Leadership Board

Dave Thiessen - Board Chair

Dave Thiessen is executive pastor of Mountain View Community Church in Fresno, California. His primary responsibilities include helping to develop church vision and direction, School of Ministry, preaching, administration and conflict management. Dave is a graduate of MB Biblical Seminary and University of British Columbia. Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, Connie, and their three children.

Jared Pulliam - Board Vice Chair

Jared Pulliam is the lead pastor of Christ Church Sellwood, a Portland, Oregon, church plant founded in partnership with USMB in September of 2013. He and his wife, Julia, enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, especially when they can do so on their motorcycle. They have four children, high school aged down to second grade, and are thankful to serve the Lord together as a family in the city.

Joan Warkentin - Board Secretary

Joan Warkentin is a pastor’s wife, mom, grandma and friend. The wife of Brent Warkentin, lead pastor of Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kan, Joan is a graduate of Tabor College with degrees in business education and secretarial science. She worked at Fresno Pacific University and as a retail boutique employee in Kansas for more than 30 years. Cooking, baking, reading, Bible study, their small group, and a good cup of coffee with friends are some of Joan’s favorite things.

Gaven Banik - Board Treasurer

Gavin Banik is the fixed operations manager at Luxury Auto Mall of Sioux Falls in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and has been working in automotive fixed operations for 50 years. He and his family attend Lincoln Hills Bible Church where he serves on the elder board. Gaven has served on executive leadership boards for multiple organizations including a foundation, education institution, and religious organization. Gaven and his wife, Martha, have been married 50 years and enjoy 5 children and 21 grandchildren.

Ross Bentley - Board Member

Ross Bentley has served as an elder for Axiom Church in Peoria, AZ. He and his wife, Tracey, lead an Axiom Community group and they also lead a Spiritual Formation Cohort that takes people through a three year journey to grow in their relationship with Jesus. Prior to attending Axiom Church, they have been part of three other church plants, and involved in full-time youth and worship ministry. Ross works as an IT Leader in a Software Services Consulting company. They have three married children and two grandchildren.

Amy Jackson-Kincaid - Board Member

Amy Jackson-Kincaid is a program supervisor for the Guardian ad litem program which is administered through the North Carolina Administrative Office of Courts. She began her career with the program as a volunteer in 2013 and was hired as a full-time program supervisor in 2017. She also works as an on-call chaplain for Amorem hospice and is an Associate Pastor at Boone (N.C.) MB Church. She serves on numerous boards in Burke County. Amy received a Master of Divinity from North Greenville University and a Bachelor of Arts/Sciences in Criminal Justice from Lees McRae College. Amy is a lifelong resident of Burke County with her husband, Charles, and has three adult children and one grandson.

Staci Janzen - Board Member

Staci Janzen lives in Hillsboro, Kan., with her husband, Jimmy, and their two children. She and her family attend Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church and she enjoys serving in the children’s, youth and hospitality ministries. Staci has been an assistant professor of business administration at Tabor College for the last seven years and specializes in marketing. Staci enjoys growing the family’s small farm and attending kids’ activities.

Samuel Hailemariam - Board Member

Samuel Hailemariam has been serving as lead pastor at Grace International Church in Indianapolis, Ind., for the past seven years. Prior to that, he and his wife, Sara, served at Addis Hiwot Evangelical Church in Charlotte, N.C. He received his bachelor's degree at Addis Ababa University in educational psychology. He is currently involved in several training and mission-oriented activities in Ethiopia. He is passionate about the Gospel and enjoys fishing and music in his spare time. He and Sara have four children.

Jason Quiring - Board Member

Jason Quiring is a pastor at Greenhouse Community Church in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Jason grew up going to Henderson MB Church (Living Hope) in Nebraska, graduated from Tabor College with a ministry degree and was a youth pastor at Fairview MB Church in Oklahoma and South Mountain Community Church in Utah. After earning his MDiv from George Fox Evangelical Seminary, Jason and his family returned to Utah to plant Greenhouse Community Church in 2013. Jason and Nicole have four “kids”: Ian (21), Carter (19), Coleson (19) and Tatum (17). He has a passion for family, sports, the outdoors and developing deeper connections with people.

Moises Tagle - Board Member

Moises Tagle has been a member of the Mission MB Church in South Texas since 1986 where his father preached. He has served in different capacities within the LAMB Conference for many years, including directing youth programs and events at both the local church and conference level. He has served on the LAMB conference leadership board for 30 years including chair and currently as treasurer. He retired in May 2023 after 31 years as a public high school teacher. Moises and Elizabeth have four daughters, two sons-in-law and four grandchildren.

Leadership Board

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