Staff

Michael P. (Mike) Weiss
President and Administrator

My wife Susan and I were living in Chicago, attending Marquette Manor Baptist Church. In 1990, after a Sunday school revival meeting held by Leon Kilbreth, God spoke to my heart, letting me know we would serve Him full time. God confirmed this calling with my wife some days later, and we both were willing to follow Him. At the time, I had a good salaried job as associate director of food service at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Lakeshore Drive in downtown Chicago and owned a home in West Chicago. However, God has so abundantly blessed us not only physically, but in growing in the knowledge and grace of our Lord, that we have neither missed nor regretted our decision at any time.

Board of Directors

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Pastor Ryan Banman serves as the senior pastor of East Park Baptist Church in Decatur, Illinois, where he as ministered since 2003.  
He is a graduate of Bob Jones University where he earned an undergraduate degree in Bible and an MA in pastoral studies. He also serves on the board of Bible Tracts, Inc. and the Association of Independent Baptist Churches of Illinois.  He and his wife Jamieson have two sons, and share a burden to see God's people live their lives in the context of eternity by committing themselves to advancing the kingdom of God.

Pastor Kevin Gaugler
Board of Directors Member

Pastor Kevin Gaugler is the pastor of Coatesville Missionary Baptist Church in Coatesville, IN.

Pastor Tony Slutz
Board of Directors Member

Pastor Slutz has pastored Thompson Road Baptist church in Indianapolis for the past twenty-six years. He has served as president of the Indiana Fundamental Baptist Fellowship and has been a board member of Baptist World Mission for many years. He and his wife, Ellen, have three children and seven grandchildren.

Pastor Kenny Walden
Board of Directors Vice President

Pastor Kenny Walden graduated from Bob Jones University in 1978. He then served as associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Westwood Lake in Miami, FL from 1978-1989. Pastor Walden has been the senior pastor of Fayetteville Baptist Church in Fayetteville, IN from 1989 to the present.

Pastor Dave Zempel
Board of Directors Chaplain

Dr. David L. Zempel was born on a dairy farm in central Wisconsin. He was a faithful member of First Baptist Church in Waupaca, WI till age eighteen. In 1979, he graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College with a BA in Pastoral Studies/Evangelism, and was ordained to the ministry on June 18, 1977. He holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Heritage University (1977).
He has served in a variety of ministries and capacities, including youth pastor, bus pastor, children's church worker, interim pastor, school administrator, assistant pastor, and senior pastor.
John & Rosie Kirby of Martinsville, Indiana. We have 4 children and 12 grandchildren. I was saved at the age of 10, in my Sunday School Class at Good Shepherd Baptist Church. Rosie was saved at the age of 8 at Calvary Baptist Church. We met at Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Camby, IN when we were 16. We were married there and served the Lord there into our 30’s. I served the Lord as head usher at Martinsville Baptist Tabernacle for many years. It was here that I learned of the Shepherd’s Bethel ministry. God has used us in many areas of service over the years as: deacon, trustee, head usher, greeter, Sunday School teacher, speaker at men’s groups, Awana, nursery coordinator, GEMS, and many others. He has also privileged us to be involved at: The King’s Ranch, The Lighthouse Children’s Home, Word International, SeedLine Ministry, and several others. 
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John and Renee Sansoterra are living in Sterling Heights MI. John is a professional painter and has a company in Michigan called Endurance Painting. He has been generously assisting SBBM with his talents and finances for several years and agreed to join the board in 2021.
John, has a testimony of salvation out of a background of rebellion and drunkenness'. ". I liked to party, played in a rock band and seemingly disobeyed my parents and teachers every chance I had. It was to the point that 2 weeks after my 18th birthday after a long weekend of drunkenness,  my mom put all my belongings in the garage and told me to come get whatever I could and garbage day was the following day" Thanks' be to the saving grace of Christ shed blood, John was saved and has been faithfully serving our Lord. He attends FBC of Troy Michigan and has a great concern for the souls of men.