Lay Leaders

Lay Leaders

2023-2024 Vote Results

Secretary: Jim Zoller
Treasurer: David Mercer
Facilities Stewards Chair: Mike Spateholts
Elders:  Josie Adenuga, Jill Jordan, Carolyn Miller
Nominating Committee: LuAnne Brubaker, Mike Jordan, Betsy Webb
District Conference Delegates: Barb Bates, Ken Bates, Tim McGarvey, Sharon McGarvey, Emily Spateholts and Michael Spateholts
Community Financial Plan: Yes:118, No:0

Elders

The Elders, along with the pastoral staff, are the spiritual leaders of our congregation. These leaders form a partnership of mutual support and accountability with the pastoral staff so that spiritual leadership might be a dynamic force in the body of Christ, enabling the church to become all that God wills for it. Though the elders are endowed with authority in the church, the most important characteristics are humility, joy, love, a combination of grace and truth, and a desire for Christlikeness through the power of the Holy Spirit—goals toward which we continually aspire.

Because we believe that God creates men and women as equals (Genesis 1:26-27), and because it is obvious that God endows leadership gifts to both men and women, elders consist of men and women.

Elders are elected for three-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms.

Elders for the 2023-2024 year are

Jim Zoller (Secretary)

David Mercer (Treasurer)

Mike Spateholts (Facilities Steward Chair)

Donnie Stockin (2024)

Daryl Stevenson (2024)

Tim McGarvey (2024)

Ken Bates (2025)

Jan Schilke (2025)

Paul Young (2025)

Josie Adenuga (2026)

Jill Jordan (2026)

Carolyn Miller (2026)

Trustees/Facilities StewarDs Chair

At the 2022 General Conference of The Wesleyan Church, a resolution was passed in which the title and authority of church trustees was passed to the Elders of the church. The rationale for this decision was that it would help churches that might find the current plan cumbersome and to move any legal accountability to the Elders rather than the Trustees. This administrative decision doesn’t eliminate that need for a group of people to oversee and manage the church’s facility. With this in mind, we have chosen to rename this group of leaders the Facilities Stewards.

In addition, the Facilities Stewards are no longer elected by the congregation but are appointed (as are all oversight committees) by the Elders. For this reason, the Trustees are no longer on our annual ballot. It is important to note, that even with this new design, the Facilities Stewards are being asked to serve for three-year terms, with staggered expiring terms.

One more implication of this decision. Because all Elders must be elected by the congregation, this creates a dilemma for Facilities Stewards representation with the Elders. All oversight committees are represented by an Elder). Our solution is for the congregation to elect the Facilities Stewards chair, even though the congregation no longer elects the full Facilities Stewards committee. In the same way that the Secretary and Treasurer are elected annually, so will the Facilities Steward Chair.

Delegates to District Conference

Barb Bates, Ken Bates, Tim McGarvey, Sharon McGarvey, Emily Spateholts and Michael Spateholts

Nominating Committee

LuAnne Brubaker, Mike Jordan, Betsy Webb

Committees

Our committees exist to help us carry out the ministry of Christ more effectively. The committees serve as avenues for planning in order to collectively know the mind of Christ for our ministries, for organization in order to most effectively bring to fruition the plans we sense Christ has for us, and for communication in order to encourage, support, equip and assist our ministry volunteers. We believe that our committees are successful when their unseen work is lived out in the seen ministries that they oversee.

