Undercover Pastor
Undercover pastor? Â Seriously? OK, I admit it. I mostly picked the name because it sounded cool. It’s not that often that I’m really undercover, but I find that the experiences I have had as a pastor and the training that led me to there have a significant effect on the way I see the world. “Pastor Steve” comes along wherever I go. It’s like they say, “Wherever you go, there you are.” Being a preacher and a Christian affects what I write, what I do, and who I strive to be.
I am a pastor. From 2003 when I graduated from San Francisco Theological Seminary to 2011, I pastored Trinity Presbyterian Church in West Sacramento, California. The church was/is on a journey of transformation, which was sometimes lots of fun and sometimes very difficult. But we walked together and walked with God during both kinds of times. Â When I left there in 2011, I began helping as an unofficial pastor at the church my family attended as well as doing fill-in preaching for a number of small- to medium-sized churches in Northern California. Â That gave me somme breadth of ministry experience as got to know those churches and their contexts. Â Most recently, I have been serving as an interim assistant pastor at Fremont Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, California, which is a congregation of approximately 1,100 members. Â Working in a large church has been helpful. Â I’ve learned a great deal about the systems and structure required and what works and doesn’t work.
I am a husband father. I have been blessed with Eleanor, who I believe is the best possible wife for me. Â Together we have three wonderful children. Having a family gives me a different perspective on life and on God.
I am a software developer. Â I am a former system software engineer and software development manager. I worked for two strong (at the time) companies developing software and systems and later leading a team of developers. Â I was good at it, but it wasn’t my calling. Sometimes I miss it. That comes out from time to time in my blogging. It was easier to see what I had accomplished, the financial compensation was great, and I got weekends off (much of the time). Getting a chance to see what a well-run company can look like and what a badly-run company can look like (in some cases the same company at different times in its life) helped me to strive for excellence on the business side of running a church, which in many ways looks like a small business.
I make apps. I didn’t actually give up software entirely. In 2010, I started writing apps fro Android-based smartphones (and later tablets). WhitneyApps, my “company” (it’s technically a sole proprietorship) creates apps to make people’s lives better, richer, and more fun! We also  added the Looking Upward Apps label for Christian apps – a chance to combine both sides of my experience and training.
I hope that gives you some insight into what I mean by the different parts of my life that affect what I write. There are more, of course, but that will do for now. Enjoy the blog!
Blessings,
Steve Whitney
Liked your page, and will view your site; whitneyapps when I have more time. was searching devotional Spurgeon, everlasting love when i found you and was burdened in my heart to respond and bookmark for the present.
My wife uses apps for her cell, me I am a computer only person, i hate phones. but all my children use them (5). I would prefer Mac or Linux over that of evil windows any day, but then the majority…. you know the drill. I learned to program in quickbasic long ago, and seen the flaws, and now we have ssd and really can do away with os, but we never will for we can not ever “get out of the box” we are a ruled society/world and never seek the love of an all Holy and Divine God, that seeks us to worship only Him.
I can see apps. when i loved so to write little program that made things easier, and I would lose days in tweaking and playing. Now, I wish my life were the same with my Master, for it is He that I love. Jody (my wife) was playing an app. that reads the KJV bible to us each morning, as we drink our coffee (not starbucks for we could never afford such) and this moring it was Gen 43 thru 49 and then Sourgeon devotional “Love” Jere. 31:3 and I knew that this was what the Lord had planned for this Sunday as a devotional since I was chosen to offer it this week.
thanks for being a good sound Christian man!
Thanks for taking the time to write, Sam! How wonderful to hear the Bible over morning coffee with your wife! Beautiful!!
May God bless your walk with Him and also your marriage.
In Christ,
Steve
Hi Undercover Pastor,
I just discovered your piece on Come, Labor On as I was researching hymns for a hymn festival I am putting together at the church where I am organist. I love this hymn – I don’t entirely agree with you about the tune – but we are in total sync on the message. I will end the service with this hymn….your piece gives me the idea for our minister to say the words as part of his benediction….he is a very powerful and dramatic speaker and will make the words come alive. Then I will end with a bombastic postlude on the hymn. I get chills every time I do the last stanza. “Well done, well done”. I hope to hear those words someday. Thanks for the inspiration.
Joy
Hi, Joy! That sounds great!! I’m happy to have played a role part in it.
Blessings,
Steve “Undercover Pastor” Whitney