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• Lodi SWAT team called in

• Getting gold

• Four vie for judge post

• Think economic times are tough? Local seniors talk about the Great Depression

• Expensive gas, cool weather expected for Memorial Day

• Regional Roundup

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (73)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (23)

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'My mission is knowing people'

Lockeford pastor wants church to be more personal

Manuel Campos was only 12 years old when he began preaching in South Sacramento.

"I knew at 12, I was going to be a youth pastor in my 20s," Campos said. "When I was in my 20s, I knew I was going to be a senior pastor in my 30s."

Now 43, Campos is pastor of Oasis Church of Hope in Lockeford. Sunday will be his fourth sermon at the church on E. Hammond Street, formerly known as Gospel Lighthouse Pentecostal Church.

Campos, who wants to be known as Pastor Manny, said his style is not to just give pastoral advice to people. He wants to develop personal relationships with his congregation.

"I'll go out for a cup of coffee and get to know them," Pastor Manny said. "I'll just listen to you. My mission is knowing people and loving people."

Campos acknowledges that he will not get through to anyone by lecturing them about the Bible or tell them what they should or shouldn't do.

Campos was working at the Atascadero Christian Home, an assisted living facility, and serving as an associate pastor in nearby Templeton when he decided he wanted to get back into preaching.

"I understand there are small towns that need quality men," he said. "I heard that (Oasis) church was without a pastor."

He was chosen pastor of Oasis, a church with about 75 people from Lockeford, Lodi, Stockton, Galt and Elk Grove attending each week.

Even though Oasis is a small-town church, Pastor Manny wants to expand its wings.

"The congregation wants to grow spiritually, numerically, materialistically and influentially," Campos said. "We want to be a church of influence."

One way he wants to do that is to contact businesses and do small-business seminars in Lockeford, Lodi, Stockton and Galt. Campos also wants to conduct men's, women's and couples' conferences.

Church of Hope's new pastor says he goes by the Bible, but personal relationships with his congregation is what's critically important to him.

Born and raised in Sacramento, Campos was known as "Preacher Boy." He decided to begin preaching at age 12 when he heard a Christian musical group perform.

"I knew there was something bigger than me," Campos said. "There was a greater story being written for my life."

So he began taking his Bible to the public school he attended in sixth grade. He would preach to kids during recess and lunch periods. I student slapped him in the face and tore up his Bible, he said.

In middle school, he got an anonymous death threat over the phone, so his father put him in private school.

"Everybody in this would has a sense that they were meant for something greater than what they're doing," Campos said. "To find that greater purpose, you must find Christ. If you don't find Christ, you don't find you."

Campos was pastor of a church in Yreka for more than nine years before leaving to join a friend at his church in San Luis Obispo County.

Campos and his wife, whom he calls "Miss Laura," have been married 23 years. They have two children, ages 19 and 21, and one granddaughter. They also had a baby who died at birth and another who died at the age of 3.

"It made us real to people," Campos said, referring to the two tragedies.

He believes he can better relate to people who have problems in their lives because he's been there.

Campos says he uses a laid-back style on Sundays. He admits using words like "dude" and "chick" in his sermons.

"When I talk to the congregation, we just hang out," he said.

When he's not focusing on his church, Campos enjoys bass fishing, hiking, golf, softball, basketball, taking walks with Miss Laura, playing the guitar and writing music. He's written 21 songs, and his son-in-law is his arranger.

"He sounds a lot like Eddie Van Halen," Campos said. "He's really good."

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.