our team
Want to get to know our team? The leadership at Emmaus is made up of pastors and elders who oversee the direction and vision of the church. Each pastor brings his or her own unique gifts to shepherd, counsel & minister within this church body. The role of elder at Emmaus is to focus on the theology, vision, and staff/leadership relations of the church.
Interested in the possibility of joining our team? Check out our current career opening.
Ron & Jessica Vandever
Co-Lead Pastor/Elder
Connections Minister
As a kid growing up in Walla Walla, Washington, I experienced the mighty power of Christ in my life. Even though I did not start regularly attending church until I was 14, God showed Himself to me when I was just 4 years old. Somehow the creator of the universe showed me, at a young age, that He had great plans for me.
Being a part of Emmaus is an opportunity to be a part of what God is doing in other areas of Springfield and other places around the world. I believe that the church exists to show the great power, love, forgiveness, and mercy of Christ. I believe that with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and grace of Christ, we will see great things at Emmaus and I am just thankful to be a part of the amazing mystery of life.
Michael & Wendy Buttacy
Co-Lead Pastor/Elder
Hailing originally from Long Island, New York, I am a proud husband and father of two amazing children. After feeling called to ministry years ago, I obtained my undergraduate in theology, a masters in business, and was eventually ordained with the Assemblies of God. I have served the Emmaus church body over the last decade through worship, VBS, and serving on the elder board.
I want to see the lost come home, the broken find hope, and the called step into the fullness of what God has called them to do. I know what the Lord has done in my life and the freedom I have found in Him and I want everyone to find that same peace and hope. I am humbled to be a part of this amazing church and can’t wait to see what God has in store for the future
Daniel Meade
Worship Pastor + College Ministry
My mom gave me Jesus as a kid, so I never knew a life without knowing about God. However, my whole life I treated God as a master that sometimes responded to a list of wishes that I had. One night, Jesus decided to encounter me in a real way during worship in a living room of someone’s home. Knowing about God turned into knowing God himself. Through encountering him, Jesus called me to worship through music. My passion in worship is to give God the same passionate love that He first gave us. I want to be a vehicle that allows God to give his heart to his children. Also, I believe that worship is far more than a song, it’s a lifestyle. It’s a lifestyle that always brings me in to alignment with my destiny. Emmaus has always been a place for me to encounter the heart of God. Even in seasons where I was called away from Emmaus, I couldn’t help occasionally stepping in and seeing what God was up to. It’s a huge honor for me to be a part of the lives at Emmaus. I’m excited to fuel a culture of worshippers that carry the throne of God into this Earth as it is in Heaven.
Quinlan Meade
Communication/Media Minister + College Ministry
It often feels like a dream come true to be able to serve on the ministry team here at Emmaus, in communication and media. I feel passionate about this field, as well as creatively, effectively and prayerfully communicating all that this church body is up to. I had the privilege of studying Communication Studies in grad school, as well as serving as an intern here at church before coming on staff (and serving with our kickin’ worship team with my husband, Daniel). Growing up, I knew all of the things that we were taught in Sunday School. Who Jesus was, what he did, what I was supposed to do in return. It wasn’t until my last few years of high school that I feel like I truly met him. My anthem since then has been that there is radical hope. This hope is tangible. It is powerful, loving, unwavering and oh so present – and his name is Jesus. My prayer is that we would be obedient vessels, doing our daily best to pursue him back, to say yes to all that God is working on in our lives and in the global body of Christ.
Nathan & Erica White
Youth + Local Missions Pastors
It was during my senior year of high school that my life started changing because of the Gospel. I started understanding that Christ wanted a real relationship with me, and I wanted to follow His direction in my life. I am grateful for my time in college as I experienced a deeper Christian community through a campus ministry. My wife, Erica, also was involved in a campus ministry and came to know the Lord through a mentor sharing the Gospel and loving her well. Erica and I have both been impacted by intentional mentors loving us, and we want to share Christ with others as well through teaching, prayer, and mentorship. We believe God wants to have a personal relationship with every student and give them purpose in building His kingdom. We love getting to serve Emmaus through the Student Ministry, and we invite all 6 – 12 grade students to come hangout with us! In our free time we enjoy being with friends, checking out local restaurants, and playing board games.
