FAITH MINISTRIES - Key Persons


Aaron Birk

Job Titles:
  • Accounting and Management, Purdue University
Aaron is married to Tirzah and has four children: Zemirah, Boaz, Keziah, and Isaiah. Aaron is the Pastor Global Missions for Faith Church and Pastor of Faith West Ministries. Aaron oversees Faith Church West, international student and family ministries, missionaries, and short-term missions. He teaches in Faith's Biblical Counseling Ministries and is certified as a biblical counselor through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).

Adam Murphy

Bio Adam and his wife Gabriela have 4 children and have been members of Faith Church since 2003. He teaches in the Peacemakers ABF class and periodically during FCI. He serves on the Northend Community Center Care Team and is an ex-officio member of the Faith CDC board. Adam has worked for the City of Lafayette since 2008 and is the Community Advocate and Resource Navigator for the Lafayette Police Department.

Alfonso Gomez

Bio B.A. - Criminal Justice, UTEP M.Div - Faith Bible Seminary Alfonso and his wife Maggie moved to Lafayette from El Paso, Texas to join the Faith Bible Seminary cohort in 2019. They have been married since 2018 and have three children, Geneva Grace, Zealand Zaccai, and Evander Elias. Alfonso joined the pastoral staff at Faith Church in the summer of 2022, and serves as the Pastor of Worship and Community Ministries at Faith Church North and the Northend Community Center.

Arvid Olson

Job Titles:
  • Ministries' Director of Development
Arvid is Faith Ministries' Director of Development. He joined Faith in 1979 and returned in 2003; his wife, Edris, joined in 2000. Arvid co-created and serves in the Lafayette Living Nativity and other community outreach projects. He also teaches classes in Faith Community Institute and serves in the Proclaimer's ABF. Arvid is currently a Faith Church deacon and is on the board of Faith Christian School. He is the Executive Director of Faith Legacy Foundation, Inc. Arvid also is active on Greater Lafayette Commerce committees including the Federal Government Committee.

Dr. Amy Baker

Job Titles:
  • Resource Director for Faith Church Ministry
Dr. Baker serves as the Resource Director for Faith Church Ministry in Lafayette, IN. She is the author or co-author of over a dozen books and booklets. Dr. Baker is an ACBC certified biblical counselor; an instructor and counselor at Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries, and a Council Board member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition.

Dr. Brent Aucoin

Job Titles:
  • President of Faith Bible Seminary
Dr. Brent Aucoin joined the staff of Faith Church in Lafayette, IN in July of 1998. Brent is the President of Faith Bible Seminary, Chair of the Seminary's M.Div. Program, Pastor of Seminary and Soul Care at Faith Church (Lafayette, IN); ACBC certified; instructor and counselor at Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries; and a retreat and conference speaker. He and his wife, Janet, have two adult children.

Dr. Rob Green

Job Titles:
  • Engineering Physics
Dr. Rob Green joined the Faith Church staff in August, 2005. Rob's responsibilities include oversight of the Faith Biblical Counseling Ministry and teaching New Testament at Faith Bible Seminary. He serves on the Council Board of the Biblical Counseling Coalition and as a fellow for the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. Pastor Green has authored, co-authored, and contributed to 9 books/booklets. Rob and his wife Stephanie have three children. Read Rob Green's Journey to Faith for the full account of how the Lord led Pastor Green to Faith Church.

Dr. Steve Viars

Dr. Steve Viars has served at Faith Church in Lafayette, IN since 1987. Pastor Viars leads and equips Faith Church as Senior Pastor with a focus on preaching and teaching God's Word and using his organizational skills in guiding the implementation of the Faith Church mission and vision. He oversees the staff, deacons, and all Faith Church ministries. Dr. Viars serves on the boards of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, Biblical Counseling Coalition, Vision of Hope, and the Faith Community Development Corporation. Steve is the author, co-author, or contributor to six books and numerous booklets. He and his wife, Kris, were married in 1982 and have two married daughters, a son, and five grandchildren. Read Steve Viars' Journey to Faith for the full account of how the Lord led Pastor Viars to Faith Church.

Dustin Folden

Job Titles:
  • Pastor
Pastor Dustin Folden joined the Pastoral Staff in 2010. He and his wife Trisha have been married since 2006. They have three children, Mackenna, Sawyer and Rhys. They enjoy playing board games, cooking together and going on hiking adventures. Pastor Folden shepherds the 9:30 worship service, oversees the Adult Bible Fellowship ministry, the Wednesday evening Faith Community Institute as well as serves in Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries.

