Rev. Gerri Baker
Gerri is the Family Pastor of Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Maryland, a church of 3,500. A twenty year veteran to ministry, Gerri has served as a Christian Education Director, Youth Minister, Children’s Minister, Christian School Principal, and Christian Education Professor at Milligan College and Louisville Bible College.

Gerri holds a Bachelor of Science from Cincinnati Christian University, a Master of Education from the University of Dayton, and a Master of Arts in Storytelling Arts from East Tennessee State University. In addition to her ministry work, Gerri is involved in speaking, storytelling, writing, and mission work with orphans in Romania through Remember the Children. More information about the family ministries Gerri directs is at: mountainchristian.org.

Rev. William Bird
William is an associate Pastor at Berean Assembly of God in Pleasant Hill where he has served in both children and adult ministry for the past 19 years. Currently he oversees the nursery preschool area with active teaching to all ages from 6 months to 5 years. He also has been in music education for the past 30 years, beginning as a member of the teaching staff at Christian Life Center Schools in Rockford, Illinois and serving on staff at First Assembly, Rockford as Orchestra Director. He is in his 21st year as a full time teacher in the West Des Moines district, the first 18 years as a band director. He is now in his third year as the Site coordinator for mentors and new teachers in the district and teaches general music to elementary students.

William holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Drake University and has been an instructor for music education at the University. He has a Master in Education with emphasis on curriculum and assessment from Indiana Wesleyan University. He has been married to his wife Debra for 29 years and has two children, Kathleen a sophomore at Valley Forge Christian College and a Rebecca a 6th Grader at Des Moines Christian.

Rev. Malcolm Brubaker
Rev. Malcolm Brubaker began teaching at VFCC in August of 1983. Specializing in Old Testament Studies, Professor Brubaker teaches Bible and Theology courses. He earned his undergraduate degree from Evangel University and went on to earn two master’s degrees, an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Th.M. from Westminister Theological Seminary.

Rev. Brubaker is finishing his doctoral studies at Regent University. Malcolm has been married to Cathy for thirty five years. They have four married children and four grandchildren. The Brubakers make their home in Elverson, PA.

Dr. Michael Di Giacomo
Michael is a member of the faculty at Valley Forge Christian College where he teaches Assemblies of God Doctrine and History, History of Christianity, U.S. History, and World Civilizations. Previously, he was assistant pastor for more than two years in Quebec City at the Carrefour Chrétien de la Capitale where his responsibilities included being the Director of follow-up, pastor for the hearing-impaired, and regional pastor specializing in small group ministry. He was also senior pastor for more than eleven years in Victoriaville, Quebec where, among a myriad of responsibilities, he produced and directed a gospel television program.

He holds a Ph.D. in Church History from Laval University. He has taught history of Christianity at the University of Ottawa as well as Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. More information about Michael is available at: http://www.vfcc.edu/aboutVFCC/?p=showstaff&id=8

Dr. David Dippold
Dr. Dippold has 16 years of pastoral ministry experience serving both in staff positions and as a senior pastor. He currently teaches at Valley Forge Christian College. He has been at VFCC for the past 12 years. He has also served as an adjunct faculty person with the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

He has an M.A. in Biblical Languages with a double concentration in both Greek and Hebrew. His doctorate is in Theological Reflection. Dr. Dippold also teaches and conducts staff training at various local churches.

Rev. Bob Griffith
Bob is the Children and Family Pastor at Kenosha First Assembly Church located near the Chicago Suburbs that has an average Sunday attendance of 2300. Over the years, he has also served on several district, regional, and national, advisory boards that develop strategy for children’s ministry. Bob’s passion is strategic planning and organizational leadership as it relates to the impact the local church can have in its community.

He is a certified corporate team builder, has earned a B.S. in Business Management and an M.A. in Leadership from Vanguard University in Southern California.

Rev. Dick Gruber
Dick is one of the original online instructors and course content developers for CMUO, teaching a wide variety of courses and serving as program co-director. As the Children’s Ministries Specialist at Valley Forge Christian College, Dick has developed a Bachelor’s Degree program in Children’s Ministries and is training young people to be children’s pastors, evangelists, and missionaries. He also travels nation-wide speaking in children’s ministries training events.

Dick is a husband, father, pastor, professor, author, poet, composer, and artist. He has illustrated over twenty discipleship booklets for children as well as produced numerous Scripture picture Bible memory helps for Sunday School teachers. More information about Dick is available on his website at: dickgruber.com

Dr. Ron Halll
Ron serves as the Church Ministries Chair at Valley Forge Christian College. He teaches a variety of courses ranging from New Testament Bible courses, to Preaching to Pastoral Ministry courses. Prior to coming to Valley Forge Christian College he served as lead pastor and in church planting among numerous responsibilities for eighteen years. Ron also serves as the Director for Graduate studies at VFCC.

