General Conference Board
Bill Strausbaugh was appointed chair of the General Conference Board in 2007 and has served as a member-at-large since 2006. A member of Mechanicsburg (Pa.) BIC Church, Bill served on his congregation’s church board for over 20 years and on the Susquehanna Conference Board. Currently, he also, is a board member for The Gospel Tide.
A graduate of Messiah College, Bill holds a master’s degree in computer science and doctorate in higher education, which he has put to good use first as a professor and then as an administrator at the College.
Bill prays that in the coming years, our denominational goals for church planting and evangelism will be realized and that our uniqueness will be a welcoming asset. As he reflects on who we are as Brethren in Christ, Bill particularly resonates with the fine balance between right belief and right living that characterizes the life and thought of our denomination.
Bill and his wife, Sanda, live in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and have four children—two daughters (both graduates of Messiah) and two sons (one is currently attending the College and the other is completing his senior year of high school).
Karl Brummer, of Carlisle (Pa.) BIC Church, joined General Conference Board as a member-at-large in 2010.
Though he did not grow up Brethren in Christ, Karl was introduced to the denomination while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in human resources at Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.). From Messiah, he went on to earn a master’s in human resources from Kutztown (Pa.) University and held a variety of HR-oriented roles at Iceland Seafood Corporation, Rite Aid, Arcus LLC, BAE Systems, and Advantica, Inc. Currently, he teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level courses as an adjunct faculty member of Elizabethtown (Pa.) College and Eastern University (St. Davids, Pa.), and serves as vice president of human resources at Cross Keys Village, a Brethren home community in New Oxford, Pa.
Drawing upon his years of experience in the business world, Karl brings a passion to reach people, especially those who would not normally seek out the Church, to the GCB. He also brings a keen enthusiasm for the community of faith, noting his appreciation for the BIC’s cultural and regional diversity and its willingness to try new things.
Karl and his wife, Trude, live in Carlisle with their two daughters. Despite never having lived in Seattle, all the Brummers are avid fans of the Seahawks and Mariners, rooting them on every chance they get.
Ethan Gruen began his work as GCB member from the Midwest Conference in 2010.
With a master’s degree in school administration, Ethan has worked in education for almost a decade, including a stint teaching at a small private school in Bulgaria. Today, he works as the assiatant superintendent/principal of schools in Hope, Kans. In that role, he’s learned how to see the big picture, delegate jobs to those best qualified to get them done, and work toward improvement through changes in policy.
Growing up in a Christian home, Ethan learned the value of having a church family. In 1999, he began attending Zion BIC (Abilene, Kans.), where he met his wife, Amy. A few years after that, he joined other members from Zion BIC to plant LifeHouse Church. He’s remained actively involved at Lifehouse by serving as church treasurer, being a member of the church’s leadership team, running the computer for Sunday morning worship, and working as the barista at the church’s coffee bar. He also joined the board of directors for the Midwest Conference in 2009.
Throughout the course of his life, Ethan says, he has received compassion and care from the BIC Church. Actions rooted in these commitments, he adds, demonstrates Christ’s love and are the starting point to building relationships with others.
Ethan and Amy live with their daughter in Hope, Kans. With one marathon under his belt, Ethan enjoys running and playing video games with his "BIC buddies."
Wanda Heise is the assistant chair and a member-at-large of the General Conference Board, serving that body since July 2006. She is deeply involved in her home congregation, Harrisburg (Pa.) BIC, and also served on the Atlantic Conference Board of Directors for more than a decade.
A registered nurse who has served for a number of years in a private counseling practice and at Paxton Ministries (Harrisburg, Pa.), Wanda has a passion and a gift for ministering to marginalized people. She also brings a concern for maintaining clear, careful, and appropriate communication of our faith to her position on GCB.
Brethren in Christ since birth, Wanda particularly appreciates the denomination’s peace position and our careful, consensus-building, grassroots approach to decision-making.
Wanda lives with her husband, Glen, in Harrisburg, Pa. They have two adult daughters.
Elizabeth Brown has worked as the general treasurer of the Brethren in Christ Church since 2000.
An active member of Chambersburg (Pa.) BIC Church, Elizabeth has been involved in many areas of ministry over the years at the local church level, including presently serving as part-time worship leader at West Side BIC. Elizabeth has also contributed to the Church in various ways at the denominational level—through serving as a member on the Board for Stewardship Services, the BIC Foundation’s board of directors, the 1998 YouthQuest planning committee, and the Council on Women in Ministry and Leadership, as well as her involvement as a Pension Trustee.
For 25 years, she has owned her own accounting business and brings a very high view of integrity to her position as general treasurer. Involved with the denomination since 1979, Elizabeth particularly appreciates the BIC emphasis on living simply, which provides freedom to love, give, and serve.
A graduate of Penn State University, Elizabeth lives with her husband, Allen, in Chambersburg, Pa. They have four adult children and joyfully entered the realm of grandparenthood with the birth of their first grandson in 2009.
Christa Hesselink is a member-at-large on General Conference Board, a role she’s held since 2010.
