Captain/Pastor- Matt McNelly

I LOVE. Jesus. Amy. Our kids. Water. Fishing.

As a kid I loved fishing with friends at our local lake or drifting down one of many Southwest Washington rivers with my uncle angling for steelhead and salmon.

How awesome that I get to serve God and His people through my love of fishing!?

I have over 20 years of congregation-based youth ministry experience in churches ranging in size from 100 to 3,000 members; from New Jersey to Southern California to Washington State. My work with youth also includes serving as a summer camp speaker for Camp Spalding.

I bring with me to GO FISH! a significant amount of training and experience working with youth on the water. I served the Boy Scouts of America as a lifeguard and merit badge instructor in swimming, lifesaving, rowing, and canoeing at Camp Meriwether. I am a trained lifeguard through the Red Cross and B.S.A. as well as a certified Open Water Scuba Diver. I was a competitive swimmer at the collegiate level. There are few water activities I don't enjoy!

For the last 11 years my wife Amy and I have pastored Pullman Presbyterian Church. We are so thankful for the opportunity we have been graced with to raise our family on the Palouse.

In addition to my pastoral duties at PPC and GO FISH!, I serve the city of Pullman as a law enforcement chaplain for the Pullman Police Department.

My formal education includes a degree in biology from Whitworth University and two graduate degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary; a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education with an emphasis in Youth Ministry. I am currently pursuing my Doctor of Ministry through Fuller Theological Seminary.