Leadership Council

Warren Hoffman has been moderator of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America since August 1998. Part of the BIC Church since birth, Warren graduated from Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.) in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and from the American Baptist Seminary of the West (Covina, Calif.) in 1972 with a doctorate of ministry degree. He is the author of The Secret of the Harvest (Evangel Press, 1988).

Warren’s ministry experience within the BIC Church is as extensive as it is varied. As a graduate school student, he spent three years as a youth pastor. Then, with the support of his wife, he worked for eight years in North America with BIC World Missions, 10 years as a church planter, six years as bishop, and two years as general secretary before assuming the role of moderator.

Drawing from the language the Bible uses to describe an "administration," Warren likens the work of the moderator to that of the pilot of a ship. As such, he is responsible for setting the direction, providing leadership for the attainment of goals, and motivating and mobilizing uniquely gifted individuals to serve in key positions. All of this is done to help build the Church and bring people to saving faith in Christ.

Warren lives in Elizabethtown, Pa., with his wife, Connie. They have four adult daughters and six 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 roots, Warren is a pretzel enthusiast.

Don McNiven began his term of service as general secretary of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America in August 2006. Prior to his appointment, Don served as pastor of worship arts at Manor BIC Church in Lancaster, Pa., where he and his wife, Sue, moved from Toronto in 2002.

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, ON), where he received a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s in administration. Don then pursued a career in education, including the presidency of Niagara Christian Collegiate (NCC), a BIC-affiliated residential high school in Fort Erie, ON. Later, Don served in both educational and ministerial roles at various organizations in Toronto, including The Peoples Church.

Over the years, he has served the denomination as a member of the Atlantic Conference’s stewardship team, of both the General and Canadian Conferences’ boards for congregational life, of the BIC hymnal committee, and of the General Conference board for schools and colleges.

Having spent a number of years in ministry outside of the BIC, Don brings a fresh appreciation for the denomination to his role and is committed to empowering local congregations so that they can teach, encourage, support, and bring the gospel to their surrounding communities. A licensed BIC pastor and gifted strategic thinker, he seeks to practice servant leadership, principled administration, character, and faith in his role as general secretary.

Don lives in Mechanicsburg, Pa., with his wife, Sue. They have two adult children and four grandchildren. Having moved a number of times during their marriage, Don and Sue have developed a taste for exploring towns—their people, food, and shops. And as often as they can, they travel to Chicago and Kitchener, ON, to visit their very wise young grandchildren.

Rebekah Burch Basinger
Two half-time positions—executive director of congregational relations for the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America and program director for In Trust, an organization serving leaders in theological education—make Rebekah a busy but happy woman. She notes that the opportunity to work with seminaries focuses her on the churches that will be, while her service to the BIC denomination grounds her firmly in the church that is.

Rebekah brings a rich history of fundraising and stewardship education to her position on the Leadership Council, having worked with the development programs of three Christian colleges and as an independent consultant to faith-based organizations. A sought-after workshop and seminar leader, Rebekah also finds time to write on the topics of fundraising and board development, with numerous magazine and journal articles to her credit. In addition, she is the co-author of Growing Givers’ Hearts: Treating Fundraising as Ministry (Jossey-Bass, 2000), and she has contributed chapters to several books, including “The Board’s Role in Growing Givers’ Hearts” in Revolution in Generosity: Transforming Stewards to Be Rich toward God (Moody Publishers, 2008).

Rebekah and her husband, Randall, have been active members of the Grantham (Pa.) BIC Church since 1983. They are also connected to the denomination through Randall’s work at Messiah College, where, following 17 years on the teaching staff, he now fills the position of provost. The Basingers live in Dillsburg, Pa., and are the parents of two adult sons and, with deep appreciation to their daughters-in-law, the proud grandparents of a new generation of Basinger boys.

Rebekah holds a B.A. degree from Trinity College (now Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill.) , an M.A. in English from Wichita (Kans.) State University, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Temple University, Philadelphia. Her recent board experience includes the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, MAP International, and Pacific Lifeline Women’s Shelter. She currently serves on the board of MOPS International.

Brian Bell has served as the bishop of the Canadian Conference of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America since 2004. Prior to his appointment, he spent 10 years in pastoral ministry at The Meeting House (Toronto, ON) and Covenant Christian Community BIC Church (Penetanguishene, ON).
           
