Ministry Team
Rev. Dalene Vasbinder, Senior Minister
Rev. Vasbinder recently joined Woodland coming from Lake City Christian Church in northeast Seattle where she served that congregation for 11 years, First as co-pastor with her husband, who is also an ordained Disciples minister, and then as solo pastor for the last 5 years when her husband accepted a position as a hospital chaplain. They have two children; a son, Nathan, (11) and a daughter Kaylen (9).
Dalene was born and raised in Southern Indiana about an hour north of Louisville where she grew up in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She attended Hanover College in the early '80s, where she double-majored in International Studies and Spanish (fluent). By the late '80s, her journey took her to ElSalvador where she served as a Global Missions Partner in a refugee camp. "While I was there," she says, "my faith grew in leaps - surrounded by both horrendous suffering and tremendous faith."
It was also there that she realized she was callled to ministry. She entered the Pacific School of Religion at Berkeley and earned her Masters of Divinity in 1988. Since that time, she served local congregations in Washington, served on the Northwest regional board, directed and conseled church camp, and led regional church mission trips in conjunction with Homeland Ministries and Global Missions.
Her local congregation has been actively involved in working with the homeless population in Seattle and she has led that congregation through a sucessful building campaign.
Dalene believes the ministry of the church is to be an agen of reconcilitation; to bring about healing and hope through living the gospel of God's love in word and deed. This mission includes ministry of those within its doors - and to those in the larger community - and the world.
She describes her style of leadership as collaborative. And says she enjoys being a part of a team, working together to reach a common goal.
You may contact Rev. Vasbinder at dalenekay@msn.com
Kathryn Welch, Youth Director
John Roark, Music Director
John has been Music Director at Woodland since October 2007and a church musician for over 20 years. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Western Kentucky University, a Master of Music Education degree from Murray State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky. John taught music in the public schools for six years. He currently directs SisterSound (Lexington’s Women’s Chorus), and the MedTones (UK Medical Center choir). He has been married to his wife, Beth, since 1992. If you have any questions concerning the music program at Woodland, please contact John at jaroar2@email.uky.edu