Melissa Bennett, Pastor for Worship and Youth
Melissa loves to share in the embodiment of Christ by creating safe and
sacred spaces for people of all ages and life situations. At Beacon
Heights, Melissa regularly plans worship and preaches at the 9:00 and
11:15 worship services and she coordinates the youth program. Melissa
and her husband, Dean Johnson, seek to follow Jesus' way of non-violence
and peace, both personally and globally. In addition to ministry at
Beacon Heights, Melissa is actively involved with Voices for an Open
Spirit; a grassroots movement in the Church of the Brethren fostering
openness and inclusion, building bridges, and seeking common ground. In
her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with loved ones, games and
crafting, and the adventure of thrift shopping!
Brian Flory, Pastor for Worship
Brian greatly appreciates the role that worship and outreach can play as
the lifeblood of a congregational community. At Beacon Heights, Brian plans
the worship services for the 9:00 am and 11:15 am worship services and
preaches on a regular basis. He loves the art and craft of preparing and
delivering a sermon. He also has a strong passion for connecting this amazing
congregation with people in the Fort Wayne community who are looking for a
healing and supportive place to continue their journeys of faith. Brian
previously spent 8-plus years as pastor of a church in Ambler, Pennsylvania,
a northern Philadelphia suburb. He has been involved with a wide variety of
organizations, including serving as President of the Southeastern
Pennsylvania Inter-Faith Alliance. He is married to Kimberly and they enjoy
travelling, hiking, finding fun events in the community, and cooking
locally-grown foods together. Brian and Kimberly share a home with two
entertaining, older adult cats named Skeeter and Shakespeare.
Janice Kulp Long, Pastor for Congregational Life
Jan, a 'pastor at heart', combines her love for all God's children with
a passionate commitment to nonviolence. At Beacon Heights, Jan works
with community-building efforts through pastoral care-giving, small
group ministries, and education/ leadership development processes that
seek to nurture individuals in following Jesus' Way. She also preaches
and plans worship on occasion. Along with her husband John, Jan has
pastored congregations in Ohio and Virginia. She is also actively
involved with the ecumenical Christian Peacemaker Teams in violence
reduction efforts around the world, and with the Ministry of
Reconciliation program (through On Earth Peace, a Church of the Brethren
agency). In leisure moments, Jan enjoys reading and cooking. Jan and
John love music and travel, especially traditional folk dancing and
camping/hostelling.
John Long, Pastor for Congregational Life
John loves God's world of creation as much as he loves the heritage of
the Church of the Brethren as he seeks to enjoy and share the love of
God. At Beacon Heights, John works with care-giving groups within the
congregation and with mission and service groups meeting needs in the
community. He also preaches on occasion and leads Bible study groups. A
good listener, John deeply appreciates the opportunities that pastoral
care offers to hear of others' journeys and to ponder with them the
faith questions their journey raises. He also serves on the Shalom Team
of Northern Indiana District, a team that works to help congregations
and groups to experience conflict in healthy ways. For relaxation, he
enjoys woodworking and traditional folk music. John and Jan dearly love
and respect their young adult daughters, Johanna and Melinda.
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