With a B.Sc. from Calvin College (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and an M.A. in leadership from Trinity Western University, Christa completed a decade of work in the not-for-profit sector, serving in student development at Redeemer University College (Ancaster, ON) and as national manager of volunteer engagement at World Vision Canada. She began attending The Meeting House (Oakville, ON) in 2002, joining the staff first as youth pastor in 2004, then as lead pastor at The Meeting House Brampton in 2005, and finally as communications pastor, a position she holds today.
Part of her great appreciation for the Brethren in Christ, Christa says, is rooted in the fact that she did not grow up BIC. Coming to the denomination later in life has made her more keenly aware of its unique message and the relevance of its Core Values in North American culture today. As the BIC Church moves into the 21st century, Christa prays that her brothers and sisters would fully embrace the denomination’s Core Values of peace, simplicity, and personal commitment to Jesus, and thus bring light and hope into the lives of hurting and confused seekers.
Steve Lane joined General Conference Board in 2010 as a member from the Atlantic Conference.
In addition to serving as senior pastor at Elizabethtown (Pa.) BIC since 2008, he is also a trustee of the BIC Pension Fund, a representative on the board of directors for Everence Financial, a faculty member for the Equipping for Ministry’s Directed Study Program, and an adjunct professor of biblical studies at Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.).
Steve received a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of New Hampshire (Durham, N.H.), then his master’s and doctorate from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. These experiences helped prepare him for the pastoral roles he held at Redland Valley BIC (York Haven, Pa.) and Grantham (Pa.) BIC prior to joining leadership at Elizabethtown BIC. In 2010, Steve guest lectured at the Theological College of Central Africa in Zambia, instructing an exegetical course on the gospel of John.
Steve and his wife, Liz, especially appreciate the BIC value of treasuring the word of God, and they dedicate themselves to living out the word in daily life. The couple has two sons, Michael and Scott, and a golden retriever named Brady. The family enjoys boating, traveling, and summer vacations to Maine and North Carolina to visit extended family.
Layne Lebo, of the Susquehanna Conference, began his term on GCB in 2010.
Layne grew up in the Mechanicsburg (Pa.) BIC Church. After graduating from Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.) with a double major in Bible and History, he continued his involvement at the church and over the last 19 years, he’s been youth pastor, pastor of young adults, and executive pastor there. Today, he is the senior pastor, a role he’s held since 2001.
With a master of divinity and a doctor of ministry from Asbury (Kentucky) Theological Seminary, Layne has served on the Susquehanna Conference church planting team, chairing it for six of the eight years he’s been on the board. Passionate about leadership, community outreach, and healthy churches, Layne says the BIC’s strength lies in being historically grounded and its potential lies in its cultural relevance.
An avid reader, gardener, cyclist, and sports fan, Layne lives with Greta, his wife of 17 years, in Mechanicsburg. They are raising their three children in the Mechanicsburg BIC family.
Cathy Musser joined General Conference Board as a member-at-large in 2010.
Born into a BIC household, Cathy has been a part of the church family her whole life—as a student at Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.) and as a member of Palmyra (Pa.) BIC, Fellowship Chapel (Bronx, N.Y.), Ashland (Ohio) BIC, New Community BIC (Pomona, Calif.) and her current church home, GracePoint BIC (Ontario, Calif.), over the course of her lifetime.
At the local church level, Cathy has participated in a variety of ways, from leading worship and serving on the Sunday morning welcome team to directing VBS programs and co-leading a home church. Cathy’s dedicated involvement at the local level gave rise to appointments by the Pacific Conference Board of Congregational Life, which she held for three years, and, currently, on the board of directors for the Pacific Conference and Pacific Christian Center (Upland, Calif.).
Cathy, who has enjoyed being a part of several multicultural congregations, identifies Belonging to the Community of Faith as one of the most vital distinctives of the BIC Church. Through her experiences, she's learned the importance of building healthy, supportive relationships and continually evaluating how we "do church" to better witness to those still seeking for a spiritual family.
Cathy and her husband, Rod, live in Pomona, Calif., where they raised their two children.
Don Shenk, of Chambersburg (Pa.) BIC Church, began serving on General Church Board as a member from the Allegheny Conference in 2006. A graduate of Messiah College, he served with BIC World Missions in Zimbabwe for 12 years. Now the director of Gospel Tide Broadcasting Association, Don serves his local congregation as an adult Sunday school teacher and as a deacon.
To his position on the GCB, Don brings a great deal of experience in cross-cultural ministry. As the world becomes more and more of a global village, Don’s greatest passion is to reach people for Jesus Christ and to bring them into the Church. Toward that end, he particularly appreciates the Brethren in Christ commitment to the Great Commission, which is reflected in our denominational mission statement and our vision for Impact 2010.
Don and his wife, Becky, live in Shippensburg, Pa. They have three children.
Tennyson Sider, of Stayner (ON) BIC Church, served his first term on General Church Board as a member from the Canadian Conference in 2002.
