Our Team

WHAT ARE ELDERS AND DEACONS?

In the Scriptures we find several groups of men called to be leaders in the church. In Philippians 1:1 we see both overseers and deacons listed together, and the same is found in 1 Timothy 3:1-12. We have other positions named in the church, including elder and shepherd. In comparing the work given to elders and shepherds, we find they most closely line up with the work ascribed to overseers. Thus we at Crossroads hold to a leadership style of two groups: overseers (referred to as elders) and deacons.
In scripture, Christ came to serve us, and those he left in charge of his church are called to do the same. So at Crossroads our leadership team, made up of elders and deacons, will strive with all they have to imitate this model of self-sacrificial love in serving those the Lord has left in our charge until he returns.

OUR ELDERS

Gary and Kris Wissel

Gary and Kris Wissel

Senior Pastor

Gary & Kris Wissel have served as our pastor and his wife since the church's official formation on January 2nd, 2005. From 1996-2003 Gary and Kris were missionaries to the Quichua people in Ecuador, South America. Gary was an elder at Faith Bible Church in Lincoln NE from 2000 until 2005 and served on staff at Faith after returning from the mission field in 2003. He and Kris have 3 children and a number of grandchildren.

Gary was born and raised in Lincoln, NE. He was blessed received Christ as his personal savior when he was 7 years old. He was involved in his home church there and eventually ended up graduating from Grace College of the Bible. He and Kris were heavily involved at Evangelical Bible Church in Omaha from college until they left for the mission field in 1996.

Kris was born in Beloit, KS and grew up in Hutchinson. She was also saved at a young age, and due to her interests in music ended up going to Grace College of The Bible where she was a year ahead of Gary. They met at chapel the first day of the 1982-83 school year. Kris was the attendance checker for the row Gary sat in! They sat next to each other and began a friendship that culminated in their marriage on June 2nd, 1984. Their friendship continues to grow and deepen.

They can't wait to meet you and have you over for some homemade oatmeal pancakes.

Mark and Vicki Dehne

Mark and Vicki Dehne

Elder

Mark and Vicki met in Bible College in 1985 and fell in love and married in 1986. They have been involved in ministry in the church for the last 25 years, in one form or another, from leadership to youth group and everything in between. They have four sons and a number of grandchildren.

Mark grew up in the Milwaukee Wisconsin area and the rest of his family still lives there. Vicki grew up right here in Nebraska, on a farm in the Madison area. When they met it was a little bit country and little bit city. They have lived in Wisconsin and in various places in Nebraska. They moved to Weeping Water 2005, and God led them to Crossroads Bible Church. They have been blessed to serve in many capacities for the church and are blessed to serve now on the Elder board along with the other ministries they are involved with.

Kris and Amy Udd

Kris and Amy Udd

Associate Pastor

Kris and Amy joined Crossroads Bible Church as an associate pastor and wife in 2018. They have five children and a number of grandchildren.

Kris grew up in the Kansas City area. He attended Calvary Bible College for a degree in biblical languages, then studied for a Master of Divinity at Grace Theological Seminary, and eventually a Ph.D. in Old Testament and Ancient Near East Archaeology. He was the registrar at Michigan Theological Seminary in Ann Arbor, MI, for seven years, and then registrar and professor at Grace University in Omaha, NE for fourteen years. He enjoys teaching and a variety of outdoor activities.

Amy grew up in Nebraska and South Dakota. She met Kris while earning an Education degree at Calvary Bible College. She home-schooled their five children, and enjoys playing piano, teaching Sunday School, and being a grandmother.

Rick and Joan Brown

Rick and Joan Brown

Elder

Rick and Joan Brown have been married over thirty years, have seven children, and are also grandparents! They have been a part of Crossroads since 2014.

Rick grew up in an Air Force family and is a software engineer. He loves music and teaches band as well. He loves to study and teach the Word of God, and in spare time he enjoys being out in the mountains fly fishing.

Joan grew up on a Nebraska farm and aside from her dream job of wife and home keeper, works as a nurse. Reading, gardening and sewing are also pastimes she enjoys. Both Rick and Joan share a love for missions and what God is doing in our neighborhoods and around our world!