Werner is a Guatemalan immigrant who grew up in Long Beach, CA. He jokes that he did not get into much trouble growing up because he has great parents who got him cable television and took him to church. Werner is an ordained minister of word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He holds an M.Div and a MA in Christian Education & Spiritual Formation from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Werner has worked in youth ministry for over a decade on both coasts in suburban and urban contexts. He currently lives in Queens, NY with his wonderful wife April, and serves as the Associate Pastor for Congregational Care and Family Ministries at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.