Staff
Ben Johnson, Senior Pastor
My role at Gloria Dei is to help lead people in becoming more like Jesus & connecting them to areas of ministry they are interested in. Through our worship services, bible study opportunities, CORE classes, podcasts, Life Groups, hospitality endeavors and service opportunities my desire is that as people get connected and engaged they will see that following Jesus is an awesome adventure and is best done with others.
Tim Phillips, Director of Congregational Care
I respond to the care needs of the members of Gloria Dei. I visit the sick in the hospitals, visit the home-bound in their care centers and coordinate and direct all Care Ministries. I am involved in local and foreign missions.
Joe Meyer, Pastor Emeritus
My first love is Jesus. He’s my all in all. As such I love loving Jesus, but I also love helping others to love Him more deeply or even for the first time. As the lead Pastor here I am privileged to bring vision and direction and wisdom to our congregation, gathering both sta ff and volunteers around me for refinement and implementation of the vision God brings through me.
Chris Thomson, Executive Director
I oversee the operations of the church – from budget to staffing to facility usage. Part of my role is to solve problems and remove obstacles for our Directors so they can do their jobs most effectively. I lead staff meetings and work toward improving communication among the staff so we are unified and moving in the same direction. I meet with a variety of outside vendors to make sure Gloria Dei is getting the best value for all services performed by third parties. I also ensure that the church is as safe as possible from a legal and risk standpoint.
DeAnn McCue, Director of Women's Ministry
I work to encourage women to be in God’s Word so that they are able to pass on their faith. I desire to share our Lord’s amazing love with women and to build a firm foundation for them to be His disciple. I also work with teams to create meaningful, faith-building programming that reaches out to our community.
Mike Martens, Director of Men's Ministry
God has given me the privilege and responsibility to assist the men of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church to engage with the Lord Jesus
Jenn Fuller, Director of Children's Ministry
It is my joy to be able to share all about Jesus to the children and families of Gloria Dei
Tim Kightlinger, Director of Youth Ministry
I plan and implement opportunities for teenagers and their parents to love God and love others.
I have been involved with youth ministries for over 25 years. I love my wife of 31 years and enjoy traveling with her, especially to Disney. We have 4 children, 2 sons-in-law, and 4 grandkids. I enjoy watching and playing sports.
Brenden Pugh, Director of Technology
Here at Gloria Dei, I am responsible for all things technology in the building. From maintaining gear, training volunteers, and our weekend livestream crews, I work closely with our ministries, staff and volunteers to make sure they have what they need create the best experience possible for our weekend services and other events throughout the week.
Gale Webb, Weekend Service Producer
I work behind the scenes to make sure that all the details are in order for a meaningful worship experience.
Lisa Gibson, Office Manager
I answer the phone and greet and help members and others when they come in. I do the scheduling for baptisms, facilities, and weddings. I update and enter information on the membership database and help prepare materials for the new membership classes. I assist the worship department with worship folders. And of course, other duties as assigned.
Jenny Lappin, Administrative Assistant
As part of the front office staff, I do a wide variety of tasks. I enjoy using my God-given talents of organization and planning to help the pastors and directors with projects throughout the year.
Greg McDaniel, Facility Manager
I am pleased to serve the bride of Christ. I oversee the general state of the facility, develop maintenance and cleaning protocols, manage building security, and special projects. I enjoy calling for volunteers and working with the congregation.
Elaine Klinefelter, Director of Kitchen Ministry
Kitchen Ministry loves to make Gloria Dei feel like home with wonderful smells, delicious home-cooked meals along with smiles and the warm feeling of belonging to a family.
Our outreach events focus on lifting up the community. The learning opportunities are filled with abundant tasting opportunities. But most important is the fellowship filled with fun and laughter.
My free time is spent reading, walking and enjoying God’s creation. I enjoy sewing and of course creating new cookie and bread recipes, too.
God’s peace is the most amazing gift ever.
Allison Sundquist, Business Manager
I am a result oriented, positive, and hardworking individual who thrives in both independent working environments and team collaboration. I strive to provide the highest quality work through consistency and accuracy. I am highly adaptable to new and changing environments and enjoy learning. I have a personal passion for supporting others and aiding in their success through relationship building and strategic planning. As the Accounting Manager for Gloria Dei, I have the privilege of maintaining clean and accurate accounting records as well as allocating expenses and donations to their appropriate allotments. I am thrilled to be apart of the Gloria Dei staff and family.
Contact Us
Church Office at 515-276-1700 or office@gdlc.church
Pastor Joe Meyer: joe.meyer@gdlc.church
Pastor Ben Johnson: ben.johnson@gdlc.church
Pastor Tim Phillips: tim.phillips@gdlc.church