General Superintendent David A. Busic announced the election of Gregory Garman as superintendent of the Los Angeles District. 

Elected on the first ballot, Garman will take over for retiring Los Angeles District Superintendent Jerry Ferguson July 19.

Garman is currently senior pastor of the Newhall, California, Church of the Nazarene, where he has served for 22 years. After graduating from Point Loma Nazarene College (now University), he served at the El Morro Church of the Nazarene in Los Osos, California, before leading the Carpinteria, California, Church of the Nazarene. Garman also served as Nazarene Missions International president for the Los Angeles District from 2002 to 2007.

The son of missionaries Larry and Addie Garman, Greg grew up in the jungles of Peru.

"I have had the privilege of watching two of the finest missionaries in the Church of the Nazarene minister throughout the years," Greg said. "Mom and Dad served the Lord for nearly 50 years in the Amazon jungle of Peru. They set the greatest godly example of what it meant to follow and serve the Lord faithfully each day."

Greg says missions are extremely important to him, and he stays in touch with his Amazonian roots by returning to Peru every year.

"When I was elected to serve as district superintendent of the Los Angeles District, I was overtaken with emotion to think of how the Lord brought a 'jungle boy' to the 'jungle city' of Los Angeles," he said. "You see, my love for both the people in the Amazon and the people of L.A. are equal. From the jungle vines to the Internet cables of the city, from the forest of trees to concrete structures, from streams and rivers to roads and freeways, one thing is unchanged — the people! We all eat, sleep, work, and need Jesus. We may dress differently, but not really. The languages may not be all the same. But the name 'Jesus' is nearly the same in every language of the world. So, I'm thankful for God's calling in my life. He called me years ago to trust Him and to not lean on my own understanding, but to acknowledge Him in every detail and He would direct my path. That's what I'm trying to do!"

Greg and his wife, Leslie, reside in Valencia, California.