Lead Pastor

Adam M. Van Dusen

Adam and his family came to Fresno First Church of the Nazarene in March of 2025. Adam finds great joy in helping believers at all stages of their walk with Jesus to foster a fervent desire to grow in grace and become more like Christ through knowledge, faith, and action. He also has a passion for those who do not know Christ and enjoys opportunities the Lord provides to share the love of Jesus with others. As he joins the church family at Fresno First, Adam’s hope is to help the church family to connect with God through authentic worship and each other in fellowship, grow together in Christlikeness, and lovingly serve one another and the surrounding community as we share the Gospel’s message of hope with those around us.

Adam and his wife, Mei, have been married since 2004. They have two children: Carissa (18), who is a freshman at Fresno State, and Joshua (15), who is a sophomore at Buchanan High School. Mei’s passions include serving in worship ministries, children’s ministry, compassionate ministries, and developing discipleship groups for women and families. Carissa and Joshua have a love of music and serve the Lord through worship ministries. They have also served in children’s ministry.​

​

Before coming to Fresno First, Adam served as the youth and family ministries pastor at Oakdale Family Church of the Nazarene.  He has also previously served as a volunteer youth leader for six years and has led Bible studies and life groups for college students, military members, and adults for more than 20 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fresno State, a master of arts in pastoral ministry from Northwest Nazarene University, a juris doctor from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and a master of operational studies degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Outside of church life, Adam is a licensed attorney in the state of Michigan. He enjoys spending time with his family and watching and playing sports.

Children's Ministry Director and Worship Leader

Mei Van Dusen

Mei has loving serving children and connecting them with Jesus for more than 25 years, beginning as a Sunday School preschool teacher in her teen years. Her love of Jesus is contagious, having mentored dozens of children to faith. Mei also loves to worship the Lord through song, currently serving as our church family's worship leader. Mei loves being a mom to Carissa and Joshua, and spending time with her parents and ten siblings. Mei holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy with a concentration in religious studies from California State University, Fresno. Outside of church, she has also works as a Student Activities Specialist at a local elementary school.  

Youth Ministry Leader and Worship Team Member

Carissa Van Dusen

Carissa has a passion for helping teens navigate the challenges of junior high and high school. As a freshman at Fresno State, she brings recent life experiences to youth group discussions. She has a passion for music and also serves the church family as its pianist and a vocalist. Carissa also has a passion for world missions and serves on the Central California District NMI board as its care and connections representative, coordinating for thoughtful communication with and encouragement for Nazarene missionaries throughout the year. Carissa loves her dog, Maisie, Christian music, binge watching TV series, and most of all, Jesus.