Church Committees:

College – Chair: Pastor David Huizenga

Youth – Chair: Pastor Jon Cole

Global Missions – Chair: Pastor Paul Shea

Children – Chair: Emily Spateholts

Local Outreach – Judy Hopkins

Worship – Amanda Cox

Discipleship – Pastor David Huizenga

Stewardship – Pastor Wes Oden

Personnel – Pastor Wes Oden

Here are the Elder Committees that will have assignments: 

  • Discipleship – 
  • Children’s Ministries – 
  • Nominating – 
  • Youth – 
  • College Ministries – 
  • Worship – 
  • Stewardship – 
  • Personnel – 
  • Global Missions – 
  • Local Outreach – 
Senior Pastor

Wes Oden

Education: B.A., George Fox University, M. Div., Asbury Theological Seminary, D. Min., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Born: Clinton, Indiana Family: Cindy (wife), John and Heléna, Andrew Been at HWC Since: 1996 Books/Writers that have influenced me: M. Scott Peck, N.T. Wright, Eugene Peterson, M. Craig Barnes, Haddon Robinson, Dennis Kinlaw Hobbies: Tennis, Golf, IU Basketball, Reading spy/mystery novels like Vince Flynn and Sherlock Holmes Favorite Music: Classical, Barry Manilow, Gospel Quartet, Contemporary Christian, Rock and Roll, Oldies and Disco Paul Shea Assistant Pastor PaulShea@hwchurch.org Education: B.A. Houghton College; M.Div. Trinity Evangelical Div. Sch.; D. Miss. Trinity Evangelical Div. Sch. Born: Fillmore, NY Previous Ministry: Pastor, Ottawa, IL; Missionary, Sierra Leone; Missions Professor, Houghton College Favorite Authors: John Stott, Lesslie Newbegin, N.T.Wright, C.S.Lewis, Philip Yancey, Andrew Walls. Hobbies: Puttering around house, Golf, Driving, Sports, Reading. Favorite Music: Classical, Jazz, Bluegrass. Jon Cole Youth Pastor joncole@hwchurch.org Education: BA Houghton College, MA in Youth Ministry Leadership, Huntington University, expected May 2014 Birthplace: Rochester NY Family: Nancy (wife), Luke and Emma Been at HWC Since: 2004 Writers that have influenced me: N.T. Wright, Andrew Root, Doug Fields, John Wesley, Soren Kierkegaard, Henri Nouwen Hobbies: be with my family, early breakfast with a friend, basketball, rental real estate Favorite Music: Anything, Glad, Andrew Peterson and Men at Work Cindy Oden Assistant Pastor cindyoden@hwchurch.org Education: B.A., Asbury College, MAR., Asbury Theological Seminary Born: Iowa City, Iowa Family: Wes (husband), John and Heléna, Andrew Been at HWC since: 1996 Books/Writers that have influenced me: E. Stanley Jones, Alice Matthews, Dennis Kinlaw, Estelle Carver, Anna Mow Hobbies: Cooking and Reading Favorite Music: A variety of different kinds Amanda Cox Music and Worship Director amandacox@hwchurch.org Education: BMus., Houghton College, MMus., University of Miami Born: Edmonton, Alberta Family: Mike (husband), Evelyn and Grayson Been at HWC since: 2003 Books/Writers that have influenced me: Philip Yancey, Henri Nouwen Hobbies: Reading, Being with family, Watching movies, Playing board games Favorite Music: Meredith Andrews, Laura Story, Taylor Swift, Great Big Sea Laurie Smalley Children’s Ministry Director lauriesmalley@hwchurch.org Born – San Jose, California Family – Husband Bob, daughter Angela, son and daughter in law – Zac and Erin Smalley – grandson, Peter Scott Smalley Back at HWC again in 2017; previously here 2004-2011 Volunteer Pastor Favorite Music – Most contemporary Christian music and anything by Rachmaninoff Books/Authors – Gordon Fee, Ravi Zacharias, Tim Keller, Andy Stanley Hobbies playing the harp. hiking, kayaking Casda Danner Valley Preschool Director casdadanner@hwchurch.org Education: B.A., Houghton College Born: Warsaw, NY Family: Nathan (husband), Clayton, Courtney, Christopher, and Joel Been at HWC since: 2009 Books/Writers that have influenced me: Ann Voskamp, Beth Moore Hobbies: Being with family and friends for games and conversation, swimming Favorite Music: Hymns, Musicals, Classical, some Contemporary Christian, some Popular, Oldies Staff Patty Stalker Administrative Assistant pattystalker@hwchurch.org Education: B.A., Houghton College, M.A., The George Washington University Born: Rochester, NY Family: Robert (husband), Tracee, Laura and Bill, Sarah and Akash, Jon and Julie, David and LaDona, Arleen and Ron, Paul and Sharon, Suzanne and Kevin, Bill and Erin, Sally and Chris. Been at HWC since: 1997 Books/Writers that have influenced me: Eugene Peterson, Marva Dawn, Gordon Fee, Tim Keller Hobbies: Mentoring, Web Design and things digital, Local History, Cognitive Psychology Favorite Music: Fernando Ortega, Rend Collective Experiment, Steve Bell, Brenton Brown Steve Pocock Head Custodian stevepocock@hwchurch.org Education: B.S., Houghton College, M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary Born: Bath, NY Family: Audrey (wife), Stephanie and Brian, Kara and Ian, Michael and Audrey Joy, John Mark and Olivia Began Working at HWC: 2003 Books/Writers that have influenced me: JRR Tolkein, C.S. Lewis Hobbies: Hunting, Fishing, Biking
Youth Pastor