Ian Woodall

Ian Woodall B. A. - Communication, Cedarville University M. Div. - Cedarville University Ian was raised in Faith Church (1997-2011). It was during those early years that he understood his need for a Savior, believed the gospel, and was saved by God. His family then moved to upstate NY before starting high school. It was in NY that he met his wife, Beka. They married in 2019 and were blessed with a son, Liam, in 2022. Ian received his Master of Divinity in 2023. Throughout the degree he was heavily involved in his local church serving in kids ministry and student ministry and working on staff as intern and as pastoral assistant. It was during that season that the Lord deepened Ian's love for the local church and desire to preach God's Word to God's people. Ian highly enjoys movies, books, coffee, games with friends, and walks with his wife and son. His heart and mind have been shaped by authors like D.A. Carson, John Piper, John Sailhamer, Dale Ralph Davis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the puritans.

Johnny Kjaer

Bio B.A. - Church Ministries, Maranatha Baptist University M. DIV. - Faith Bible Seminary D.Min. - Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (in progress) Johnny is married to Tori. They have 4children Leif, Tryggve, Kjirsti and Hroarr. He has been a part of the youth ministry at Faith since his internship began in 2010. He served as the Pastor of Student Ministries from 2013-2023 and now serves as the Pastor of Faith East Community Ministries. Johnny is an ACBC certified counselor. He also serves the church by directing the Lafayette Living Nativity. Read Johnny Kjaer's Journey to Faith for the full account of how the Lord led Pastor Kjaer to Faith Church.

Joshua Aucoin

Josh Aucoin grew up attending Faith Church and has been involved with the music ministry since 2012. While pursuing his MDiv degree at Faith Bible Seminary, Josh served at Faith Church as a pastoral intern with the worship and college ministries before joining the pastoral team in the summer of 2022. Josh now oversees the worship ministries and assists Pastor Trey Garner with children's ministries. Josh married his wife, Noelle, in the summer of 2020, and they have one daughter, Arielle, who was born in the fall of 2023.

Kari Schwartz

Job Titles:
  • Director

Pastor Greg

Pastor Greg Wetterlin and his wife, Erika, joined the Faith staff in July of 2016. Greg's responsibilities include oversight of Restoration Men's Ministries as well as shepherding and teaching in Faith Church.

Rod Hutton

Bio B. Mathematics - University of Minnesota M.A. - National Security Affairs - Naval Post Graduate School M. Div. - Faith Bible Seminary Pastor Rod Hutton and his wife Kathy have been married for 34 years. They have five children, Chris, Tim, Malia, Grace and Josie. The Hutton's came to Lafayette on assignment with the Navy to Purdue University which afforded the opportunity to attend Faith Bible Seminary. In 2018, Rod retired from Naval Service and joined the staff to lead the efforts in opening and operating the Northend Community Center and in 2019 he was ordained as a pastor with Faith Church. In 2024, he transitioned to the role as Director, Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries.

Ross Reeder

Job Titles:
  • Accounting, Finance, and Management, Purdue University
Ross became a Christian in 2015 while attending Purdue Bible Fellowship at Faith Church. Years later, he and his wife Elisabeth met while serving together in the college ministry. Ross began the pastoral internship program at Faith Church in 2019 and joined the pastoral staff in 2022. He serves as the Executive Director for the Faith Community Development Corporation and oversees the student ministry at Faith West.

Sam Hornbrook

Bio B.R.E. in Missions, Cornerstone University Planted churches in Mexico City for 30 years, sent by Faith Church ACBC certified Sam is planting a Hispanic Church here at Faith Church. He is finishing his MABC at Faith Seminary and working on becoming a Fellow with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. Sam and his wife Jamie have 3 children and 4 grandchildren.

Stefan Nitzschke

Job Titles:
  • Management Information Systems
Stefan has been serving on the pastoral team at Faith Church since 2016. He and his wife have a passion for discipleship and evangelism and are the blessed parents of four carefree boys and one sweet girl. Stefan is certified as a biblical counselor through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Trey Garner

Job Titles:
  • Pastor
Pastor Trey Garner joined our staff in 2001. He and his wife, Deb, were married that year, and they have two children. Trey oversees our Children's Ministries, which serves infants, preschoolers, and K-5th grade students. He also provides pastoral care for those who attend the 8:00 a.m. and family worship services at our east campus. Read Trey Garner's Journey to Faith for the full account of how the Lord led Pastor Garner to Faith Church.