Meet Our New Pastor

l Born October 2^nd, 1950 in New Hampton IA. the son of Eugene (deceased) and Lorie Koons.

l Oldest of four children; sisters Sue Weiglein, Pattie Davis and Michelle Gritsch.

l 1968 graduate of New Hampton (Iowa) High School.

l BS in History, 1972, from the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls IA, and Economics, 1974, UNI.

l 20 years sales and marketing in financial services (Merrill Lynch), the automotive aftermarket (Standard Motor Products and American Parts System), and electronic component distribution (Capacitor Associates).

l Master of Divinity degree from Bethel Theological Seminary, St. Paul Minnesota in 1994.

l Associate Pastor, Christian Life Center, Decorah IA (Assembly of God), 1990 – 1994.

l Part of church planting team for Bridgewood Community Church, Shoreview MN, (Interdenominational), 1994 - 1998 while in Seminary.

l Church planting pastor for CrossRoads Church, Harrisonburg VA. (Baptist General Conference) 1994 - 2003.

l On staff of Mt. Olive Brethren Church, McGaheysville, since October of 2004 as Associate Pastor of Adult Ministries and Nurture.

l Active with Rockingham Cluster of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District.

l Former chairman of “Families Thru Faith,” an interdenominational ministry whose mission is to strengthen and encourage families through Jesus Christ in the Shenedoah Valley of Virginia.

l Former board member and chair of “Greater Hope Ministries,” a Christian counseling ministry for sexually broken people.

l My wife Lani and I have served on the steering committee and are past presidents of The Valley Home Educators, a support group for home educating families in the Shenandoah Valley.

l Member of the Church Multiplication Team, serving the Brethren Church at large as a consultant on church planting.

l Participant in the “Pastors of Excellence” program of Ashland Theological Seminary.

l Enjoy reading on a wide variety of topics, most notably; history, biographies, leadership, science, philosophy, and theology.

l My wife Lani and I have four children currently living at home: Benjamin, Mari Ella, Greta and Thomas. Our two older children Kathleen and Will have left the nest; Katie is living in suburban Washington D.C. and working in a preschool and Will is a political science major at James Madison University in Harrisonburg Virginia.