Rene Schlaepfer, senior pastor of Twin Lakes Church in Aptos, has an incredible ability to reach out and transform others with his message about God’s unconditional love and grace. He is known for his practical, relevant teaching, and contemporary style as well as for the enthusiasm and high energy he brings to his countywide congregation — which includes many from the Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley.
Born in 1961 to Swiss immigrants, Schlaepfer was raised in San Jose. A personal tragedy hit when he was young child. His father, Fred, a well-known architect, was diagnosed with lymphoma and died shortly before Schlaepfer’s fourth birthday. Growing up, his religion became very performance-driven and legalistic.
A turning point came when Schlaepfer realized that the New Testament was all about God’s grace and not based on good works.
“My dad’s death impacted me in so many ways,” said Schlaepfer. “It was especially hard when kids brought their dads to school and I didn’t have one. I felt very self-conscious and lonely at times. My mom, younger sister, and I grew closer after my father’s death and would pray together for our needs. It was a team effort. We were now living below the poverty line and relied on friends and the food pantry for help.”
Eight years later, his mother remarried Jet Turner, a chaplain in San Jose. In time, Turner accepted a pastor’s position in South Lake Tahoe. After graduating high school, Schlaepfer attended Lake Tahoe Community College followed by San Jose State University where he majored in broadcasting. Schlaepfer also worked as a disc jockey, for both Top 40 and Christian radio all over the west coast. Next he went to Western Theological Seminary in Portland, Ore. His goal was to have a career in Christian broadcasting.
During this time, Schlaepfer met and married Laurie Ettinger who had also received her master’s in theology. They had two sons and a daughter.
“As a disc jockey I’d get phone calls from people who were despondent, and often suicidal,” said Schlaepfer. “They’d ask me for help, and I would refer them to pastors.” But as time went on I realized that I wanted to be on the end of that next phone call and not just playing three minute songs.”
In 1985, Schlaepfer relocated to San Diego and worked as a youth pastor. Four years later, he returned to Tahoe to become the teaching pastor at a conservative church.
“I’ll always remember one Easter,” Schlaepfer said. “The church had grown, and I was forced to find another location for our Easter Services. The only place large enough in South Tahoe was Harvey’s Casino. The congregation was in an uproar over having church in a casino. It was the antithesis of what they believed. To my surprise, the word spread and strangers suddenly showed up in droves. I stopped counting after 1,200 people arrived. It turned out to be the largest church gathering in the history of the Tahoe Basin.”
Then, in 1993, Schlaepfer accepted the position of senior pastor of Twin Lakes Baptist Church in Aptos — a daunting task after the retirement of Pastor Roy Kraft, their beloved pastor for 50 years.
“Here I was a 32-year-old and eager to shape the church culture so it would attract young families. That meant changing a lot of things,” said Schlaepfer. “For example, the name changed to Twin Lakes Church, the music became more contemporary and high energy, and the entire campus was updated. This was necessary in order to grow the church, but it was difficult for many people to accept.”
Some of Schlaepfer’s accomplishments include 2012 “Man of the Year,” awarded by the Aptos Chamber of Commerce. Twin Lakes Church was also voted “Organization of the Year” in 2014 among receiving other awards.
Schlaepfer is the author of five books, a sought after speaker and has traveled the world. He just returned from taking a group to Turkey and Greece.
Schlaepfer is passionate about outreach. The church has donated over a million meals to Second Harvest Food Bank in Watsonville over the past three years, along with numerous other projects.
Under Schlaepfer’s leadership, Twin Lakes has become the largest church in Santa Cruz County. They have an average attendance of 3,400 for weekend services, with a remarkable 10,000 plus attendees at Christmas and Easter.
This year, Twin Lakes Church will feature several smaller concerts instead of the annual Christmas program. James Durbin will appear on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
There will be five candlelight services on Dec. 23and 24.
“My hope is that Twin Lakes Church will continue to flourish in the community and be a beacon of God’s grace,” Schlaepfer concludes.
Twin Lakes Church is located at2701 Cabrillo College Drive in Aptos. Visit tlc.org or call 465-3300.
