“It was providential timing when Cathy began coaching me.  I was navigating numerous personal and professional transitions that were incredibly stressful and it was difficult to get clarity in the midst of so much change. 

Cathy provided pointed questions that helped me get at the core of what mindsets, behaviors and actions would help me move forward. Because of her coaching, I was able to tackle personal projects that felt insurmountable, and job transitions that were complex. In all of these areas, she helped me to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit's direction while taking specific action steps to achieve my goals."

— Jessica Fick, teaching pastor, Engage Church

“Rev. Cathy Bruce brings a strong skill set and a compassionate ear to her coaching conversations--allowing her clients to feel both heard and helped. Through our denomination’s coaching network, I have assigned Rev. Bruce as a coach to a wide variety of coaching recipients.

Her clients rate her highly for how her coaching helps them think more deeply about the answers already within them. They appreciate how she asks pivotal and insightful questions with care, leading to clarity and forward movement. I recommend Rev. Bruce with confidence for anyone seeking support for their coaching needs.”

— Rev. Dr. Barbara Ettinger, Coaching Project Manager and Lead Trainer for Coaching Initiatives

The Evangelical Covenant Church

“As a bi-vocational leader, pastor/church planter of Freedom Hill Church, a church plant based in Westchester County, and CEO of Community Housing Innovations, a large nonprofit housing provider/developer in the New York region, I know firsthand the need to be surrounded/covered by advisors/pastors and specifically an executive/church planting coach. All pastors/marketplace leaders need pastoral covering and executive coaching. 

I highly recommend Pastor Branden Petersen as an executive/pastoral coach. For the past four months, we have been in a coaching relationship, and I would say partnership, where Branden has coached me with firsthand knowledge and understanding of what it takes to pastor a church plant. Pastor Branden is incredibly resourced with tools and resources at hand combined with a profound theological foundation/background on leadership, pastoring, evangelism, discipleship and church administration.”

—Dr. Ron Abad, Pastor, Freedom Hill Church and CEO, Community Housing Innovations

“Every leader has blind spots—areas of strength that quietly conceal vulnerability, and questions that go unasked because no one is there to ask them. Branden has been instrumental in helping me identify those blind spots with clarity and precision. He asks the right questions, challenges assumptions constructively, and brings strategic focus to complex decisions. His coaching has sharpened my leadership, strengthened my decision-making, and provided structure in seasons of rapid growth and pressure.

As a church planter in New York leading a growing congregation while navigating ministry, family, and operational demands, his guidance has been both practical and transformative. He doesn’t just offer insight—he creates alignment, momentum, and measurable progress.

If you’re leading at a high level and want clarity, accountability, and strategic traction, Branden is the kind of coach who makes a tangible difference.”

—Dr. Robert Batista, Pastor, Gracepoint Church, Yonkers, NY