With a B.A. in peace and conflict studies from Conrad Grebel College (Waterloo, ON) and his M.Div. from Regent College (Vancouver, B.C.), Brian brings a rich understanding of both the business sector and pastoral ministry to a number of denominational initiatives, including the Church Development Team.

Passionate about building authentic faith communities, Brian works to empower and encourage growth at the local church level. For him, being BIC all comes down to the Core Value of "Following Jesus," and he affirms its call for “wholehearted obedience to Christ Jesus through the empowering of the Holy Spirit.”

A member of The Meeting House, Brian lives with his wife, Lori, and daughter, Jessica, in Toronto.

Gene Blessing has served as the chief financial officer (CFO) for the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America since July 1, 2005. Prior to his appointment, Gene worked for 30 years in a private chemical company, where he gave oversight to financial management and served as president and vice-president of the company’s international ventures in China and Europe.

Gene finds the Core Value of "Belonging to the Community of Faith" particularly meaningful, stating, “The BIC have consistently been a tight-knit family of believers, and as a member of a flourishing church plant that is now over 10 years old, the community of faith means a lot to me as I see the fruits of the BIC in our congregation.”

Members of Marsh Creek BIC Church of Exton (Pa.), Gene and his wife, Mary, were introduced to the Brethren in Christ in 1981, during a four-year stint in Oklahoma City. The Blessings quickly reconnected with the BIC when they moved to the Exton area in 1998, and have remained active ever since. Gene and Mary have two adult daughters.

Perry Engle is the bishop of the Midwest and Pacific Conferences of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America. Born into the BIC Church, Perry brings a passion for peace and justice, racial reconciliation, culturally-relevant communication, and the radical renewal of the Church to his role as bishop. The church planter and founding co-pastor of New Community BIC (Pomona, Calif.), Perry pastored for 15 years before his appointment to leadership council in 2002.

Perry has been an active leader at both the regional and denominational levels of the Church, lending his gifts of communication and humor to each task.

Perry lives with his wife, Marta, and their three daughters in Ontario, Calif., where they attend Upland BIC Church. When he’s not busy with his duties as bishop, Perry enjoys mountain biking, gardening, and camping at the beach with his family.

Eduardo Llanes was installed as bishop of the Southeast Conference of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America at the 2006 General Conference in Miami. Involved with the Brethren in Christ since 1957, Eduardo pursued ministry at a young age and holds master’s degrees from Olivet Nazarene (Bourbonnais, Ill.) and Emory (Atlanta, Ga.) Universities.

Born and raised in Cuba, Eduardo has pastored congregations in Cuba, Costa Rica, Ohio, and Florida for 40 years. In addition, he has spent 25 years as a teacher in seminaries and universities in both the U.S. and Costa Rica. Before officially becoming bishop, Eduardo oversaw the vibrant cluster of Spanish-speaking BIC churches in and around Miami, Fla. for eight years.

A gifted teacher and pastor, Eduardo is passionate about bringing people to life in Christ, as well as nurturing and caring for God’s people. He is excited about the vitality he senses in the denomination, and particularly appreciates the way the Brethren in Christ live out a spirit of servanthood. For him, being BIC is about belonging to a family that seeks to embody the New Testament commands to love, care, submit, build up, support, and exhort one another.

Eduardo lives with his wife, Jill, in Miami, Fla. They have two grown daughters and five grandchildren.

Rob Patterson currently serves as the bishop of the Allegheny Conference of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America. A third-generation member of the Brethren in Christ, Rob is a graduate of the United States Air Force (USAF) Officers Training School, USAF Squadron Officers School, and Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.).

Prior to his appointment as bishop in 2002, Rob pastored Canoe Creek BIC Church (Hollidaysburg, Pa.) for 12 years. During his time at Canoe Creek, Rob also served the denomination as a board member for Brethren in Christ World Missions, and was very active in the growth and church-planting initiatives of the Allegheny Conference.

A motivated and resilient leader with a big vision, Rob is passionate about prayer and building the body of Christ to be strong and healthy. He senses that the denomination has historically enjoyed God’s favor and believes that as the BIC family continues to seek Him with sincere hearts, His blessings will continue to pour out.

Rob lives in Bedford, Pa., with his wife, Daryl, and their three children.

Chris Sharp was installed as executive director of Brethren in Christ World Missions (BICWM) at the 2008 General Conference in Toronto. A graduate of Messiah College (Grantham, Pa.) in business administration, Chris is currently pursuing a master’s degree through Ashland (Ohio) Theological Seminary.

