Leadership Structure

Under the authority of Jesus Christ and the Word of God, Heartland is led by a body of “elders”. This body is divided into several different teams, which are listed below. Each team is specialized in function and role according to the gifts and passions of the team members. (More specific information, including qualifications for elders and details on the selection, removal and length of service for the various teams listed below, can be found in Article V of Heartland’s Constitution.)

Management Team

This team is comprised of Heartland staff members who lead major Heartland ministry arenas. Their focus is on ministry vision for Heartland and on staffing. Responsibilities of this team include developing ministries and establishing churchwide priorities that contribute to the big picture vision established by the Senior Pastor. (This includes hiring/firing staff, establishing a budget (according to the procedure set forth in section 7.02 of the Heartland Constitution), and establishing systems and policies that allow the church to function most effectively to accomplish its mission.)
Current Management Team members are: Tom Brawner, Dan Deeble, Michelle Dilmore, Steve Fisher, Jim Gum, Nick Nave, and Shelley Winkler

Lead Pastor

This position is to be filled by an ordained minister with leadership and teaching gifts. The responsibilities of the Senior Pastor include establishing the big picture vision and leadership for the church and providing accountability in staffing decisions.
The Lead Pastor is: Dan Deeble

Advisory Team

This team is comprised of volunteer members of Heartland with strong leadership gifts and experience. Their focus is on global vision for Heartland and on the performance of the Lead Pastor. With input from the Management Team, the Advisory Team establishes and oversees annual churchwide goals and priorities. Additionally, this team is responsible for providing wise leadership counsel to the Senior Pastor, evaluating the Lead Pastor’s job performance, and (when necessary) calling a new Lead Pastor.
Current Advisory Team members are: Ward Stauffer, Greg James, Brad Schrock

Trustees

This team is comprised of volunteer members of Heartland who have marketplace expertise in legal affairs and financial management. Their focus is on Heartland’s finances. They insure that Heartland’s financial affairs are handled with responsibility and integrity in accordance with ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) standards. They must approve the Heartland budgets proposed by the Management Team, and they authorize buying/selling of real estate, securing real estate leases or borrowing of money. (Additionally, an Audit Review Team selects the auditors for the yearly audit and works with the Trustees and the Heartland Operations Team to review both the yearly audit results and Heartland’s internal control structure.)
Current Trustee Team members are: Tom Apel, *David Larrabee, *Janet Richardson-Barce, Carroll Sinclair, Ethan Vaughan, Dan Viall, *Brad Zulke (*not pictured)

Pastoral Elders

This team is comprised of volunteer members of Heartland with a passion for building disciples and genuine community. Their focus is on spiritual growth and care/counseling. Their responsibilities include modeling and promoting spiritual growth and genuine community among the staff and membership of Heartland, administering the sacraments, administrating the benevolence fund and food pantry, and extending care to the church.
Current Pastoral Elders are: Jim Bates, Debra Dambacher, Joe Leimer, Don Mardock, Sharon McFarland, Marcia Merrick, Melba Mueller, Kim Stewart and Todd Stewart

Overseers

This team is made up of respected pastors who know and love Heartland and Heartland’s Senior Pastor. They are responsible for maintaining a current relationship with the Senior Pastor and providing discipline and accountability for the Senior Pastor (according to the guidelines in section 8.03 of the Heartland Constitution) in case of moral or theological infidelity.
Current members of the Overseers Team are: Jarrett Meek, Roy Moran, Bart Tarman

Heartland Constitution

You may download a current copy of our constitution in Word format here.