Michael Wayne Studebaker

He was born Michael Wayne Studebaker on November 9, 1967 in San Jose, California. Known as Mickie to his immediate family and early childhood friends, he lived in San Jose until he chose to attend California Baptist College in 1987. He got his Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion in May of 1993 and later obtained a Masters Degree in Theology from Golden Gate Seminary in Brea in 2009.

It was Mike’s passion to study his Bible and serve his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in any way he could. His service was inspired by James 2:14-17, which states, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

In his early twenties, Mike attended Palm Baptist Church and became a licensed minister. He served as the children’s minister and also acted as a children’s camp pastor during his time there. He then went on to become the youth pastor at First Baptist Church of Upland. While he enjoyed working with children, Mike felt called to work with those in need, and that is where he found his passion. He held the title of Shelter Director for three local homeless shelters; one was managed by Lutheran Social Services, and two were managed by The Salvation Army. He also directed two cold weather shelters.

As a parent, one of the most impactful actions he took was to model compassion by purchasing meals to give out when he encountered a homeless person on his daily travels. Mike’s values of compassion and service live on in his daughters.

Almost a decade after starting his ministry journey, Mike’s direction shifted again. In his new position at Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church, he served in many ways, but his favorite was working in benevolence ministry. His benevolence ministry included maintaining the food pantry at his church, purchasing groceries for community members in need, and setting up kitchens to feed workers and those affected by local disasters. At this time, he trained as a volunteer for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and went to New Orleans, Haiti, and Lebanon on their behalf.

In the final chapter of his life, Mike was dedicated to enjoying every moment he could. His favorite pastime was relaxing at the beach; he also loved watching movies, and he had recently gotten into wine tasting. He was also a lifelong fan of the San Francisco 49ers.

Mike is survived by two daughters, Jamie Studebaker of Mesa, Arizona and Danielle Studebaker of Riverside, California; his parents, Roy and Judy Studebaker of San Jose, California; and a sister, Donna Sooter Lim of Santa Clara, California. He is also survived by his girlfriend, Margaret Lang of Wildomar, California, and her daughter Breanna Medina, also of Wildomar, California.