Marty Villa

Marty and Erne Ruth were both born and raised in Southern California. Neither can remember a time that they didn’t love Jesus and His Church. Erne Ruth prayed to receive Christ at age 5 and Marty when he was 10—he was a little slower to decide. In 1964 Marty graduated from high school and left the next day for a summer mission trip with Youth With A Mission in the Bahama Islands. While there he received an unmistakable call to ministry. Marty and Erne Ruth met and married upon graduation from Southern California College—now Vanguard University—and then began ministry together (celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary in March 2019). They have been missionaries in Mexico City with YWAM, youth pastors in Oregon and for the past 45 years worked as a minister with Youth for Christ–first in Silverton & Salem, Oregon and then Modesto, California. Marty served in multiple roles in YFC until his retirement in June 2019. While serving as chaplain at Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall, he enrolled in seminary to be trained as a Marriage & Family Therapist, better equipping him to help high-risk families and their teens. In 1999 he started YFC’s Family Concern Counseling Center. His work as a counselor has given him opportunity to work with clients of all ages and many cultures that come seeking help with anxiety, depression, trauma and marriage or family conflict. Over the last decade God has been positioned and prepared Marty to work more specifically with pastors, missionaries and their families as his primary focus–walking with them through times of recovery, restoration and sabbatical preparation. He is committed to preparing himself to more effectively help those in ministry who are suffering from significant relational and emotional trauma. So instead of retirement Marty has chosen redeployment and together with his colleague and good friend, Aaron Crumrine, they launched Renovo Counseling Group to better meet the needs of this specific group of God’s servants. Erne Ruth is a professional musician and has been a piano teacher for over 60 years. She has served as a minister of music and worship leader and is passionate about training her students to become effective Christian musicians & worship leaders. They live in Modesto, CA and attend and serve at One Church – Modesto. They have two married children & six grandchildren, ages 26 to 7 and they look for every opportunity to spend time with them.