Pastors Steve & Kathy's Story 

In 1998 Kathy Graves & her husband Greg were pastors of Cascade Praise Church in Bend, Oregon when Greg was diagnosed with cancer. Nine months later Greg passed away.
In 2001 Steve Anderson & his wife Conya were pastoring the worship ministries at Westside Church in Bend, Oregon when Conya passed away after a brief illness.

 

True to His faithful nature, God began a work of restoration & healing in both Kathy and Steve's lives and in October of 2002 Steve Anderson & Kathy Graves were married. Today, they rest in the knowledge that Greg & Conya are at home with Jesus. They also recognize that together, they are called to continue to run the race of faith and to love & serve Jesus with the rest of their lives. Praise be to God who makes all things new in Christ!

Years of experience as a worship leader, teacher, church planter and wife of a senior pastor has given Kathy a unique ministry perspective that she is anxious to share with the body of Christ! Her heartfelt desire is to see the church rise up in holiness and purity as people passionately hunger for a greater revelation of the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The gift of faith, as well as a passion for prayer, are clearly evident in Kathy’s life. Her love for Jesus and the church are obvious in her worship leading and teaching.
Steve is a veteran worship leader, musician, teacher and songwriter.  In 1978 he & Ronnie Lee Diller formed the Diller & Anderson Band!  Joined by Blair Masters in 1985, the guys set out on a full time music ministry continuing until 1988, at that time Blair moved to Nashville, TN.  to build a very successful career as a studio musician.  Steve and his family moved to CA to become a youth Pastor for several years!  Returning to Oregon in 1991 he served on the pastoral staff at Westside Church in Bend until 2003. Steve's passion is to see the creative arts restored to the church and redeemed for worship.
Steve & Kathy are excited that God has turned personal tragedy into triumph in each of their lives. Together they are discovering the ministry for which He has placed them together and are full of expectation for what God is doing through them as a ministry team.
In February of 2006 Steve and Kathy accepted a call to ministry from Family Life Church in Newberg, OR! where Steve served as worship Pastor and director of Frontline Worship & Arts Ministries.  In 2009 Steve suffered a massive stroke on Easter sunday morning while preparing the worship team for the mornings service!  At first the doctors gave him little hope, but, praise God, He has miraculously very nearly fully recovered! His healing is regularly being called a miracle. He & Kathy believe it to be so.   In the fall of 018 the story of Steve's miraculous recovery was filmed and shown on the 700 Club television show.  Please watch this video entitled, "Man awakes from Coma," on this website's homepage

In 2011 after having returned to Family Life Church to coach & mentor the worship team for a season Steve & Kathy were called to become worship leaders at a new non-denominational church plant in McMinnville,Oregon called, THE LIVING WORD!  
In the summer of 2014 we clearly began to sense that another change was coming.  So in August Kathy & I shared our decision with the church leadership to step down as worship leaders at The Living Word in McMinnville, OR!!!