Dr. Jerry E. Larsen was appointed Senior Pastor of Los Altos United Methodist church in February, 2002. He succeeded Kenneth McMillan who retired, effective February 1, 2002 .

Previously, Rev. Larsen served as the Minister of Education at Los Altos United Methodist Church for 14 years, arriving in 1988. He was responsible for Children’s Ministry, Family Ministries, Adult Education, hospital visitations, and participation in Sunday morning worship services. He came to this church after serving 13 years at the Westwood United Methodist Church, Los Angeles .  

A native of Altamahaw, North Carolina, Rev. Larsen moved to California in 1956. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from California State University, Northridge and a Doctor of Religion degree from the Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, California. In 1969, Bishop Gerald Kennedy ordained him a Deacon and in 1971 bishop Golden ordained him an Elder in The United Methodist Church. Subsequently, he served the La Crescenta UMC, Glendale Central. Glendale Wesley, West Anaheim, and Westwood. In addition to his other duties, Jerry currently teaches a Summer Session course on Religious Education at Claremont School of Theology.

During his 30 years’ experience as a religious educator, Jerry has developed a deep interest in the connection between seeing and believing. He is the Founder/Director of The Center for the Study of Religion and the Brain, a non-profit organization dedicated to the understanding of religious experience in the light of the cognitive sciences. He has published numerous articles on religious education, and he maintains a web site: www.religion-brain.com. In 2000, he published a book, Religious Education and the Brain: A Practical Resource for Understanding How We Learn about God (Paulist Press, New York) In his book, he distilled the complex fields of cognitive science, brain studies, and intelligence theory into essential principles about the way people think and perceive, with special attention to the implications these principles have for education and celebration in congregational life. He wrote: "My intention…is to use this knowledge to inform the way we nurture each other’s faith."  

Married to Linda, they have three children and four grandchildren.