In addition to holding numerous leadership roles in his local congregation, Tennyson has served on the Canadian Conference leadership team and on the board of directors for Niagara Christian Community of Schools (Fort Erie, ON) and Camp Kahquah (Magnetawan, ON ). He and his wife, Marsha, also volunteered for two years at the Timber Bay Indian Children’s Home in Saskatchewan when it was owned by the BIC.
Tennyson appreciates the sense of family within the denomination and the balance it achieves by welcoming the thoughts of all those involved while submitting to God’s leading.
Born into a BIC pastoral family, Tennyson has owned his own plumbing and heating business for over 35 years. He and Marsha have made their home in Duntroon, ON, and the couple has four married daughters and eight grandchildren.
Steve Smith pastors the Upland (Calif.) BIC congregation and is GCB member from the Pacific Conference. A life-long member of the Brethren in Christ, he ministered in a variety of church roles before his appointment to GCB in 2003.
Steve has led an Atlantic Conference pastors’ cluster group and has also served on the board of directors for the Atlantic and Pacific Conferences, as well as BIC-affiliated Mile High Pines Camp (Angelus Oaks, Calif.).
Steve’s passion for leading people toward spiritual growth has characterized his 16 years as a pastor, as well as his ministry as a worship leader, youth director, and founding member of a church plant prior to being called into the pastorate.
Steve lives with his wife, Phyllis, in Upland, Calif. They have five daughters and three granddaughters.
Mark Witman serves on General Conference Board as a member-at-large, a position he held beginning in 2008.
Mark came to the Lord through his wife, Kim, a lifelong member of the Antrim BIC congregation in Chambersburg, Pa. While there, he was able to build a network of friends in the BIC that, Mark says, became like family, showing love and support to him and Kim over the years. The couple’s appreciation for the BIC has continued to grow at their present church home, Chambersburg (Pa.) BIC.
With a bachelor’s degree in business management from York (Pa.) College, Mark currently works as vice president of business development and strategic accounts at Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd. In this role, he leads the company’s Higher Education and K–12 project management and sales teams. He says this work has sharpened his ability to lead cross-border teams to accomplish common goals.
For Mark, the Core Value that’s proved most meaningful to him throughout his life is that of “Relying on God.” It was realizing his need for a dependence on God that first caused him to reach out to the Lord and accept Him as Savior.
Mark and Kim have two children and live in Greencastle, Pa.
Warren Hoffman has been moderator of the Brethren in Christ Church in North America since August 1998. Part of the Brethren in Christ Church since birth, Warren graduated from Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.) in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. In 1972 he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from the American Baptist Seminary of the West (Covina, Calif.) He is the author of The Secret of the Harvest (Evangel Press, 1988).
Warren’s ministry experience is as extensive as it is varied: while working on his doctorate, he spent 3 years as a youth pastor; then, with the support of his wife, he worked for 8 years with BICWM in North America, 10 years as a church planter, 6 years as bishop, and 2 years as general secretary before assuming the role of moderator.
Warren firmly believes that, in the work of building the church, a primary aim must be bringing people to saving faith in Christ; everything builds on regeneration. Drawing on His understanding of the biblical translation of the word “administration” (depicting the pilot of a ship), Warren views his role as setting direction and giving leadership for the attainment of goals, motivating and mobilizing uniquely gifted individuals to serve in key roles.
He lives in Elizabethtown, Pa., with his wife, Connie. They have four adult daughters and seven grandchildren. Although Warren admits he has no hobbies, he and Connie greatly enjoy camping with their family, gardening, reading, and music. Ever true to his Lancaster County (Pa.) roots, Warren is a pretzel enthusiast.
Don McNiven began his term of service as general secretary of the Brethren in Christ Church in North America in August 2006. Prior to his appointment, Don served for four years as pastor of worship arts at Manor BIC in Lancaster, Pa.
The son of a BIC pastor, Don became a follower of Christ as a young teen. He went on to attend Brock University (St. Catherines, Ontario), where he received a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s in administration. Don then pursued a career in education, assuming the presidency of Niagara Christian Collegiate (NCC), a BIC-affiliated residential high school in Fort Erie, Ontario. Later, Don served in both educational and ministry roles at various organizations in Toronto, including The Peoples Church.
Over the years, he has served the denomination in such areas as the Atlantic Conference’s Stewardship Team, both the General and Canadian Conferences’ Boards for Congregational Life, the BIC hymnal committee, and the General Conference Board for Schools and Colleges.
Having spent a number of years in ministry outside of the Brethren in Christ Church, Don has a fresh appreciation for the denomination, and believes strongly in empowering local congregations to teach, encourage, support, and bring the Gospel to their surrounding communities. A licensed BIC pastor, Don is firmly committed to the concept and practice of servant leadership, which, combined with principled administration and influenced by character and faith, allows him to be a highly effective strategic thinker.
Don lives in Mechanicsburg, Pa., with his wife, Sue. They have two adult children and three grandchildren. As they have moved three times in four years, Don and Sue have developed a taste for exploring towns—their people, food, and shops. And as often as they can, they pay a visit to their very wise young grandchildren.
