Rev. Charles G. Suhayda, Ph.D.

Rev. Suhayda is responsible for Community Ministries at Hollywood Presbyterian Church and serves as pastor-advisor to the Board of Deacons. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1999. He completed the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center and continued in chaplaincy ministry in 2000. He received a Ph.D. from Michigan State University (1985) and worked as a research scientist in the US, Canada and China.

In 1992, he conducted research at Northeast Normal University, Changchun, PRC on an agricultural development project. Deeply moved by the friendship of the Chinese people, he had numerous opportunities to share his faith while teaching conversational English. In 1996, he served as a research intern with World Vision in Cambodia. He has sought ways to translate World Vision’s Christian relief and development principles into the Los Angeles setting.

He has a deep commitment to both overseas and domestic mission. Serving on the Mission Interpretation & Promotion Committee of Pacific Presbytery, he was part of a 2006 delegation to Taiwan to learn and evaluate the partnership with Pingtung Presbytery. He has led short-term mission teams to Malawi/Kenya in 2004 (Theology Under the Tree video) and Chiapas, Mexico in 2007 (Chiapas video). His current interest is to provide holistic healthcare to homeless and very-low income people in Hollywood through the Hollywood HealthCare Partnership. He serves on the Clergy Advisory Committee of the LA County Department of Mental Health, holds the Faith-based seat on the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council and serves on the board of Christian Legal Aid of Los Angeles and DOOR (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection).