Steven Bagley
Birth Date: December 16, 1946
Life Activity: Pastor, Counselor, Business Consultant, Global Missionary
Residence: Irvine, California
Number of Children: 2
Number of Grandchildren: 7
Interests: Reading
The life and times of Steven Bagley
Steve was born and raised in Idaho through the eight grade when he and his mother moved to Sunnyvale, California where he attended high school. Just prior to starting as a Freshman he attended a Christian camp at Hume Lake and received Jesus Christ as his savior and Lord. That decision gave him direction and purpose he has followed over the seventy decades of his life.
He attended Azusa Pacific College where he meet Linda Seaman. He graduated in 1969 with a
double major in Psychology and Christian Education. On October 4, 1969 Linda and Steve got married in Tempe, Arizona at Grace Community Church were Steve was on staff.
David Todd was born in 1971 with their daughter Stefani Jean arriving 2 years and four days later.
The Bagley family moved to Southern California in 1973 when Steve took a staff position at El Dorado Park Community Church in Long Beach.
Azusa Pacific University recruited Steve to join the administrative staff as the Alumni Director, a new position they wanted to be developed. Linda was able to take advantage of the free tuition benefit for spouses and began her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Steve spent two years at the University building the alumni program before returning to a church staff position in Laguna Hills, California at Lake Hills Community Church. Steve completed his Masters degree at Talbot Seminary during this same period.
The family move to Lake Forest, California. Linda receiving her MA she began her internship in South Orange County preparing to take her state license exam.
Two events occurred in 1986 that opened a new direction for Steve and Linda’s career paths. Linda got her license as a Marriage and Family Therapist and Steve was let go from his church staff position when a new senior pastor took charge.
After the shock wore off Steve rebounded by becoming a business consult. One of his early
clients was Alpha Counseling Center which, after six months, hired him as their COO.
Over the next four years Alpha became the largest Christian counseling group in the USA (60 therapist serving in 6 Southern California counties), along with operating three in-patient programs and a boys academy on a 52 to acre cattle ranch. Linda, as a license MFT, joined Alpha as a Superior and worked in both the out-patient and in-patient programs.
In 1991 Steve started his PhD program in Marriage and Family Therapy, which he completed five years later. Together they both resigned from Alpha and founded Marriage & Family Matters Counseling. They believed a smaller setting would create a better atmosphere for Linda to train future Christian therapists. 50 were supervised and trained at MFM over the 23 years before Linda’s expected passing in her sleep on February 2, 2013. Before Linda’s death her reputation as an effective Christian therapist and well received speaker brought invitation from China, Japan and Mexico. Linda and Steve were humbled to serve as a team doing cross-cultural missionary work.
Following Linda’s it took Steve a year to close the clinic they had created and built together. In 2014 Steve was asked to take the on Presidency and Chairman of the Board of a children's ministry he had been involved with since 2002. Steve took on the role and began traveling to both countries where the homes are operated, the Philippines and Nicaragua.
Today Steve is still on the Arms of Love International board but has passed on the chairmanship to David Brobeck, a retired attorney.
One of Steve’s other long time friends in President of Divine Business Appointments, a ministry the trains those in poverty to start small businesses based on Biblical principles to lift their families out of poverty. DBA offers a “hand up” rather than a “hand out”. Jim Seiler and Steve have traveled to the Philippines, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Nigeria expanding the reach of this ministry.
At the beginning of the Coved scare Steve was in Honduras with his friends who originally took Linda and he to China. The Honduras missions team had to extend their trip by five day because the government closed all the airports. We were able to get on an emergency charter flight back to the USA.
With international travel to third world countries restricted Steve has filled in his time serving as a 40+ Singles Group Volunteer Leadership Team Member and part of the Leadership Team that started the GriefShare program at Mariners Church (a 13 week program for those who have lost loved ones). He also has been busy writing. Never Along is the title of his book that is about to be published, about Linda, their relationship and his grief.
The men’s group that has been meeting for 18 years is also write a book about their experience, why they meet and benefits they see in their relationships at home, at work and in the Kingdom.
As Steve approaches 75 he has his passport at the ready, watching which country will reduce their restrictions so he can get back with his missionary visits.
But first he has to fly to Dallas, Texas. His son, David Todd, moved their family to Heath, outside of Dallas, so Steve had to go check things out. His flight is schedule two away, October 15, 2021.
Enjoy the adventure, receive the blessings, smile at the challenges… trust God!
Life motto - “Finish well, together”.
Ancestors
Currently being researched.
Parents
Elsworth Allen Bagley
Bonnie Jean Bagley (Stevens) AKA: Grandma The Great
Siblings
Brother - Dean Allen Bagley
Sister - Roberta Jean Fertig (Bagley)
Spouse
Kids
David Todd Bagley, Spouse: Corinna Bagley (Smith)
Stephani Jean Howorth (Bagley): Former Husband: James Howorth
Grandkids
Tim Howorth
Madeline Bagley
Toby Howorth
Grant Bagley
Tyler Howorth
Isaac Bagley
Tori Howorth