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FEATURED AUTHOR: David Cobia

David Cobia www.baymarin.org

David Cobia, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Evangelical Christianity, views the life of faith as an adventure—a passionate pursuit of Christ, not bound by rules and regulations. He believes that the local evangelical church needs to move beyond the stereotypes to help others explore and experience authentic faith in the real world.

At the postmodern evangelical church led by Cobia in Marin County, California, questions are not the exception, but the rule. Unconvinced skeptics and devoted believers alike journey together to explore their faith in intelligent, relevant ways. As the Lead Pastor of BayMarin Community Church, David frequently engages in dialogue with those who not only want to know about God, but have serious questions and concerns about who the evangelical church is and why it interacts with people the way it does. Thanks to David’s background, education, and personal experience, he is uniquely qualified to answer their questions.

David began his ministry within the traditional evangelical movement over 20 years ago. In college, he was President of the local Campus Crusade for Christ, and served during his early years of ministry at two different traditional Southern Baptist Churches. From there he stayed in step with the more progressive side of evangelical culture by serving in a seeker-oriented church in California, a seeker-focused, multicultural church in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and a new paradigm church targeting very successful, highly educated New York City commuters. All in all, a logical path when you consider that he now leads a postmodern evangelical church in decidedly unconventional Marin County, California.

David backs his diverse and multi-dimensional experience with a deep love of learning, and an extensive education. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Arts at Georgia Southern University in 1983, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1990, and, in 2005, a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. Not only has David studied evangelical Christianity from every perspective, he has experienced it from the inside out for more than two decades, both as a leader and a follower.

Articulate, expressive and engaging, David is known for his self-effacing humor and passion for people, and his multi-dimensional gifts. He’s an exceptional speaker, a skillful writer, and a talented singer and musician. Married for more than 20 years, David is also the father of 3 highly gifted and intelligent teenage offspring.  “They obviously take after their mother,” he says, proudly.

Released in March, 2007, The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Evangelical Christianity is David’s first book. Designed to be a catalyst for conversation, this fun, intelligent, quirky volume explains the tenets and history of the evangelical movement without taking itself too seriously and without resorting to boring dissertation or reductionist sound bites. www.amazon.com