Leadership Council

Warren Hoffman has been moderator of the Brethren in Christ Church 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 five 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 in August 2006. Prior to his appointment, Don served as pastor of worship arts at Manor BIC (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, Ontario), 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, 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.

Brian Bell has served as the bishop of the Canadian Conference of the BIC Church since 2004. Prior to his appointment, he spent 10 years in pastoral ministry at The Meeting House (Toronto, Ontario) and Covenant BIC (Penetanguishene, Ontario).
           
With a B.A. in peace and conflict studies from Conrad Grebel College (Waterloo, Ontario) and his M.Div. from Regent College (Vancouver, British Columbia), Brian has brings both his knowledge of the business sector and his pastoral experience to a number of denominational initiatives, including the Church Development Team.

Passionate about building authentic biblical communities, Brian loves to empower and encourage growth at the local church level. For him, being BIC all comes down to our core value of following Jesus—“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.

Perry Engle is the bishop of the Midwest and Pacific Conferences of the BIC Church. Born into the Brethren in Christ 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.

Despite his determination not to take anyone—including himself—too seriously, Perry has been an active leader at both the regional and denominational levels of the Church. He brings gifts of leadership, communication, and writing combined with a great sense of humor.

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 at the 2006 General Conference. Involved with the Brethren in Christ since 1957, Eduardo pursued ministry at a young age and holds master’s degrees from Olivet Nazarene and Emory 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. For the past eight years, Eduardo has served as the overseer for the vibrant cluster of Spanish-speaking Brethren in Christ Churches in and around Miami, Fla.

A gifted teacher and pastor, Eduardo is passionate about winning souls and the nurture and care of God’s people. He is excited about the vitality he senses in our denomination, and particularly appreciates the way the Brethren in Christ model and live 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. A third-generation member of the Brethren in Christ, Rob is a graduate of the USAF Officers Training School, USAF Squadron Officers School, and Messiah College.

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, resilient leader with a big vision, Rob is passionate about 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 we continue to seek Him with sincere hearts, we will continue to enjoy God’s favor.

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

Craig Sider served as the bishop of the Atlantic Conference from1996–2008 and will fill the role of interim bishop of the Susquehanna Conference until February 2009. A graduate of Brock University (St. Catherines, Ontario) with his Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, Craig is currently a Doctor of Ministry candidate at Denver Seminary.

Born into a Brethren in Christ family, Craig got his start at Niagara Christian Collegiate—first as a high school student, and later, as an admissions counselor. He then served for nine years as the founding pastor of The Meeting House congregation in Oakville, Ontario. From 1996 until 2006, in addition to his role as bishop of the Atlantic Conference, he was bishop of the Southeast Conference, as well.

Craig’s hopes for the Brethren in Christ are that we would relentlessly commit to the expansion of the Kingdom at home and around the world; that we would be firmly committed to following Jesus and rooting ourselves in Scripture; that, as local congregations, and as a movement, we would be attentive and open to new approaches, models, and paradigms; and that we would reflect the changing ethnic makeup of our communities. Gifted in leadership, encouragement, administration, and evangelism, Craig is passionate about developing leaders and creating organizations of impact. 

Craig lives with his wife, Laura, and three children in Elizabethtown, Pa. The family attends Manheim (Pa.) BIC Church.

Nate Yoder began his work as bishop of the Atlantic Conference 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 Mennonite Church.

In 2000, Nathan began his work as the senior pastor of Palmyra (Pa.) BIC. He was ordained by the Brethren in Christ in 2004 and has continued his education by enrolling 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 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 27 years, John’s ministry has landed him in pastoral and church-planting roles in Alberta, Ontario, and Pennsylvania. 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 distinctive core values of the Brethren in Christ, John sees “Believing the Bible” and “Living Simply” as particularly unique and critical for our 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—on rare occasions when they’re home—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.

Rebekah Burch Basinger
Two half-time positions—executive director of congregational relations for the Brethren in Christ Church 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. The co-author of Growing Givers’ Hearts: Treating Fundraising as Ministry, Rebekah seeks to practice what she preaches in her interactions with pastors and other congregational leaders and as she promotes the BIC Church’s commitment to joyful generosity.

Rebekah and her husband, Randall, have been active members of the Grantham 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 is 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, Illinois, an M.A. in English from Wichita (KS) State University, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Temple University, Philadelphia. She currently serves on the boards of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, MAP International, and Lifeline Women’s Shelter.

Gene Blessinghas served as the chief financial officer (CFO) for the General Church since July 1, 2005. Gene recently retired from his work of 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: “The BIC have consistently been a brotherhood and as a member of a church plant, which 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.

Chris Sharp began her work as interim executive director of Brethren in Christ World Missions (BICWM) in early 2008. 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 served as director of missional development for BICWM. In this 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.