Staff

 

Walter Hackney
Interim Pastor

I grew up in and around New Orleans. I thought the four main foods groups were shrimp, crayfish, crabs, and oysters and learned to love Cajun seasoning, too.

I graduated with a B.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1978 (long before Brett Farve!), an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1981, and an M.Ed. from the University of New Orleans in 1986. 

In addition to pastoring, I taught secondary math and history for 13 years, as well as coaching football, wrestling, and baseball (I wasn’t that good at coaching baseball!). I also served as a certified wrestling referee (the only sport mentioned by name in the Bible!). In 2001 I started my first position as an intentional interim pastor at Forest Park Presbyterian in New Berlin, WI. After helping with the wrestling team last winter, this fall I serve as an assistant coach on the 7th-8th grade football team. 

I enjoy spending time with people (including my wife Kristi and son Walt back in Baton Rouge, LA and my daughter Anne in the DC area!) and taking walks and hikes. I like Mardi Gras parades in the suburbs (where it is not so raunchy!). I am functional in most sports (definitely not golf!). I enjoy good jokes and stories. Most of all, I love talking about the Bible, especially the Old Testament.

 

Bill Ver Velde
Youth Director

I had the blessing of growing up in small town Oostburg. After graduating from Oostburg High School , I traveled to the big city of Chicago and attended Moody Bible Institute. In 2007 I graduated from Moody with a B.A. in Youth Ministry.

The summer after graduating, my wife Morgan and I capped off five years of dating by finally getting married. We moved to Fond du Lac , WI and I began substitute teaching. Currently I still substitute teach in addition to my Youth Director responsibilities.

There’s little I enjoy more than spending time with friends and being as social as possible. I also enjoy watching movies, discovering new music, and expanding my knowledge of tech. I have recently become interested in handy man projects and working on my house.

 I adore working with students and learning about their lives. I hope that the students I work with see the difference Christ has made in my life and in turn, desire to grow their own personal relationships with Christ.