His education background includes two Masters Degrees: Counseling and masters of Divinity. His doctorate is from Ashland Theological Seminary. Ron has been married to Linda for over 27 years now and has three grown sons.

Rev. Mark Kilcoyne
Mark Kilcoyne is the Director of Discipleship Ministries for the Wisconsin – Northern Michigan District of the Assemblies of God. Mark provides leadership in children’s ministries and Christian education ministries for the churches of the Wisconsin – Northern Michigan District. Previous to this appointment Mark served 20 years as a children’s pastor in Wisconsin and Illinois. Mark holds an M.A. ED in Administration and Supervision of Instruction from Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. He earned his B.S. in education from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.

Mark and his wife Deb have 2 children; Mark John and Anna Grace.

Rev. Paul Liebherr
Paul serves on staff at Christian Life Fellowship (CLF) church in Port Edwards, Wisconsin. Along with pastoring CLF’s Wisconsin Rapids campus, he also directs the Young Adult Ministries (www.accessconnection.org) and oversees the church’s Missions program. From 1994 to 2004, Paul served as the Music Pastor at Brainerd Assembly of God (3 yrs.) and Director of Arts at CLF (7 yrs.).

Paul has a B.A. in Church Music from Central Bible College (1994) and a M.M. in Choral Conducting & Literature from St. Cloud State University (2001).

Dr. Philip McLeod
Philip is the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs for Valley Forge Christian College and serves on the executive leadership team for CMUO. He has been privileged to serve as an Associate Pastor at churches in Ohio and Wisconsin. For eight years he traveled as a seminar instructor for the International Center for Learning providing training for Sunday School teachers throughout North America.

Philip’s educational background includes a B.A. in Religious Education; a M.S. in Education; and a Ph.D. in Educational Foundations.

Rev. David Richards
David has served as Children’s Pastor in Fort Myers, FL since 2006. David has also served as the Children’s Ministries and Christian Education Director for the Oregon Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God and the Children’s Pastor of two churches in Salem, OR. David attended North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he completed his Bachelors degree in Church Business Administration and Pastoral Studies. He then began his pastoral ministry in Minnesota as a youth pastor and then later accepted a position to serve as the Church Business Administrator, Couples and Singles pastor.

David travels the country speaking at kids’ camps and conferences. More information about the ministries David directs is available at www.mykidztown.com

Rev. Dwayne Riner
Dwayne serves as the Children’s Pastor of Evangel Community Church in Snellville, GA. He has been on staff at Evangel for almost six years. Dwayne has been in full-time ministry since 2000, but has been in children’s ministry since 1996 when he began leading a children’s church as a high school student. He serves on the Georgia District Assemblies of God Children’s Committee, and has coordinated kid’s camps in Georgia for several years. Dwayne has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pastoral Ministries from Emmanuel College, and a Master of Arts degree in Religion from Liberty University.

More information about Dwayne’s ministry can be found at evangelcc.org.

Rev. Verda Rubottom
Verda has served as a Children’s Ministry Director (birth -6th grade), and as the National Children’s Ministry Consultant and Junior Bible Quiz Coordinator for the Assemblies of God. Her ministry experience also includes mid-week boys and girls clubs, bus ministry, pre-school consulting, teacher training, and adjunct teaching for Central Bible College and Oral Roberts University. She has written numerous articles on teaching children, and is currently writing Christian education materials.

Verda has a Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies from Southern Nazarene University, and a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood from Oral Roberts University. More information about Verda is available at verdarubottom.com

Rev. Larry Sauter
Larry serves as the Executive Pastor at First Assembly of God in Normal, IL. Larry and his wife Penny have previously served as nationally appointed missionaries to people with disabilities for the Assemblies of God. As missionaries they served under the ministry umbrella of Special Touch Ministry; an interdenominational ministry serving the concerns of people with disabilities. Larry and Penny coordinate the IL Special Touch Summer Get Away and are considered experts in disability ministry especially to children with disabilities. Larry has also worked in residential treatment for severely disturbed children and youth prior to serving in full-time ministry as minister of Christian education, children’s pastor, and Christian school administrator.

Larry graduated from Illinois State University with a B.S. in Business Education and from Western Michigan University with a M.A. in Special Education. Larry has also begun a Doctorate in Special Education at IL State University.

Join the CMUO Online Faculty

If you are a credentialed children’s ministry leader interested in learning more about possibly joining the CMUO online faculty, please click here and complete our instructor application form to find out more details.