Lynn Cory

Lynn was born in Marshalltown, Iowa, and relocated to California in the early 1950s. He grew up in Ventura, where his life revolved around surfing. In 1968, while stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War, he had a profound encounter with Jesus Christ that transformed his life. After completing his Air Force service, Lynn went on to graduate from both BIOLA University and Talbot Theological Seminary. He spent 10 years as the college pastor at Grace Community Church before transitioning to lead in a house church movement for four years. For over 27 years, he served as the associate pastor at Valley Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Reseda, California. Presently, he leads a Neighborhood Discovery Bible Study.

Lynn’s deepest passion is to see pastors collaborate and for the Church to step outside the walls of the building to serve and minister in the local community in a naturally supernatural way. He believes the most effective way to start this is by engaging directly in the neighborhoods where God has placed us. In May 2008, he founded the Neighborhood Initiative (NI) to further this vision, and in May 2015, Lynn transitioned to a full-time role with the ministry. He is the author of several books, including Neighborhood Initiative and the Love of God, The Incarnational Church, The Kairos Adventure, Jesus’ Secrets, What Happened to the Grassroots Movement of Jesus?, and his latest book, The Mark of the Church. Lynn now coaches pastors and leaders, stressing the importance of congregations in a city loving one another, loving their actual neighbors and making disciples of Jesus.

Lynn and his wife, Jo, reside in Southern California.