Dave Merrifield

Dave was born in Chicago and accepted Christ as his personal Savior at age nine while attending the original AWANA program at the North Side Gospel Center.

In high school, his family moved to Sacramento, California. There he met Judy Crabtree in the high school youth group. After graduation, he attended Wheaton College as a mathematics major. Judy came to Wheaton two years later, and upon Dave’s graduation, they were married.

Soon after they married, Dave and Judy moved to Kent, Ohio to continue their education. Then after two years of active duty in the military, Dave and his family moved to California where he worked in the Defense Industry for six years before joining a market research firm.

In 1975, the Merrifields returned to Sacramento to their home church. Dave entered the business world while serving as an elder focusing on Christian Education. When his church planted a new church in a nearby community, Dave served on the original steering committee, again focusing on Christian Education.

After 19 years in Sacramento, Dave and Judy joined the faculty at San Diego Christian College where he served as soccer coach and professor in the Department of Business.

Throughout his career, Dave has been involved in missions. Whether leading his soccer team to Sonora and Jamaica, playing basketball in the Dominican Republic, or working on a construction project in Tijuana, Dave has always had a heart for missions. Now, Dave and Judy are excited about this new chapter in their lives. As Director of Missions and Compassion Opportunities, he looks forward to being led by God into new areas and providing opportunities for people to reach out to the world around them. 

Dave and Judy have 3 married children, Becky, Laura, and Bill, as well as 7 grandchildren. One of their greatest joys is that all of their children and spouses are currently in full-time vocational service for the Lord.