Reverend Dr. Steve VanOstran

Executive Minister

svanostran@abcrm.org

303-988-3900

Steve comes to us after 18 years in pastoral ministry serving congregations both in rural and urban settings. For the last 5 years he has been the Associate Executive Minister for ABC of the Central Region (primarily Kansas). He is married to Debbie, an interior architect, and they have three children. Their oldest, R.C. is a senior math major at Kansas University. Peter, their second, is a senior at Washburn Rural High School and plans to remain in Kansas for college, possibly Washburn University. Their youngest is their daughter, Paige.

Van Ostran received his Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky in 1987. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Northern Baptist Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. Rev. Dr. Van Ostran stated in his application that, “I was raised, licensed, and ordained as a Southern Baptist. This has given me a unique understanding of church growth, theology and holistic worship. I have chosen to be a part of and to serve American Baptist Congregations because I am better able to live out my faith here.” His entire ministry has been in the American Baptist family.

Steve was called to ministry out of a study beginning with Ephesians 4:11 which emphasized the equipping and preparation of fellow Believers for Christian service. When called to Regional work five years ago he believed he was able to live out that passion and purpose more fully by working with multiple congregations. Further, he stated, “My call to regional work has grown out of the calling and practice of being a local church pastor.” He has shared that his vision for the local church is to reclaim the “incarnational” nature that is described by the Apostle Paul by depicting the church as “The Body of
Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27). It is his desire to help local churches reconnect with their community and to discover new avenues of ministry within those communities. In so doing, Van Ostran believes that the church’s ongoing witness to Christ will once again become effective, even in our postmodern world.

During the time that Van Ostran was the Associate Executive Minister he served two terms as the Acting Executive Minister due to the sabbatical and subsequent disability and retirement of their Executive Minister. In his capacities in the Central Region he was responsible for directing the Interim Ministry Program of the Region, consulting with congregations on a variety of issues including pastoral placement, conflict transformation processes, Natural Church Development, Appreciative Inquiry processes and financial concerns. He also worked with a regional task force looking at structure and redesign for the region.

Additional Staff (in alphabethical order)

Jessica Fischer

Communication Specialist

jfischer@abcrm.org

303-988-3900 ext. 14

Jessica Fischer has been an ABCRM constituent since she was born. She

was born and raised in Gillette, WY. Her home church is First Baptist Church of Gillette. She attended Camp Wyoba from 3rd grade to 12th grade as a camper. During her high school years, she was also a camp counselor and co-director of Primary camp.

In 2001, Jessica was selected as one of 3 youth delegates from ABCRM to attend the ABC Bienniel in Providence, RI. There she met many friends, but she also met her future husband James. He was a youth delegate from the ABC Dakotas. Jessica attended the University of Sioux Falls, where she was a member of the choral department, and a memeber of the women's soccer team. She graduated with a BA in History in 2005.

Jessica and James married in 2005 and moved to Denver. They found Calvary Baptist Church in Denver to be their new church home. Jessica is deeply involved in Calvary's music program. She sings in the choir, plays in the bell choir, sings a solo once in a while, and has started to help lead music in the new contemporary service. She is also the secretary for Calvary's Celebration in Worship committee.

Jessica travels a lot to see her family in Wyoming and just for pleasure. She also loves to sing, play piano, sew, read, write, and play with her black labrador, Jet.

Alyce Keys

Bookkeeper/Secretary

akeys@abcrm.org

303-988-3900 ext. 16

When you call the Region office, you might hear the friendly voice of Alyce Keys. Alyce is the Bookkeeper and the Secretary for the Region. She supports Larry VanSpriell, Interim Executive Minister, the 3 Minister and Missionary Coaches, and all the various committees including the MLC (Minister Leadership Committee), Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Executive Minister Search Committee to name a few.

As Bookkeeper for the Region, Alyce is responsible for the daily tracking of our finances. This includes tracking Mission giving, inputting the mission support information into the American Baptist Churches Information System (abcis.org), sending monthly reports back to the churches, and distributing the checks that the Region distributes to the various organizations. She is quickly learning QuickBooks, our accounting software, and is inputting approved invoices and printing the checks which require a Board Members signature.

