About Pastor Thom
Thom O’Leary has been teaching inspiring messages from the Bible for three decades, impacting thousands of people. With a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree in Theology from Fuller Seminary, Thom has a passion for communicating God’s Word where people “get it”. The author of two books, “Discovering God’s Will” and “Keep Moving Forward”, he writes like he speaks with practical insights and humor. Thom and his wife Sherri have been married for 34 years and have four amazing adult children and seven beautiful grandkids!
How I got started: I came to Cal Poly in 1984 to play football and stayed! I became the Children's Pastor and College Pastor in 1993 and entered Fuller Seminary, where I completed my Master's degree. I became the Lead Pastor in 1995 at Mountainbrook Church.
My family: My wife Sherri and I have been married for 25 years! We have four children: Brooke, Kate, Whitney and Luke. We recently added a son, as Brooke is married to Greg. We also have a dog and a cat. Our dog is named Tod (it's a story), and we cannot agree on our cats name, so we call her kitty (it's a story).
Quirks? I would have pepperoni pizza with wheat crust for dinner every night if my wife Sherri would let me.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Date nights with my beautiful wife, playing ball with my kids, surfing with my sweet long board and playing tennis with old guys so that I look extra fast! I also love being the Cal Poly Football Chaplain - GO Mustangs!
What passage in the Bible really inspires you? My life verse is Acts 20:24, "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me -- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." This verse captures what I'm giving my entire life to.
Favorites? My favorite movie (drama category) is Les Miserables, favorite action movie is Gladiator, and my favorite comedy is a tie between Princess Bride, Napoleon Dynamite, and Nacho Libre.
