A strong commitment to diversity is one of the qualities Dudley Rutherford brings to his work as Senior Pastor at Shepherd of the Hills Church. Located in Porter Ranch, California, the church has become a gathering point for a diverse community of people, accurately representative of the many backgrounds of Southern California residents.

This diversity, lacking in many nearby churches, is something that Dudley Rutherford and his team have cultivated intentionally. He believes it is of primary importance that anyone walking into the church feels welcomed and accepted. Adequate representation in the church leadership is essential to achieving this goal. Dudley Rutherford has worked to include individuals from a range of backgrounds on the worship team and board.

Dudley Rutherford saw the lack of diversity at other parishes and started an initiative called Dream of Destiny in order to help other pastors promote unity with their local communities through a more varied attendance. The initiative begins with five points that each parish or ministry group can begin with in order to foster a wider appeal. Dudley Rutherford and his team host a job posting webpage, an archive of conference videos, and an active online community as resources for pastors, employers, and job seekers.

Dudley Rutherford began his path to ministry at Ozark Christian College, where he completed his undergraduate education. He then went on to achieve his Master’s degree at Hope International University and accept an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Saint Charles Seminary.

In addition to working as the Senior Pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Church and managing several websites and a blog, Dudley Rutherford is an avid sports fan. His favorite teams are the Los Angeles Lakers, University of Oklahoma Sooners, UCLA Bruins, and St. Louis Cardinals. Dudley Rutherford also enjoys golf, fishing, and pumpkin pie. He lives in Porter Ranch with his wife Renee and their three children.