MADERA - Pastor Roger Leach will serve this year as the Grand Marshal of the Madera South 2016 Homecoming. He will be featured in our Homecoming Parade with his wife on Friday, October 14th. MSHS will be presenting him with a plaque and other items during the pre-game festivities at Friday's October 14th homecoming game vs. Sanger High School. He will also be featured on community fliers that will be posted in local business with our Homecoming sponsors.

Roger was born at the old Dearborn Hospital in Madera, California in 1949. During Roger’s high school days at Madera High School, he was elected Student Body Vice-President and President of the Student Legislature in 1966 -67. He was very active in the Future Farmers of America participated on several state winning judging teams, elected as officer and obtained the highest degree award of American Farmer.

He was awarded scholarships to attend Fresno State and received awards of academic excellence and outstanding Agricultural Science Graduate in 1971. He joined the California Army National Guard and was awarded the Outstanding Soldier Award at Ft. Knox in 1973 and was honorably discharged in 1979. Rev. Leach started out as a Tulare High School agriculture teacher in 1972 and bio-science professor at Mt San Antonio College, Walnut California and in 1973 to 1978 taught Agricultural courses at Merced College in Merced, CA.

His father ran the family farm and one day while working in the fields, had a heart attack and was unable to continue farming.  Roger dropped his career in teaching to go back home and manages the farm.  Eventually, he felt a calling to help people.  He genuinely has compassion and love for people, so he became a minister.  He and his wife, Dixie, are the founders and co-pastors of the Valley West Christian Center, which has grown to one of the largest congregations in Madera, located on a 25 Acre campus, celebrating 30 years of ministry at VWCC.

He also founded Sherman Thomas Charter Schools in 2002 (Sherman Thomas Charter School K-8, Sherman Thomas High School and Sherman Thomas STEM Academy 6-8^th grades) which are great successes.  In addition, he developed a not-for-profit affordable senior housing and initiated many humanitarian projects in Madera, Hanford, Taft and Richmond.

Pastor Roger works tirelessly in Madera with the Madera Ministerial Association in projects of “GOT HOPE”, “LOVE MADERA”, Curb Stripe Campaign for Police and First Responders, Adopt A School, Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Committee and many other community outreaches.

Married since 1969 to Dixie Leach, a gifted musical artist and his best friend. Dixie has an incredible ability to lead a congregation into the presence of God. She has recorded an album of her own music in 1983 and found that the message of that album is time appropriate for people today.

Roger and Dixie Leach have two married sons, Lance of Madera, who is an associte pastor with his father for 25 years at VWCC and Nick, also of Madera, a CPA and partner of an accounting firm in Fresno, Ca. Daughters-in-law Barbara and Cerisa, and blessed with five grandchildren.

Roger dedicates his time to helping people and those who need encouraging the most. He is known throughout the community of Madera as a servant of his beloved community and desires it to grow and prosper.