Josh & Haiden Stipp
Assistant
Children's Pastor
My walk with God started over VeggieTales and singing of the love of Jesus. I grew up learning about Him and through the years God has revealed Himself in ways to assure me that He is personal and comes in close to His children. We are all in need of grace and God can use anyone and anything to share His message. He outgrows all the boxes we could put Him in. Because I was mentored and poured into at a young age I have found my passion of shepherding and raising up children in the love of Jesus. For the past several years I have worked with kids of all ages through an after school ministry and preschool classes. I am excited to share the authentic love and truth of Jesus to the children of Emmaus and have lots of fun in the process.
Elders
Bill & Peggy Niebuhr
Elder Couple
On May 27, 1973 Christ’s wonderful love delivered me out of a life of wine, women, and song; out of darkness and into His marvelous light, at the age of 22. Five years later, Peggy and I married in the Lord. For 44 years, the Good Lord, has led us into His purposes for our lives in ministry and leadership at local, district and regional levels. We moved to the Springfield area in August of 2015 and our prayer as been, “plug us in where You want us Lord.” We have found a wonderful church family in Emmaus and it is our desire to bless what God is doing here. If you are being drawn to Emmaus, we say, Praise God. Come join us as we grow deeper in His truth and strength, wider in sharing the Good news with more, and higher in love and serving, and knowing Him.
Joe & Cindi Gaunt
Elder Couple
I came to Christ as a young child. It wasn’t until college that I began to give my life fully to the Lord and I started to experience His love and grace in greater ways. I’m beyond thankful for Jesus and His sacrifice. I also met my wife Cindi in college. We’ve been married 11 years and have 4 wonderful children. With the exception of a short stint in the Kansas City area, we have been a part of the Emmaus family since the church began. It’s been really amazing to watch this church grow and mature over the years. I’m so thankful to be able to serve alongside so many people that sincerely love God and love people. Outside of church I love hanging with my family and friends and hunting.
Chris & Ida Coyan
Elder Couple
I grew up in a Christian home and came to a closer understanding and relationship with God while in college. It was there that I met my wife Ida. We have been married 42 years. We have two wonderful sons and daughter in laws with six precious grandchildren. We have called Emmaus home for the past 15 years. God has given me a heart for his church and to encourage and serve in any way that I can. I love God and I love people. I have seen God move in the lives and hearts of so many people at Emmaus. I look forward to serving Emmaus and growing the kingdom of God.
Jeff & Charity Reeb
Elder Couple
I had a neighbor named Herman who shared Jesus with me in my teen years. Hermon continually loved and invested in my family. It wasn’t, however, until my early 20s that I fully surrendered my life to Jesus and embarked on the journey of following Him. Charity grew up in a Christian home, but it wasn’t until her mid-twenties as well that she fully understood the love of Christ for the world. Together, we have a passion for creating safe spaces for people to explore faith and ask honest questions without offering formulaic answers. That’s why we love Emmaus. We spend time with our house church members and our neighbors in the Springfield community. We believe one of the most important things we can do as Christ followers is open up our lives to those around us.
Eric & Amanda Hambey
Elder Couple
We grew up in a small town, both being raised in Christian homes. We were high school sweethearts and were involved in the youth group together. We accepted Christ as our savior at an early age and God has been exceedingly gracious to us. We have been married since 2005 and have 2 amazing kids. We have been attending Emmaus since the first day the church began. We have built many strong relationships through Emmaus and we love our church family. God continues to bless us through life’s ups and downs and we continue to grow closer to him. We look forward to continuing to serve Emmaus and spread the love of Jesus!