Church Leaders
Each month, Birmingham Christian Family highlights a local church leader who is making a difference in our community. Pastor Rick Malugani of Valley Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) earned his Master of Divinity from Lexington Theological Seminary and has been serving the congregants of Valley Christian Church since January of 2024.
1. What did your journey look like to your current position in ministry? As a youth, I did not attend church although I felt there was something moving in my life. I could not put my finger on it, but when I became an adult and moved away, I met a young woman whom I started dating and she invited me to join her at her church. Once inside I found what had been missing as I found a place of love, warmth and peace. I became involved with the church and found a new sense of purpose and meaning for my life. Just before I turned 50, I felt the call to be a minister. I began my studies at Lexington Theological Seminary in February of 2012 and earned a Master of Divinity degree in July of 2015. During this time, I served as a student pastor at a small church in Pensacola, Fla. and then spent eight and a half years serving the congregation that I first joined in Fairhope, Ala., the one that my now wife had invited me to years before. After a yearlong cancer journey for my wife and the realization that we needed to be closer to family, we prayed, and God opened the door for us to move to Birmingham in December of 2023. I began serving Valley Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in January of 2024.
2. How would you describe your church family? Warm, friendly and very active. We are a small church and yet these folks have not let that stop them from finding ways to be positive difference makers in the community and world. We support many ministries including Grace Klein Ministries, Jimmie Hale Mission, and Christian World Services. We are a body of believers that enjoy getting out and bringing the love of God into contact with others through service projects as well as offering our time and talents. We have a decades long relationship with one of our sister African-American churches, Macedonia Christian Church located on Wenonah Oxmoor Road SW in Birmingham. We have partnered with them on several service projects including the refreshing of the cafeteria at Miracle Academy. We have also held joint services and enjoyed picnics together.
3. Describe what a family can expect when they come to worship at your church? A sincere and heartfelt welcome with members ready to meet whatever needs a family might have. We offer a traditional service with prayers, music, a message and the weekly sharing of the Lord’s Supper.
– Learn more about churches in our area, including Valley Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), at www.BirminghamChristian.com/findachurch. Are you or do you know a Church Leader in Central Alabama we should feature? Click here to complete the Church Leader Q&A.
