God the opportunity to do wonderful things in people’s lives. She loves sharing her intimate faith in God with others, enjoys being hospitable, and is always sensitive to the people and environment around her.

Anabeth has appeared on many Vineyard albums such as Cultivation Generation: Servant Wide Awake and My Foundation; Vineyard National Conference: I Love Your Presence and Wonderful. In December 2017 she finished writing and recording her first studio album A Place Your Glory Dwells. Recently, she has had songs You Meet Me Here and Heaven’s Work released through Vineyard Worship and has published other worship songs in collaboration with other songwriters. Ironically enough, Anabeth’s studies at Mississippi State University included biology, psychology, and exercise science. She was married to Kyle in 2003 and they have two amazing children, Jovie and Miles. She was raised in Memphis, TN and continues to have a Southern accent—which everyone loves.

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Ben Folman

Pastor of Discipleship & Administration

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Ben Folman

Ben Folman serves as the Mile High Vineyard pastor of Discipleship and Administration, and has been part of the MHV staff since the fall of 2017. In his role he serves our pastors and staff through strategy development, organizational management, and helping our team be successful at what they do. Prior to this role, Ben served as lead pastor of the Westminster Vineyard and the Salida Vineyard; he got his start at the Duluth Vineyard and served as their associate pastor in the 2000s.

Having served in just about every capacity in a church over the course of two decades, Ben brings a great strength to the team, much to his delight. His inner drive for organization and excellence translates into enhancing the success and professionalism of our pastors in their roles. He also cares deeply about seeing people formed into the likeness of Jesus, and so enjoys mentoring, teaching and preaching.

Ben joined the Army Reserves after high school then attended the University of Minnesota–Duluth as an elementary education major until he sensed God’s call into ministry at age 20. He later pursued ministry training through Vineyard Leadership Institute, his local church, and as many books as he could get his hands on and has been doing pastoral ministry his entire adult life. He married his wonderful wife, Jenny, in 2002 and has three amazing children, Sophie, Caleb and Owen. Outside of ministry, you will find him running mountain trails any chance he gets and exploring the outdoors with his family.

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Tom White

Associate Pastor

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Tom White

Tom White is the Associate Pastor for Arvada Vineyard. He moved to Denver in the summer of 2023 from England to be trained with our team to plant a church in the Denver Metro Area. Before moving to Denver he was an assistant pastor at a Vineyard church in Newcastle, England, and has led worship in various settings for around 20 years. Tom has been lucky enough to go on a number of mission trips abroad, including six months in Fiji with YWAM as well as trips to the Philippines, South Africa and Kenya. Before becoming a pastor, he spent nearly a decade working as a journalist, covering stories across the UK as well as around the world—such as refugee camps in the Middle East and touring New Zealand with Prince Harry.

Tom is married to Hannah and they have two daughters, Layla and Eliana. His favorite past times are hiking and wild camping in the mountains, photography, reading and playing music.

Lyndsey Bell

Children’s Pastor

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Lyndsey Bell

Lyndsey Bell is the Children’s Church Director at the Mile High Vineyard, since 2012. Lyndsey coordinates the curriculum and provides training resources to support all our neighborhood churches. Additionally, she partners with families in teaching their children about God, community and service.

Knowing the impact that even a short amount of time in church can have on a child, the Mile High Vineyard has always believed that our Sunday Children’s Church isn’t just “childcare” but a place to build relationships and teach kids how to connect with Jesus in their own way. Lyndsey, through and through, is an advocate for kids and is passionate about helping them connect to Jesus in a way that is developmentally relevant to them. She uses her strengths in creativity and imagination to create fun and engaging ways for kids to explore faith.

Lyndsey is a graduate of Messiah College (Grantham, Pennsylvania) with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Criminal Justice. She and her husband Doug, who have been married since 2001, have two children: Jeremiah and Abigail. She loves to sew, rock climb and cheer on her son, Jeremiah, at the dirt bike track.

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