With over 25 years in the workforce, Alyce has developed critical skills necessary for working in fast paced, detail oriented and customer-driven environments. Timeliness, proficiency and strong work ethics are 3 areas that Alyce states are at the top of her core values. Alyce spent the last 17 years as Rev. Golson’s, Senior Pastor True Light Baptist Church, Administrative Assistant and Bookkeeper for the church. This experience has been a tremendous resource to the Region office, because she understands how things affect the churches. Rev. Golson recommends Alyce whole heartedly for her new position. He stated, “Alyce is conscientious, a person of great integrity and a hard worker”.

Reverend Mike Oldham

Ministry and Mission Coach

Southeast Colorado, New Mexico, and Western Slope
moldham@abcrm.org

Rev. Mike Oldham has been in the Rocky Mountain Region since September 2001. Mike received a B.A. from Eastern New Mexico University in 1985 with a major in Religious Studies. He then received his M. Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological eminary in 1990. While in seminary, Mike served as Associate Pastor at the First

Christian Church (Disciples) of Jeffersonville, IN.

After seminary, Mike served a yoked ministry, FBC of Pt. Marion and Oak Hill Baptist Church of Smithfield, PA for five years. Mike continued to serve as pastor of Oak Hill Baptist Church until August of 2001. In September 2001, Mike began his ministry in our Region as a church planter. Then he served as the Manager for Black Forest Camp and Conference Center.

Mike began as a Ministry and Mission Coach on September 1, 2005. He works with two of our Ministry and Mission Clusters, the churches on the Western Slope of Colorado and Moab, Utah and the churches of Southeastern Colorado and New Mexico.

Reverend Mary Tellis

Ministry and Mission Coach

Metro Denver

mtellis@abcrm.org

Rev. Mary Tellis says her passion is “to be in ministry one hundred percent.” Her primary tasks are to determine the needs of churches in the Metro Denver area and to build relationships.

Mary, the youngest child of Henry and Ruby Rhodes, is a native of Louisiana. After living in Louisiana, Texas and Ohio, her family settled in Denver, CO. Mary completed her public education in Louisiana and also her higher education at Louisiana Tech University and Grambling State University, where she received a BA degree in Sociology.

Allowing God to equip her for her purpose and destiny, she furthered her studies and received a diploma of biblical studies from Heritage Christian Center, Aurora, CO. She later pursued advanced studies and received a Master of Arts, Theology (Concentration: Ministerial Education and Evangelism); Doctor of Philosophy, Theology, (Concentration: Biblical Ministerial Counseling) from Truth Bible College, Jacksonville, FL. She has authored and published a book entitled Why? How to Maintain Integrity in the Midst of Suffering.

Over a span of more than 21 years, she faithfully served in leadership areas as Church Administrator and Associate Pastor at Central Baptist Church and currently serves at Solomon Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Denver, pastorate of her husband, John Tellis, Jr. Mary and John are the grateful parents of three children and one lovely granddaughter.

Karen VanValkenburgh

Region Administrator
kvan@abcrm.org
303-988-3900 ext. 13

Karen was born and raised in the Chicago area. She graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX with a degree in Elementary Education. Upon graduation, Karen was offered a management position for the restaurant company she worked for during college. Starting as an assistant manager, she held numerous positions including Restaurant Manager, Auditor, Accounting Manager, Systems Project Manager, and was the Vice President/Controller when she left. Her last corporate position was Vice President/controller for VICORP Restaurants, who own Village Inn and Baker Square restaurants.

Learning has been a passion for Karen, and she took accounting and business courses while working full-time. She obtained a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) license from the state of Texas, and three years later, obtained an Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Karen considers her 17-year marriage to Mike Nedeau and her two teenage children her greatest accomplishments. The Nedeau family is an active part of the West Bowles Community Church in Littleton, CO. Family activities revolve around the kids' busy sport and school schedules (lacrosse, soccer, skiing/snowboarding, basketball, football, and lots of studying). Karen loves traveling, visiting relatives (who all live out of state), reading and Rotary.