Bill Johnson : Lead Pastor
Staff Equipper for the Spiritual Health Team, Adult Ministries Team, and Small Groups Ministry Team
bjohnson@parkstreetbrethren.org • 419-289-0224 x102
“My Holy Calling is to be like Christ, to help others be like Christ, and to equip those who will help others be like Christ. Ezra and Nehemiah are my Old Testament heroes – Ezra because he obeyed and taught God’s Word and Nehemiah because he led God’s people well. John is my New Testament hero because he was committed to love like Jesus. My ministry passions are life-long spiritual formation, Christ-like leadership development, and releasing and equipping people to steward their spiritual gifting and holy calling. I am into racquetball, O-gauge electric trains, international travel, and hanging around the 11-acre pond in our backyard.”
Bill met Marla at Wheaton College and they married in 1978. They have three children: Christine and her husband Jeremy live in South Carolina. Sarah attends Ashland Theological Seminary, and Daniel attends Taylor University in Indiana.
BA – Wheaton College, 1976
MA in Counseling and Educational Psychology – University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1979
MA in Religion – Westminster Theological Seminary, 1982
MDiv – Westminster Theological Seminary, 1983
DMin in Spiritual Formation – Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2004
Bill served as solo pastor of the international church in Tegucigalpa Honduras; senior pastor of Crossroads Bible Church right next to the Panama Canal; Pastor of Leadership Development in Minneapolis; Pastor of Family Discipleship in Midland, MI; and began as Lead Pastor at Park Street Brethren Church in May 2009. Bill has taught as an adjunct professor in spiritual formation at Bethel Seminary and at Denver Seminary.
Wende Lance : Executive Director
Staff Equipper for the Operations Team, Community Life Ministries and Parish Ministries
wlance@parkstreetbrethren.org • 419-289-0224 x104
“I am passionate about dark chocolate, good coffee, and nature. I get excited about opening people’s eyes to the needs around us, and helping people serve outside the church walls. Despite having no musical ability whatsoever, I hope to someday learn to play the guitar that I got for Christmas several years ago.”
Wende and her husband and best friend, John, live just north of Loudonville with their teenage children – Jordan, a student at The Ohio State University, and Megan, age 15 – and a black lab named Tressel. They also have a married daughter and son-in-law, Jenna and Allen Fawley, who are students at Kent State University.
Jason Barnhart : Associate Pastor
Staff Equipper for Student Ministry, Cross-Cultural Missions, Family Discipleship, Outreach, and Teaching
jbarnhart@parkstreetbrethren.org • 419-289-0224 x105
“I love to hang out and have conversations in which I believe the best teaching actually takes place. Look for me in a coffee shop chatting with people. I love to travel and someday hope to have enough money to travel to some of the places on my ever-growing wish list. I love to read and usually read about 15 things at a time. I read as far as I need to and stop. I drive Type-A people bonkers and administrative people to the brink of insanity. I like people and will gravitate toward anything that is people-oriented!”
Jason and Allison are the parents of Miles, and they have two dogs and a fish.
Doug Cooper : Associate Pastor
Staff Equipper for Young Adults Ministry and Worship
douglascooper@zoominternet.net • 419-606-1621
“I am a coffee aficionado – I enjoy the geography, culture, and flavors that are part of it.”
Doug’s wife is Debbie, adult kids are Aubrey (and Aaron) Bates, Emily (and Trent) Heckman, Pete and Nate. Their grandchildren are Kelynn, Keslar, Ty, Allie and Annie. Pets are Lily, the Havenese and Abel, the golden retriever.
Sherry Van Duyne : Associate Pastor
Staff Equipper for the Children’s Ministry, Care Ministry, Bereavement, TV Ministry, and Choir
svanduyne@parkstreetbrethren.org • 419-289-0224, 419-282-4891
“ I like to read, enjoy music, like to read, scrapbook our family memories, like to read, quilt, and did I say read?”
Sherry is married to Ken; their adult children are Christy and Jason Carmean with grandchildren Micaela, Alyssa and Josiah; Mindy and Mike McPherran with James and Audrey; Kenton and Tami Van Duyne with Kaden and new baby arriving in September. Her mother Lois Barnhart lives with them and her father, Virgil, is in the Alzheimer’s Unit at the Ohio Veteran’s Home in Sandusky, Ohio. They have two cats (one by choice and one by chance – he adopted them!)