Homeless advocate, former beach church pastor Brian Bajari dies at 52.

Brian Bajari, a longtime pastor who was well-known for his work in bringing worship services to the homeless and volunteering for numerous groups, died suddenly of an unspecified health condition on Monday, Feb. 26. The Carmel resident was 52.

Bajari served as a pastor at Carmel Presbyterian Church for more than 10 years, and was the CEO and co-founder of the Spero Challenge, which is a community service nonprofit led by youth.

He was also the development director for Set Free Monterey Bay, an organization that provides services to women who are victims of sex trafficking.

A full-service officiant, Bajari also performed over 400 weddings throughout the Monterey and San Francisco bay areas.

Bajari graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., with a degree in English literature. He also earned a graduate certificate in leadership development from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology.  

He was instrumental in founding Church on the Beach, where for seven years he hosted church services on Del Monte Beach.

It was these services that inspired retired chef Al Siekert to found Al & Friends, where he and volunteers serve meals at the beach every Sunday for the homeless.

“I noticed people would bring stale donuts and old coffee,” he says. “I said, ‘you know, I’m a retired chef. I know these people need nutrition.’”

What started off feeding 25 people a week more than a decade ago has now grown to 125 people.

“It’s all because of Brian,” Siekert says. “I wouldn’t have had the epiphany to do it had it not been for Brian. It’s been amazing to me how much influence that little movement was to me in my life.”

Siekert added that he recalls Bajari telling him that there are plenty of ministries inside a building, yet there were very few or none who were bringing the sermons outside to where the homeless reside.

“The world is a better place because he was alive,” Siekert says.