Dominic Balli

With a father and grandfather as pastors, Dominic grew up in church knowing about Jesus but never knew Him personally. It wasn’t until the age of 16 that he finally surrendered his life and chose to follow wholeheartedly after God.

Growing up with a mother who was a professional musician and songwriter, it seemed natural for Dominic to pick up the guitar. There was only one problem: he was legitimately tone-deaf. Though his condition left his guitar and voice regularly out of tune, his broken physiology didn’t stop him from tirelessly pursuing music. When he met Jesus at 16 and was filled with the Holy Spirit, his tone deafness immediately vanished, which changed the course of his life.

Knowing where the healing came from, Dominic began writing songs with the intention of sharing the good news of Jesus with the world and, soon after, began leading worship at church. After a brief stint as a youth pastor in San Diego, Dominic and his wife moved to Carpinteria, where Reality was just getting off the ground. He took a position as a youth pastor and worship director at Reality Carpinteria and was soon after ordained as a pastor/elder. After his first album topped the Gospel and Reggae charts in 2008, Dominic stepped down from his staff position at Reality Carpinteria to pursue a career as a self-produced, full-time independent recording artist. When he wasn’t on the road, he served as a lay pastor/elder and volunteer worship leader at Reality Carpinteria and Reality Ventura from 2009-2016. In 2016, he joined the team at Reality Ventura as the Interim Pastor for Preaching and Vision, leading the pastoral team in transitioning the church from a video campus to an autonomous church. Dominic served in this role until 2021, when Tim Chaddick joined the team, resuming the role of Pastor for Preaching and Vision, and Dominic moved into a part-time role as Pastor for Worship Life.

Believing wholeheartedly that the presence of God is the best thing that any church has going for it, Dominic loves using music, preaching, and prayer to create environments where people can encounter God–the only source of true peace, joy, and hope in this life.

Dominic currently serves as Pastor for Worship Life, where he works with the Worship and Creative Arts Director and volunteer worship leaders, serves as an elder, and preaches and leads worship regularly.

Dominic and his wife have been married since 2002 and have three children. He enjoys paddleboarding, playing music with his boys, meaningful conversation with his daughter, and his daily morning connection with his wife.