Pastor Don and his wife Barb Julian
Pastor Don Julian and his wife, Barb have served in churches in Indiana, Arizona, California, and Montana. He served as Associate Pastor of Outreach and Educational ministries in Indiana, and as Pastor of the churches in Phoenix, San Diego, and Dillon, MT. He has taught theology, bible survey, and biblical interpretation in a Missionary Training Center in Odessa, Ukraine. They have three children, all married, and serving the Lord in different ways. One son is a Worship Pastor at Grace Community Church in Willow Street. Their other son is a Missionary in Valencia, Spain. Their daughter who has some medical difficulties needs help with her pre-school son, and so Barb helps raise him. They have five grandchildren. They enjoy family time, hiking, biking, and visiting new places.
Pastor Don and Barb would love to hear from you and he can be reached at don.and.barb.julian@gmail.com
Have you heard? As of July 1st, Pequea Valley's own Jesse Bills will become the pastor of Pequea Church! Jesse, the congregation, and current pastor Don could not be more excited for this transition and the culmination of a year of God's handiwork in our midst. Get to know Jesse below and do not be afraid to connect with him as this new journey begins!
Jesse Bills
Contact Information:
Call or text: 717-715-6892
Email: jesse.bills@evangelical.edu
Jesse becomes the pastor of Pequea Church in July of 2021 but his part in the story of what God is doing within this church body begins long before. Jesse grew up and has spent all of his life just five minutes away from the church building on the Welsh Moutain and was a 2009 graduate of Pequea Valley. Jesse was blessed to be able to grow up in a Christian home that featured a mother and father who taught Sunday School, and a sister and now brother-in-law who taught led their home church’s Vacation Bible School. The Bills family’s home church was on the other side of the Welsh Mountain at Bridgeville EC Church in Narvon.
Bridgeville is where Jesse first gave his life to Jesus Christ when he was 7 years old at Vacation Bible School, but it was not until he was in his early twenty’s that he really began to grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ. God began to get a hold of Jesse’s life as he worked as a used car salesman at Rocky Ridge Auto Sales in Ephrata through a relationship with a co-worker named Travis who showed Jesse that there was more to faith in Jesus Christ than getting into Heaven.
Over the next few years, Jesse began to be drawn closer to Jesus Christ as he developed a love for the “fire hydrant” that is God’s Word. As Jesse (a normally reserved person) began to grow in His relationship with Christ a previously unseen side of Him was brought to light as His passion for God’s Word birthed a calling to share God’s Word with those around him.
Over time this passion and desire uncovered a gift and a calling to preach and teach God’s Word and a special passion for the local church. In this season Jesse explored his gifts and callings and began to hear both internally and externally a call from God to begin to pursue pastoral ministry as his life’s calling.
Then after some “church hurts” Jesse was in need of a new home church to worship and serve within and that is when in the summer of 2017 Jesse was first led to Pequea Church. Pequea offered a place for Jesse to heal from the scars in his church past but also to continue to explore and hone His callings and giftings from God and in the fall of 2018, Jesse enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Evangelical Seminary and the pastoral assessment center of the Evangelical Congregational Church.
It has been a LONG journey for Jesse to get to this moment being installed as the lead pastor of Pequea Church, which has included a major breakup, and many roadblocks in the pursuit of his calling but he is confident today that God has him where He wants him to be.
This includes being the lead pastor at Pequea Church as well as the discipleship pastor at Grace Community Church in Willow Street where prior to July 2021 he served for a year as a pastoral intern.
That is the briefest overview we could muster of the journey that has brought Jesse and Pequea Church to this moment. There is much more that could be said but we will leave that for when we come face to face.
What Jesse is most excited about is the future that God already has planned for Pequea Church and the greater Pequea Valley Community. God has been at work in our midst and is growing our church’s connection and impact to our community in the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesse sits here today in a rare position as a pastor that he can honestly say from experience as a churchgoer that Pequea Church is a healing community. That it is a place that you are not required to be perfect or that you need to have everything figured. Instead, it is a place that can help you heal and figure out the one thing that is most important; an active and living relationship with Jesus Christ.
Wherever you are at this moment Jesse knows from experience that there is no greater joy than to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The desire to share what Jesus Christ has gifted him with the world is what drives Jesse's life and ministry.
So consider this your invitation to join us in-person or online as together we seek to know Christ and make Christ known!
Fast Facts about Jesse
My Favorites...
Bible Verse: John 10:10
Thing about being a pastor: Sharing God’s Word and building relationships with people that help them know and follow Jesus Christ.
Fast Food: Chick fil A
Local Spot to Eat: White Horse Luncheonette (Specifically the cheesesteaks)
Sport: NASCAR
Driver: Chase Elliott and the now-retired Dale Jr.
TV Show: The Office
Late Night Snack: Ice Cream
Vacation Spot: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Opening Line when I speak somewhere new: If God can take a used car salesman and transform him into a pastor he can transform your life as well.
Worship Songs: How Great Thou Art, King of Kings, Oh the Cross, Man of Sorrows, Living Hope, and Goodness of God
Random Facts
The thing I am oddly passionate about... Car Manufacturer. I am a Chevy guy all the way and own a Silverado and a 50th Anniversary Camaro. In fact, when I was six years old my grandfather had just purchased a new Ford truck. On my initial ride in the said truck, I looked at him and said, "Fords are nice but I was born to be a Chevy man."
Pastors I listen to in my free time: David Platt, Francis Chan, Tim Valentino, Mike Sigman, and Andy Stanley.
Funny story about David Platt: Pastor David is someone that God used powerfully in my life so for my birthday one year my sister and brother-in-law surprised me with a trip to McClean Bible Church (Washington DC) to hear him speak in person as well as get to meet him. My family called the church and explained the situation and they said it would be no issue to meet him since he is always in the lobby greeting. The only problem was David became sick at the last minute and was unable to speak that day which we found out after we had made the trip to DC! Oh well, there is always next time! :)
In July of 2021, I will be able to participate in my first international missions trip as I accompany a team of 21 to the Dominican Republic from Grace Community Church of Willow Street.
During a normal non-COVID year Jesse, his dad, and a group of friends will attend NASCAR races at Dover, Pocono, Richmond, and Martinsville.
