downtown elders
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our elders
Wisdom and unity, leadership and humility – the elders of Bethel strive to lead and serve with love. Our Shepherding Elders care for the ongoing and emergent needs of the body. Our Trustee Elders prayerfully set the vision of the church and oversee its governance. Bethel believes aspiring to this office is a noble task (1 Timothy 3) and involve the body in the vetting and election of this group each year.
Mark Alderson
Downtown Elder
When Billy Graham came to the Anaheim stadium in Southern California in 1969 Mark was compelled to walk forward and give his life to God. That began a journey that continues through today. Mark has had a heart for ministry since Jr. High, which gives his life meaning like nothing else. Mark met his wife, Marcia 36 years ago at Bible school in beautiful Arrowhead , California. They have two children, Matthew and Michele. Pine Cove brought Mark and his family to Texas and Bethel Bible Church soon became home. Mark says, “If there is one thing that has continued drawing us to this church it’s been the biblical teaching and the hunger for God’s word we see in those we have grown to love over the years.”
Nathan Atkinson
Downtown Elder
Nathan has been married to his wife, Sunni, for longer than he hasn’t. They have three children, Ethan, Seth, and Georgia. Nathan works in IT, and when he’s not coding for Baylor University, Nathan spends most of his time with his family. His hobbies include: being a marching band/drumline fanboy, timing at middle school swim meets, and training for the occasional hometown fun run. He likes to travel, snow ski, mountain bike, trail run, and take long walks with Sunni and sometimes his dog.
Joe Deming
Downtown Elder
Joe has been married to his beautiful wife, Karin, since 1970. They moved to Tyler from Houston. Joe has no complaints about the traffic on Broadway, considering where they used to live. Joe and Karim have three children, Karin (three grandkids) here in Tyler, Jonathan (two grandkids) in Chattanooga, TN, and Katherine, just married living in Longview. He is a corporate attorney, retired from Shell Oil Company and Saudi Aramco. As for serving the body, Karin and Joe felt called to attend Downtown very soon after arriving in Tyler, and similarly, he felt a very strong call from the Holy Spirit to join the Elder board. They have attended many different churches, and feel that Bethel is a very special place. Joe and Karin feel blessed to be here and to see where the Lord leads us all.
Dan George
Downtown Elder
Dan grew up in Baytown, Texas and met his wife, Susan, at the University of Texas at Austin. They have been married since 1985. With God’s help, they have raised three outstanding children: Ben, Caroline, and Libby. Dan is in the Oil and Gas business and has been a member of Bethel since 2008. Bethel is a special place for Dan and he is honored to serve in any way he can. Dan enjoys anything to do with the outdoors, growing plumeria and spending time with his family and animals.
Scott Gill
Downtown Elder
Scott and his wife, Jennie, have been married since 1982 and have two children, Sallie, and Sean, who both also attend Bethel! They love Bethel Downtown and usually sit on the front row MOSTLY because we can’t sing and don’t want anyone else to hear them try! Scott is a portfolio manager for an investment management group in town and love spending time with people and ministering in their Life Group!
Ken Kummerfeld
Downtown Elder
Ken and his wife Sue have three children and two grandchildren, and have been members of Bethel since 1984. Ken is a cardiologist in Tyler and loves to serve and love God’s people. Ken has served as an elder for the past six years. Bethel has always been a vital source of community for Ken and his family. Ken is an avid reader, and enjoys playing cello periodically with the worship team. In the last year, the Lord has taught Ken to relinquish our pseudo control and relax in God’s sovereignty.
Doug Mcswane
Downtown Elder
Doug and his wife Mo moved to Tyler in 1980 where he joined the Potter Minton law firm. He practiced law with the same firm for 40 years. Doug and Mo were one of the founding couples of Bethel Bible Church. Bethel has a special place in their hearts and lives. He has served as an elder and deacon over the years and has made the Downtown church their home. Mo is very involved in Women’s ministry both in Bethel and Bible Study Fellowship. They have also been heavily involved in Mental Health reform. They were one of the Founders of the conference on mental health known as Peace of Mind. They have also led Young Life clubs and their son, Ryan, is working to reach college students through Young Life Manhattan. He is looking forward to returning to the Elder Board. He accepted the Lord as his Saviour at an early age but began to focus on what God has designed him to when in High School.
Tom Ramey
Downtown Elder
Tom has been married to the love of his life, Gina, since September 1986. Tom and Gina have two wonderful daughters–Grace and Laura. Grace lives in Colorado with her husband, Andrew, and their first grandchild, Cordie. Laura lives in Dallas and is in medical real estate business. Several years ago, Tom and Gina became the guardians of Hartley who is a captain in the Army. They are extremely proud of all of them. Tom and his family became members of Bethel at the beginning of their marriage and have been richly blessed by the instruction, outreach, and relationships at Bethel. Through the years, Tom and Gina have served in youth ministry at both Bethel and Young Life.
Eric Barton
Campus Pastor Downtown
Eric grew up in the Texas Panhandle and spent most of his summers in Monterrey, Mexico. Eric has been married to Susan since 1994, and they met at Baylor University where he studied international business and marketing. They have two sons, Ethan and Joshua. Eric is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary where he studied pastoral leadership and discipleship. Eric’s favorite part of pastoral ministry is teaching God’s Word to God’s people to move them forward to a Christ-centered life. He loves martial arts movies, football, campfires, cherries, and cheese and he is pretty sure he can talk faster than you.