SIMI PASTOR FEELS RIGHT AT HOME IN NEW POSITION; CHURCH DESCRIBES NEW LEADER AS IDEAL CHOICE TO FILL VACANCY.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

Following in the footsteps of a beloved founding pastor at a church is never easy, but it can be harder still when that pastor left on the heels of a scandal.

But the Rev. Joe Woodruff, who at 36 is the new senior pastor at Sonrise Christian Fellowship in Simi Valley, is prepared to lead the congregation that was shocked by the resignation of its longtime pastor following an admission of a two-year adulterous affair.

Sitting in his new office at the church headquarters on Shasta Way, Woodruff smiled when asked if he had a difficult task ahead of him to rebuild trust and the church's reputation after the scandal.

``We're here for the purpose of serving the Lord,'' he said slowly. ``It wasn't about one man, it was about God. He forgives a multitude of sins. I just have to be the most loving pastor I can be. We are on a mission and we have to keep focused on why we're here.''

On an early December evening last year, the former pastor, 35-year-old Ken Craft, confessed to his wife that he'd been having an intermittent affair with a woman. He made the same admission to a group of parishioners in the days after and then submitted his resignation to the surprised group.

Sonrise's executive pastor, Stan Wilson, said that the congregation generally took the resignation in stride after the initial shock wore off.

Wilson said the church saw only a small dip in attendance as a result of the incident and did not suffer any drop in financial support. About 4,000 people claim membership, and between 2,200 and 2,400 people attend services on any given weekend.

``People dealt with the change,'' he said. ``We have a good infrastructure of pastoral staff here. There was a strong leadership, and people weren't left on their own.''

Woodruff, who arrived at Sonrise last month, began preaching at age 16 and later graduated from theological colleges in Missouri and California.

The father of Elise, 12, Charissa, 11, and Jonathan, 6, has been married to his wife, Natalie, for 16 years.

Woodruff's most recent pastoral assignment was in Spokane, Wash., but he had conducted training sessions at Sonrise two years ago.

He said he'd made up his mind not to leave Washington unless the job fulfilled two criteria: That he would be able to work more closely with a longtime friend and that it gave him the opportunity to help establish new Four Square churches like Sonrise.

Sonrise in Simi, he said, met and exceeded those criteria. A fellow pastor and longtime friend had just taken a job at church offices in Los Angeles, and the Simi members had plans to create churches elsewhere. Plus, the church's good reputation made the decision to leave an easy one.

``It's a privilege to be here,'' Woodruff said. ``They're foremost concerned with helping people discover Jesus Christ as savior and growing in their relationship with him. The people here are creative and community-minded.''

He added: ``I am especially interested that people have the opportunity to serve Jesus and pursue some of their own dreams.''

He said that in addition to expanding the Sonrise churches in and around east Ventura County, the group also plans to establish congregations farther afield - San Diego is one destination.

To establish a church in an area beyond driving distance, the church sends a pastor and two dozen families to relocate in the new destination.

``Part of our criteria as we sought out a new pastor was to find someone who would be best suited,'' Wilson said. ``We've always been a church with a purpose, so we wanted someone who can maintain that purpose and take us beyond.''

On a recent afternoon at the church, Woodruff and Wilson greeted visitors in bluejeans and polo shirts, not the suit and tie expected of ministers.

Asked if the two need time to get dressed for a photo shoot, Woodruff replied, ``We are dressed.''

The easygoing manner of Sonrise is evident in many different aspects of the church - from the huge, airy room used for services to the large altar that doubles as a stage for the church's Christian band.

Woodruff said he was just as casual in his old job, so in that respect he feels right at home.

``We want to present the church in a relevant manner for people,'' he said. ``It's not religious. It's applicable to their life.''

Wilson said that when Craft resigned so unexpectedly and so abruptly, the congregation braced for a lengthy search to find a replacement.

``We had hoped it wouldn't take long, but we were prepared that it might,'' he said. ``We wanted to keep moving. We didn't want to be stagnant while we looked.''

And he said that before the congregation met Woodruff in person but after he was chosen, the new pastor was being described among them as a ``home run'' of a find.

``But after we met him and started interacting with him, we started calling him a grand slam,'' Wilson said.

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PHOTO The Rev. Joe Woodruff, new senior pastor at Sonrise Christian Fellowship in Simi Valley, said he feels comfortable in his new post. ``It's a privilege to be here,'' he said.

Tina Gerson/Daily News