in the northern hemisphere in a town that’s not work, so I have to work.” And then she said, a shot, and so far nobody’s died, I’d say it’s a
Cape Town, this is probably as close as it’s “Can’t you work closer to home?” So I was success. (laughing)
gonna get. like, yeah, I guess I can. And these days are short. I’m not going to have forever with her. [WM] Tell us how your family, church and
[WM] Was surfing involved in the decision to And Jude and Bella, although they were okay community have been severely impacted
go to Malibu? with the travel schedule, also felt like it was the by the deadly Woolsey fire that ravaged
right time to make the transition. Southern California.
yards! I did maybe a decade in England without [WM] Then you got involved in a local church [Brenton] Yeah, the community has definitely
surf so I was jones-ing hard just to be in the in the area. Tell us how you went from someone been affected. The main campus of the church
ocean. I love oceans and mountains and I visiting Vintage Church, to being involved as a is in Santa Monica, but within the last couple of
missed both of them. worship leader and then as a part of a team years we’ve planted a satellite church in Malibu
of creatives and songwriters crafting your own right next to Pepperdine University which has
songs for the congregation? been a real gift and joy to our little family to have
[Brenton] For sure, I mean, I did the hard
[WM] After years of traveling as a worship
leader and a songwriter you cut back on travel
a community out here so close to us. The fire
and just hunkered down songwriting. Tell us [Brenton] First I went by way of ‘artist in started on the same Thursday that a memorial
about that transition? residence’ at a wonderful church called Calvary service was being held for the students
Community Church, where my buddy, Mark, gunned down in the devastating Borderline Bar
[Brenton] It was a pretty gnarly transition. I was a worship pastor. Then a friend of ours shooting [12 people dead, and many injured].
didn’t want to do it, I didn’t want to make the from the same network of churches we were One Pepperdine student was killed at this
transition, but my youngest, Lulu, who I think involved in back in England asked if I wanted shooting, and we have a number of students
was 3 at the time, sat me down and said, “Hey to try and be the worship pastor at Vintage from the University at Vintage Malibu and as
dad, I miss you.” And I said to her, “Well Lulu, Church. I said it would never work, I’m not your you’d expect, that shooting really rocked the
I’ve got to make money. Everybody has to guy. And then… here we are. So, we gave it community. It was a heavy incident. It wasn’t a
March 2019
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