Jon Cole

Education: BA Houghton College, MA in Youth Ministry Leadership, Huntington University.Birthplace: Rochester NYFamily: Nancy (wife), Luke and EmmaBeen at HWC Since: 2004Writers that have influenced me: N.T. Wright, Andrew Root, Doug Fields, John Wesley, Soren Kierkegaard, Henri NouwenHobbies: be with my family, early breakfast with a friend, basketball, rental real estateFavorite Music: Anything, Glad, Andrew Peterson and Men at Work
Discipleship & College Pastor

David Huizenga

Education: B.A., Calvin University, M.T.S., Palmer Theological Seminary Born: Warsaw, New York Family: Heidi (wife), Luke, Gabriel, Anna (children) Been at HWC since: 2022 Books/writers that have influenced me: Derek Kidner, Richard Mouw, Philip Yancey, Craig Keener, Josef Ton, Eugene Peterson Hobbies: Designing & building stereo speakers, light carpentry & home projects, boating Favorite music: Fusion/eclectic, Classical, 70’s & 80’s Rock, Folk Rock, Film
Assistant Pastor

Cindy Oden

Education: B.A., Asbury College, MAR., Asbury Theological SeminaryBorn: Iowa City, IowaFamily: Wes (husband), John and Heléna, AndrewBeen at HWC since: 1996Books/Writers that have influenced me: E. Stanley Jones, Alice Matthews, Dennis Kinlaw, Estelle Carver, Anna MowHobbies: Cooking and ReadingFavorite Music: A variety of different kinds
Assistant Pastor

Paul Shea

Education: B.A. Houghton College; M.Div. Trinity Evangelical Div. Sch.; D. Miss. Trinity Evangelical Div. Sch. Born: Fillmore, NY Previous Ministry: Pastor, Ottawa, IL; Missionary, Sierra Leone; Missions Professor, Houghton College Favorite Authors: John Stott, Lesslie Newbegin, N.T.Wright, C.S.Lewis, Philip Yancey, Andrew Walls. Hobbies: Puttering around house, Golf, Driving, Sports, Reading. Favorite Music: Classical, Jazz, Bluegrass.
Worship Director

Amanda Cox

Education: BMus., Houghton College, MMus., University of MiamiBorn: Edmonton, AlbertaFamily: Mike (husband), Evelyn and GraysonBeen at HWC since: 2003Books/Writers that have influenced me: Philip Yancey, Henri NouwenHobbies: Reading, Being with family, Watching movies, Playing board gamesFavorite Music: Meredith Andrews, Laura Story, Taylor Swift, Great Big Sea