Alan Lauer

congregational care pastor


Alan was born in Encinitas, California on April 26, 1939. According to the historical society, when the family moved to Encinitas from England in 1883, they doubled the population from eleven to twenty-two. The only child of Waldo and Tina Lauer, he had little contact with his half-sister and half-brother from his father’s first marriage.

The early years were challenging with a father who was an alcoholic, an uncle who committed suicide and his brother killed in a car accident on Christmas by a drunk driver. To add to the drama, his aunt became the head of the communist party in San Diego County during the McCarthy era causing the family to be investigated by the F.B.I.

In 1957 he graduated from San Dieguito High School and that summer started dating a local girl he met while working in a small market in Leucadia. In 1958 he joined the Army and was stationed at Fort Ord near Carmel, California. Trained as a tank commander, he spent the remainder of his 8 years of duty in the National Guard in Vista.

After active duty, Alan went to work at the Encinitas Post Office. During this time he became a member of an organization that was continuously having encounters with law enforcement.

After four years of contentious dating, he married his child bride, Danette Giles on September 2, 1961. Almost immediately they saw they had made a terrible mistake and thought of having the marriage annulled. Before they could start the paper work, the found out that Danette was pregnant.

With problems at work, a failing marriage, and an increasingly dangerous lifestyle, Alan’s world was quickly coming unglued. Pressure from his in-laws to go to church, because he was such a mess, came to a head on November 17, 1961 when he finally gave in and went with the family to a church meeting at First Baptist Church of Encinitas.

Knowing beyond a shadow of doubt that he was a sinner and in no way could change on his own, Alan gave his miserable life to the Lord for a new one. With Christ in the marriage, it got better. Within weeks he was serving at First Baptist. From that point on bible studies and correspondence courses were an ongoing process.

Leaving the post office, he joined the family flower business allowing him more time to serve the Lord. Over the next several years he took classes at Biola College in La Mirada and continued extension courses with other Christian schools. He became the youth director at the church and became North San Diego County Youth for Christ club director with bible clubs in all North County high schools.

In 1967, Alan was ordained by the Evangelical Church Alliance and has been an active member for the past 47 years. He has served as an interim pastor for 3 years, an associate pastor, a house church pastor, and an assistant pastor. All that took place while running a business full time. During his ministry he has conducted over 1900 weddings and over a hundred funerals.

One of the most exciting times of ministry started in 1968 when God gave Alan the vision to start the San Dieguito Hotline. The idea was to put a second phone in the home where initially troubled teens could call any time day or night. Having permission from the local school administration and counseling staff, he was allowed to share the concept with the students in various classes and assemblies. With signs all over the community telling of the service, the phone rang day and night. Over the years, adults, married couples and families used the service. Numerous people in distress lived with the Lauer’s over the years. In 1972, 18 kids and young adults were living at the Lauer house. Over the years the Lauer house became a haven for hundreds of people in need.

In 1977, Alan was awarded Blade Tribune Citizen of the Year; an award, that he says, should have been given to his wife.

In 1992, Pastor Alan was called to lead Crossroads Calvary Chapel and he completed that ministry in December, 2011. During that time he was a volunteer chaplain at Scripps Hospital in Encinitas, a chaplain with Prison Fellowship Ministries, and a chaplain with the San Diego Red Cross.
A big part of Crossroads ministry was missions. He led trips twice to Uganda and Sudan where they established a hospital and hygiene facilities in refugee camps, and taught at pastors conferences. Other trips included Scotland, France, Brazil, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Russia, and two trips to Israel.

In 1999, Alan joined the board of Bread of Life. In 2003, he led the board to establish the Rescue Mission now located at 1919 Apple Street where he continues to serve on the board and leads as the senior pastor.

Alan and Danette have three children – Rob, Jamie, and Kelly. They have 13 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild and two more on the way.
Alan and Danette now call CCO home and Alan serves as associate pastor on staff.

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24