Pastor Joe Wickman
Lead Pastor
Joe has been part of the New Life family since 1984 when his parents brought him for the first time. He experienced salvation at a young age and has been a pastor since 1999; but Joe’s primary ministry is at home with his wife Kelcy, as they raise four wonderful daughters.
Pastor Jon Scofield
Operations Pastor
Jon joined the pastoral staff in September of 2017. He says that he was a lifetime believer, but only a few years ago did he truly make Jesus the LORD of his life. He then made the decision to leave his 10-year career in business, where he struggled with addictions, pride, and selfishness. He felt that God called him to be at New Life to do new works, for His glory. Pastor Jon was ordained as an Elder in May of 2021.
Pastor Marissa Schweiger
Community Pastor
In 1998, when she was just 14 years old, Marissa started attending New Life and as she grew alongside others who lived out their love for Jesus in authentic and real ways, she was inspired; a spark was ignited that would send her on the journey of ministry work and into pastoral ministry. Marissa came on staff in 2014, serving generously well before then, and in 2022, she became a pastor with the FMC. As our Community Pastor, she bravely uses her own testimony of how Jesus has walked her through struggles with self-worth issues, codependency, and marriage struggles, to speak to others and encourage them that they too can find freedom and wholeness in Christ, just as she has.
Pastor Brandon Baker
Worship Pastor
Brandon has been part of the New Life team since 2016, working as a Worship Assitant and our Student Ministries Director. Although he did not grow up in a church, he truly believed God existed, but struggled to rely on Him for the majority of his youth. Brandon is open about his struggles he had in his teens and early 20s with addiction, drug and alcohol abuse, resentment, and anger. It wasn’t until he and his wife, Jennifer, were expecting their first child that they opened their hearts and let God help them through understanding His creation, their purpose, and what He’s called them to do. Brandon and Jennifer have three children, their youngest born in 2020. They look forward to discovering new ways we can worship together and praise God in the middle of the storm, and on the sunniest of days.
Pastor Jordan Dunlap
Communications Pastor
Jordan started attending New Life in 2012 and began volunteering in 2013. Although she accepted Christ at a young age, it wasn’t until her mid-twenties after a divorce and battle with depression that she realized just how much she needed God to lead her into a new and better life, with Him being truly at the forefront. In 2017 she felt God call her to ministry; so with a big leap of faith – along with confirmation and support from her church family – she became a pastor at New Life in 2019. Jordan feels that her greatest purpose is to help the world know the truth of the Gospel as well as strengthen and encourage fellow believers who are struggling with the many ups and downs that life brings.
Pastor Derek Waddell
Connections Pastor
For years, Derek’s wife Caroline had asked him to come to church with her, but even after reluctantly attending a New Life Christmas service in 2010, he still was not sure what “all this was about.” Caroline began attending a small group, and eventually, Derek joined along. With time, encouragement, and a healthy amount of pruning, this small group helped usher Derek into accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior in 2013; As Christ shaped Derek’s heart, he felt a calling to ministry and officially became a Conference Ministerial Candidate in May of 2021. Now, Derek lives his life with God first, his wife second, and his two children, Ashley and Tyler, third. He believes his role is to meet people where they are and encourage them through their own faith journies; their stories will be used to share the love of Christ and be examples of what God can do through one’s heart, just as He did and will continue to do with Derek and Caroline’s story.