Prior to her appointment, Chris BICWM as interim executive director and, from 2007-2008, as its director of missional development. In this latter role, she helped establish strategic partnerships between BIC churches in North America and mission teams around the world by facilitating personal transformation in global contexts, forging international connections, and encouraging BIC members to apply training in their local communities.

Over the years, Chris has had many opportunities to discern and exercise her leadership skills, having served for six years as the senior associate pastor at Pequea BIC Church (Lancaster, Pa.) and, before that, for six years at Mechanicsburg (Pa.) BIC Church as the administrator and director of children’s ministry. She’s also led the Atlantic Conference Ministry Leadership Team in the development of its Community and Global Impact Teams and has worked as a church board coach, cluster leader for pastors, leadership coach, member of the Board for World Missions, and Assistant Moderator for the Atlantic Conference.

Chris and her husband, Steve, make their home in Conestoga, Pa., where they live with their three children and are members of the Pequea BIC Church (Lancaster, Pa.). To relax, Chris enjoys flower gardening and spending time with family and friends in the backyard pool.

Douglas P. Sider Jr., began his work as bishop of the Susquehanna Conference of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America in February 2009. Prior to his appointment, he invested 13 years in ministry at Summit View Community Church (Calgary, AL) and Summit View BIC Church (New Holland, Pa.).

Doug grew up in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, the son of a BIC pastor. He committed his life to Christ at the age of four and sensed God calling him to ministry at the 1986 General Conference held at McMaster University (Hamilton, ON), which he attended as a teen.

Earning a B.A. in pastoral ministry from Briercrest College (Caronport, SK), Doug was ordained by the Brethren in Christ Church in 2002 and has continued his education by enrolling in the masters program at Philadelphia (Pa.) Biblical University, where his focus is on organizational development.

Doug and his wife, Tonya, are the proud parents of four children and currently make their home in Gordonville, Pa.

Nate Yoder began his work as bishop of the Atlantic Conference of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America in August 2008. The oldest son of a Mennonite pastor, Nate made the decision to follow Christ at the age of 10 and as a teenager began to discern God’s call for him to enter into church leadership. After receiving a Certificate in Biblical Studies from Rosedale Bible College (Irwin, Ohio) in 1991; a B.A. in Social Science from Cedarville (Ohio) University in 1993; and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Ky.) in 1997, his experience in ministry began in 1997 when he served as the first full-time pastor of the New Danville (Pa.) Mennonite Church.

In 2000, Nathan began his work as the senior pastor of Palmyra (Pa.) BIC. He was ordained by the BIC Church in 2004 and is enrolled in the doctoral program at Denver (Colo.) Seminary.

Throughout his years of involvement and service in the BIC Church, Nathan’s appreciation for the richness of the denomination’s history and beliefs has grown. He particularly appreciates the Church’s blend of Anabaptism and Wesleyanism, which, having grown up in the Mennonite community, feels very much “at home” for him.

Nathan brings Grace, his wife of 15 years, and their three children, with him to his ministry role. The family resides in Palmyra, Pa.

John Zuck has served as bishop of the Great Lakes Conference of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) General Church of North America since August 2004. Raised in the church, John accepted Christ at the age of 9. When he was 18, John volunteered for two years of alternate service in a hospital in Williamsport, Pa. As a young adult, following the infilling of the Holy Spirit—resulting in a significant turning point and transformation of priorities—John responded to the Lord’s call to pastoral ministry.

Stretching over 32 years, John’s ministry has landed him in pastoral and church-planting roles in Alberta, Ontario, and Pennsylvania, plus 1 ½ years as an interim pastor in Ohio. Especially gifted in the areas of preaching, teaching, and administration, John has a heart for those who don’t yet know Christ. Although he strongly affirms each of the BIC Church's distinctive Core Values, John sees “Believing the Bible” and “Living Simply” as particularly unique and critical to the denomination.

John lives with his wife, Connie, in West Milton, Ohio, where he enjoys woodworking, gardening, and taxidermy. The Zucks have two grown children and attend Fairview BIC Church in Englewood, Ohio. A connoisseur of Ford Escorts (although he now drives a Ford Focus), John is well-known for his unusual hobby of driving north, following the routes through Canada to their northernmost points.