Deacon Gary McFarland was born in Wichita, Kansas, and earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He served in the US Army as 1st Lieutenant from April 1971 to April 1973, and moved to Goleta, CA, later that same year. He was ordained to the diaconate in February of 1987.

Fr. Deacon Gary was registered as a Civil Engineer in California in 1976. He worked in the engineering department at Goleta Water District from 1974 thru 1977; held a practice as an engineering consultant from 1977 to 1998; and was elected to Goleta Water Board of Directors in 1980, serving through 1987. His current position as Engineering Manager of Goleta Water District began in 1998. These tenures serve him and the church well as he oversees the coordination of our building project and assists with obtaining the building permits from the County.

Fr. Deacon Gary is married to Carol McFarland, a teacher at St. John of Damascus Academy, and together they raised three sons. His interests include backpacking and flying.