Jeff Ellis has served at Walloon Lake Community Church for thirty years.
His great joy is to dig into God’s Word and teaching the story of Jesus in a clear and understandable way. Jeff enjoys golfing, reading, & hanging with his family. He and his wife Denise have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren. - Contact Pastor Jeff -
CHAD OVERBEEK // aDMINISTRATIVE PASTOR
A Michigan native and father of four, Chad and his family really enjoy the outdoors and the activities of the seasons. Chad left the commercial work place and started in full time ministry in 2016.
His heart is to see the church stay fresh and relevant. Known as the "Marshmallow Guy", Chad strives to keep an idea of flexibility blended with the structure and organization of the church.
Laura was born and raised in Texas, but moved to Michigan in 2012. She came to WLCC as a member of the online campus in early 2020, in person soon thereafter, and quickly joined the worship team from there. Laura started singing in church at a very young age and has been involved in music ministry for well over a decade.
She is passionate about serving the Lord with her creative gifts and counts it the highest honor to lead God’s people in authentic worship. Laura loves to read, take on countless creative/artistic projects, and cannot resist a good prank.
Jeff is a lifelong musician who has always had a heart for worship. He started playing guitar in church at 8 years old, and has served in various worship ministries ever since, both in musical and technical capacities. His goal is to create a worship atmosphere that is free from distraction, glorifies the Lord, and allows God's people to experience Him for who He is.
Brant loves life up here in Northern Michigan! Gifted in relational connections and transformational preaching, he considers it to be one of his highest privileges to advance the Gospel through the pulpit and through creative digital means.
With an M.A. in Pastoral Studies and Congregational Leadership from Moody Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Pastoral Studies from Moody Bible Institute, Brant currently serves as our Youth & Young Adults Pastor, and recently, as our Online Campus pastor, too (we know, it’s a mouthful…). He also speaks each summer at Lake Ann Camp.
After college, Nancy used her Business Management degree working in businesses and financial institutions in the area. She left the business world to raise her two sons. When her sons began school, Nancy volunteered many hours in their classrooms. It was at this time she decided to pursue an Educational Teaching Certificate.
Since then, she has taught at Harbor Light Christian, Concord Boyne, Pui Tak Christian in Chicago’s Chinatown, and at Chicago Hope Academy in the Near West District of Chicago. While in Chicago, Nancy served as Director of the Awana Sparks at The Moody Church. Recently, she returned to Northern Michigan to live near her family.
Pastor Ben and his wife, Faith, joined WLCC in 2023. They both attended Moody Bible Institute.
Ben is passionate about making disciples, delighting in God’s Word, and equipping others to love Jesus and love like him. He loves to hang out with friends, drink coffee with his wife, and throw a frisbee.
JoDee Hissong has been part of the WLCC family for many years. In addition to bookkeeping, scheduling, and a million other essentials, she keeps everything running smoothly - including the pastoral staff! She is married to Dave Hissong and has three growing boys.
KEITH BRADLEY // CUSTODIAN, chief investigation and security advisor
Keeping order and cleanliness, and organizing and facilitating building usage, Keith Bradley has served since September, 2020. Keith has three children, and he's thankful that WLCC is a welcoming, friendly church that teaches God's Word.
JASON RICHEY // EJCC CAMPUS PASTOR
Pastor Jason, his wife Kelly, and their two children joined the WLCC family in 2005. After graduating from Moody Bible Institute in Youth Ministry, he served as a Youth Pastor for more than 15 years, including six years at our Walloon Lake campus.
Jason was surprised to see how God used all those past experiences to uniquely prepare him to go to East Jordan as the campus pastor in 2011. He's also very grateful that he's not alone.
Josh and Kristy, his wife of 23 years, along with their two teenagers, live in Central Lake. He grew up in a large family that was very involved with their local church in Lansing, MI. Josh began serving the in music ministry in middle school and continues today, almost 25 years later.
Josh has been working with young adults and youth ministry for years and loves to teach people of God’s love. Before arriving at EJCC, he worked for the State of Michigan for almost 18 years, in management for 16 years.
Papa Joe is the heart of Alanson Community Church. Ever since joining the family in 2015, he has been loving and serving nonstop. He’s been preaching since 1999 and still loves to proclaim God's Word. He loves to talk with people and share God’s love wherever he goes. On Sundays, he’s up in the pulpit sharing the love of Jesus.
Joe is blessed to be married to his beautiful wife Kathy. Together, they have numerous children and grandchildren, as well as a church family they call their own.
John felt God calling him into full-time ministry in 2008 at a Bible internship in Texas where he worked to mobilize leaders for short-term youth missions trips. After leaving the internship and marrying his wife Brittany in 2010, he began working for Liberty University while pursuing his B.S. of Religion in Biblical Studies and Master of Divinity in Homiletics.
In 2019, John moved to Northern Michigan to start with Walloon Lake Community Church and currently serves as the Associate Campus Pastor at the Alanson Campus. His greatest passion in life is to see Jesus transform lives through the truth of God’s Word lived out with authenticity and grace! He enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, and can’t say no to a hot sauce!
Karen has been a member of our church family since 2013. She is honored to be a part of the children’s ministry up in Alanson. She’s been working with kids for most of her adult life, and loves that she can continue to love kids and love God.
Karen is married to Jim, and they are blessed with a one amazing daughter. She considers all of her students to be her kids in the family of God. Her goal at ACC is to make sure kids have a fun and spiritual place to go on both Sunday and Wednesday nights.
Brittany was born and raised here in northern Michigan as an active member of Walloon Lake Community Church. Music, and specifically worship, has been a passion of Brittany’s since childhood, and she has always felt it would be a large part of her calling and ministry.
Brittany and her husband John prayerfully and excitedly moved back to northern Michigan last year, feeling God strongly call them to serve alongside WLCC with their new church plant endeavor in Alanson.
Brittany's prayer is that ACC’s worship will be a catalyst for every individual to meet with, hear from, and ultimately look more like Jesus through spending time in His presence, in His word, and doing it together with His people.
Greg has been a part of the WLCC family since 2015. He has since joined the worship team, enjoyed two mission trips to Haiti and took a part time job as the Technical Director for the Alanson Campus. He loves to bring people to God through worship Sunday mornings.
Greg enjoys music, fishing, hunting, golfing and clowning around. He spent his adolescent years in southern Michigan, a true country boy at heart joining the Army to see the world and learn a trade. Greg gave his life to the Lord at Promise Keepers years ago and still works at deepening his relationship with Jesus daily. He cut his teeth in the church by joining the choir, then graduating to teaching children’s messages soon morphed into youth ministry coming to rest in Worship Arts.
