Leadership
Our staff and leaders are here to help you develop your love for God, people, and ministry
Pastor John & Jennifer Goebbel
John Goebbel has served as the Lead Pastor of West Ridge Church for more than 10 years. During that time, John helped the church transition from struggling to stay open to serving 400+ people every weekend. He’s focused on growing a healthy church that’s full of people living for Christ and loving their community. He and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for over 25 years and have four children.
Pastoral Staff
Bryan Burns
Associate Pastor of Youth & First Impressions
Doug Harsh
Associate Pastor of Kingdom Men, Safety, & Security
Howard Perenyi
Associate Pastor of Worship, Media, & Tech
James Straub Jr.
Executive Pastor of Leadership Development & Organizational Growth
Jennifer Goebbel
Associate Pastor of Children’s Ministry & Women’s Ministry
Kathyrn Loucks
Associate Pastor of Freedom Ministry & Ridge Pantry
Manny Newton
Associate Pastor of Family Life, Discipleship, Assimilation. & Operations
Support Staff
Allene Hyatt
Children’s Ministry Assistant
Austin Michael
Creative Director
Tara Joyce
Children’s Ministry Assistant
Office Volunteers
Paulie Ondrasik
Pastoral Assistant & Finance – Tues. & Wed.
Fern Williams
Staff Support – Mon., Thurs. & Fri.
In Search of
Pastoral Assistant – Mon., Thurs. & Fri.
Role of Elders
In biblical terminology, elders shepherd, oversee, lead, and care for the local church. Their responsibilities can include leading the church, teaching and preaching the Word, visiting and praying for the sick, and judging doctrinal issues.
At West Ridge, elders are responsible for governing the implementation of our church’s vision. Since healthy churches have a plurality of leadership, our elders are essential in overseeing the health of the church’s vision, lead pastor, and staff. In order to be considered for this position at West Ridge, we have an evaluation process that requires unanimous selection by our current elders. Their role is ongoing unless disqualifications or board decisions require them to take a momentary or indefinite leave of absence. We also have sabbatical processes for our elders.
Role of Deacons
According to the New Testament, the original deacons were elected to serve tables (Acts 6:3). Their ministry was intended to aid the apostles by taking care of some of the physical needs of the congregation. In a modern church setting, deacons assist the church elders with the physical needs of the church.
At West Ridge, deacons are responsible for operating single ministries, in accordance with their unique talents/gifts. They lead the vision, budget, implementation, training, and volunteers in that ministry. Similar to elders, there is a selection process for deacons. The pastoral staff communicates and selects deacons based on their current status of serving, prayer, and their ability to oversee and lead ministry and people in a way that propels the vision of West Ridge. Once selected, our deacons have direct oversight by one of our pastoral staff members.